Operators must have permission from Iowa State University prior to operating UAS from university property, and all operators must follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules.
Anyone utilizing UAS for research purposes must also receive approval prior to operating UAS, regardless of where the UAS operations occur.
To apply, complete and submit a UAS use request form.
With prior university approval, certified remote pilots may fly UAS under Part 107 rules for any reason, including
The FAA's User Identification Tool places student and educator UAS activities under Part 107 rules. This is a change from the FAA's past practice of exempting certain educational UAS operations from Part 107 rules. Part 107 requires the UAS operator to either hold a remote pilot airman certificate with small UAS rating or be under the direct supervision of a person who holds a remote pilot airman certificate with small UAS rating.
If your UAS is between 0.55 and 55 lbs, you will need your FAA UAS registration number to complete the UAS Request Form.
Operate UAS in a safe manner and only at the time and place authorized. See Know Before You Fly and FAA Advisory Circular 107-2 for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for additional information.
Flying a non-Iowa State UAS solely for fun and enjoyment is not prohibited, but does require pre-approval with consideration for:
Recreational flyers must adhere to either the Section 349 rules on the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft or Part 107 rules on small UAS. Operate UAS in a safe manner and only at the time and place authorized. See Know Before You Fly and FAA Advisory Circular AC 91-57B "Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft," for additional information.
The city of Ames and Iowa State campus are located within Ames Class E controlled airspace. Until further notice from the FAA, recreational flyers have two options to fly in controlled airspace:
Air traffic control facilities no longer accept requests to operate recreational UAS in controlled airspace. Until the FAA expands its controlled airspace authorization system Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) to include recreational UAS, Risk Management can issue approvals to fly UAS from the Iowa State campus only to individuals with a Part 107 remote pilot airman certification with small UAS rating.
Recreational flyers may fly in uncontrolled airspace provided they meet the statutory conditions described in the Federal Register Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft.
Commercially-available UAS can weigh up to 55 pounds under FAA regulations. A flying object of even a few ounces can cause injury to people, animals, and property. Larger unmanned aircraft can cause fatalities upon loss of power. In one instance at the university, a remotely controlled aircraft crashed into Parks Library. In another case, a UAS flown from the top of the Memorial Union Parking Ramp crashed on top of a university building. Had these aircraft hit the glass windows of one of our older buildings, they could have caused not only property damage, but serious injury to people or animals.
People live their lives with certain expectations. If they live on the ground floor, they know someone can see in if they leave the curtain open. If they live on an upper floor, they know that a telephoto lens on the ground isn’t going to expose much. Or they know there are windows on the building across the street, and they decide to pull the shades. UAS bearing cameras offer flexibility in angle of view and closeness to windows where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Email insurance certificates and endorsements to Risk Management at orm@iastate.edu.
The university reserves the right to modify these requirements based on its determination of risk.
