51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Flight Management System

Use of drones on 51³Ô¹ÏÍø property and for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø affiliated activities on non-51³Ô¹ÏÍø property must be approved through the online UAS flight management system. Flight requests should be made no less than 72 hours prior to the proposed flight. For contracted parties, the university-affiliated contact is required to submit the flight request.

Training videos for the software are available on  and a workflow overview can be viewed here: RSS Drones Workflow

The FAA has jurisdiction over all navigable airspace in the United States. All aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, are subject to FAA rules and regulations if flown outdoors. Indoor use is not subject to FAA rules, but is subject to review and approval through 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's flight management system.

Rules for Flying

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and 51³Ô¹ÏÍø require that all operators follow these steps prior to flight:

1.  your UAS (between 0.55 – 55 pounds) online with the FAA.
2. Submit an online flight request via the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø flight management system no less than 72 hours prior to proposed flight.
3. Upon approval, comply with all FAA regulations and any additional university identified flight precautions and/or restrictions.
4. Submit an online post-flight report via the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø flight management system immediately after your flight(s).

Requests also apply to all unmanned aircraft that do not meet the common definition of a drone (e.g., remote controlled blimps, model rockets, etc.).

All non-domestic, university-affiliated UAS flight requests also require review and adherence to any applicable export administration regulations.

Resources