SUNY ESF
Unmanned Aerial System Policy

Policy Statement

ESF reserves the right to manage use of its airspace and to establish the qualifications for the operation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs)¹ within it. ESF also reserves the right to manage and control the use of UASs owned by the State of New York or purchased with New York State funding.

Reason for Policy

The operation of UASs is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This policy is intended to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, to minimize the risks associated with using UASs, and to preserve the security and privacy of the general public and the ESF community.

Responsible Executive

Vice President of Research

Scope of Policy

President
Vice Presidents
Deans, Directors & Department Heads
Area Managers & Supervisors
Faculty
Staff
Students
Others RF Employees

Website References

Administration

Contacts

Specific questions should be directed to the following:

Subject	Contact	Telephone	Office E-Mail	Web Address
Policy Clarification and General Information	Vice President of Research	315-470-6606	research@esf.edu	Office of Research Programs

Definitions

Unmanned Aerial System or UAS
An aircraft without a human pilot onboard. Also commonly referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Remotely Piloted Vehicles, Unmanned Flying Objects, or drones.

FAA
Federal Aviation Administration

Airspace
The atmosphere and everything within it that is above College real property extending upward from the ground to 400 feet above ground level.

Principles

This policy applies to all property owned, controlled and/or maintained by ESF, including the Syracuse campus, Centennial Hall, the Ranger School, the Thousand Islands Biological Station, the Adirondack Interpretive Center, the Adirondack Ecological Center, and all forest properties. This policy also applies to UASs owned and/or operated by any ESF affiliates, including but not limited to, the Research Foundation of the State of New York.

The use of UASs for recreational purposes is prohibited on property owned, controlled and/or maintained by ESF. In the event that use of a UAS is necessary to fulfill an academic, research, public or commercial purpose that would promote or enhance the mission of ESF, then the interested party must complete and submit the UAS Request Form to the Office of the ESF Vice President of Research. This policy also applies to anyone who intends to use
UASs owned by SUNY or the State of New York on any property.

Anyone who intends to operate a UAS must submit proof that the UAS is appropriately and adequately insured.

Any individual or group that violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action at ESF. Further, any individual or group that violates any applicable law (i.e. trespassing, illegal surveillance, reckless endangerment, etc.) may be subject to criminal penalties.

Procedures

ESF will not grant permission to anyone requesting to operate a UAS under a previously granted 333 Exemption.² Instead, each UAS operator must comply with the requirements of 14 CFR part 107, also known as the Small Drone Rule. This includes, but is not limited to, the operator: (1) being over the age of sixteen (16); (2) being able to read, speak, write, and understand English; (3) being in a physical and mental condition that allows one to safely
operate a UAS; and (4) passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center.³ The operator must also obtain a Remote Pilot Airman Certification and register the UAS with the FAA.^{4 5}

The operator of a UAS must comply with all provisions of 14 CFR part 107 at all times, including but not limited to the following requirements:

All UASs must be registered with the federal government in accordance with 14 part 107.13 and 14 part 91.203(a)(2);
UASs must be under fifty-five (55) pounds;
UASs must be operated in Class G Airspace (unless a waiver⁶ is issued by the FAA);
UASs cannot be operated at any time other than during daylight hours⁷;
UASs must be operated in a manner that does not interfere with the operations and traffic patterns at airports, heliports, or seaplane bases;
UASs must be kept in the line of sight of the operator at all times;
UASs cannot fly above 400 feet above ground level;
UASs must remain at speeds below 100 miles (87 knots) per hour;
UASs must yield the right of way to any and all manned aircraft;
UASs must not be flown over people unless that person is participating in the operation of the UAS, or that person is located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that can provide reasonable protection from a falling UAS;
UASs must not take off from a moving land or water-borne vehicle unless the UAS is flown over a sparsely populated area and is not transporting another person’s property for compensation or hire;
UAS operators must comply with the FAA’s airspace restrictions, including complying with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)⁸ and restrictions of airspace in the Washington DC area;
UASs must not be flown in airspace around stadiums one hour before and after events;
The use of alcohol and illegal drugs is prohibited pursuant to 14 CFR part 107.27 while operating a UAS;
UASs may not carry any hazardous material pursuant to 14 CFR part 107.36;
UAS operators should take all reasonable measures to ensure that the privacy of individuals is not violated;
The UAS operator must comply with 14 CFR part 107.49 by conducting preflight inspections and checklists, including, but not limited to assessing the local weather conditions and appropriately operating the UAS under such weather conditions;
UASs should not operate in areas undergoing emergency response operations as this could interfere with first responders and subject the operator to penalties under federal, state, and/or local laws; and
In the event of an accident, the UAS operator must immediately notify the Office of the ESF Vice President of Research by submitting a campus incident report⁹ and report the accident to the FAA pursuant to 14 CFR part 107 within ten (10) days of the accident.

Any person who intends to operate a UAS on or within 5 miles of the Syracuse campus, including the Centennial Hall vicinity, must complete and submit the UAS Request Form, which requires the operator to provide the following information:

Identification of the UAS (manufacture, model number, registration number; weight, dimensions, serial number, and power source);
Name and contact information for the UAS operator(s);
A copy of the Remote Pilot Airman Certification of the UAS operator(s);
Proof of insurance;
Proposed location of the operator during the flight;
Purpose of the flight;
Scheduled time of the flight;
Duration of the flight;
Geographic range of the flight;
Whether photographs or video will be taken;
Whether the UAS is equipped with geo-fencing; and
Whether the UAS is carrying hazardous materials;

Any person who intends to operate a UAS over any other property other than the Syracuse campus and the Centennial Hall vicinity must complete and submit the UAS Request Form, which requires the operator to provide the following information:

Identification of the UAS (manufacture, model number, registration number; weight, dimensions, serial number, and power source);
Name and contact information for the UAS operator(s);
A copy of the Remote Pilot Airman Certification of the UAS operator(s);
Proof of insurance;
Purpose of the flight(s);
Proposed date range of the flights (not to exceed ninety (90) days);
Proposed geographic range of the flight(s);
Whether photographs or video will be taken;
Whether the UAS is equipped with geo-fencing; and
Whether the UAS will be carrying hazardous materials.

The Office of the ESF Vice President of Research will determine whether to grant permission to use a UAS. Permission to operate the UAS will be subject to Federal and State regulations, together with any limitations determined by the Office of the ESF Vice President of Research. If permission is granted to use a UAS over any other property other than the Syracuse campus and Centennial Hall vicinity, then the requester will be given permission to fly the UAS
over the proposed geographic area(s) for no more than ninety (90) days. Once the ninety (90) day time period has expired, the requester must re-submit a UAS Request Form. The requester, however, must comply with all provisions of this policy and all federal, state and local regulations. Any individual or group that violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action at ESF. Further, any individual or group that violates any applicable law (i.e. trespassing,
illegal surveillance, reckless endangerment, etc.) may be subject to criminal penalties.

¹UASs are also commonly referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles, Unmanned
Aircraft Systems, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Remotely Piloted Vehicles, Unmanned Flying Objects, or drones.
²See Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.
³A list of approved centers
⁴Remote Pilot Airman Certification
⁵Further information on how to become a certified UAS operator
⁶Waivers can be issued pursuant to 14 CFR part 107. See Request Waiver. ESF will not issue any waivers. All waivers must be granted by the FAA.
⁷Operating the UAS during twilight hours is prohibited pursuant to 14 CFR part 107.29.
⁸List of active TFRs
⁹ Incident reports can be obtained from the University Police Department.

SUNY ESF Unmanned Aerial System Policy