7440.03 - SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (DRONES)

A staff member or administrator or vendor employed by the Board authorized by the District Administrator, after completing the District's Drone Authorization Use Form, to operate a small unmanned aircraft system (“sUAS”) on property owned or leased or contracted for by the Board must maintain a remote pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and must familiarize themselves with and comply with all rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and these guidelines provided that these guidelines are not inconsistent with the FAA rules which supercede the guidelines. Failure to follow these rules may result in loss of authorization to operate a sUAS on property owned, leased, or contracted for by the Board, referral to local law enforcement, and/or further disciplinary action, up to and including termination for an employee and expulsion for a student.

Definitions

Control station is an interface used by the remote pilot to control the flight path of the drone.

Small unmanned aircraft (“drone”) is an unmanned aircraft weighing less than fifty-five (55) pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft.

Small unmanned aircraft system (“sUAS”) is a drone and its associated elements (including communication links and the components that control the drone) that are required for the safe and efficient operation of the drone in the national airspace system.

Unmanned aircraft is an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.

Visual observer is a person who is designated by the remote pilot in command to assist the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the sUAS to see and avoid other air traffic or objects aloft or on the ground.

District Drone Authorization Use Form

Prior to operating a drone on District property or at District-sponsored events/activities, a person must obtain authorization from the District Administrator by completing and submitting the District's Drone Authorization Use Form. No drone may be used until such completed form has been approved by the District Administrator.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to obtain a remote pilot certificate for a sUAS, a person must:

1. be at least sixteen (16) years of age;
2. be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language (if a person is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, the FAA may place operating limitations on the applicant’s certificate);
3. not know or have reason to know that the pilot has a physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a sUAS; and
4. demonstrate specified aeronautical knowledge.

Operator Requirements

An operator (i.e., remote pilot) shall possess proper certification and shall maintain any document, record, or report required to be kept by Federal regulations. The operator must also comply with FAA registration requirements. The operator must, upon request, allow the FAA administrator to make any test or inspection of the drone, the remote pilot in command, the person manipulating the flight controls of a sUAS, and, if applicable, the visual observer to determine compliance with Federal regulations.

An operator shall report immediately any incident or accident involving injury or damage to any property to the District Administrator. Additionally, an operator must report to the FAA, within ten (10) calendar days, any incident or accident involving serious injury to any person, any loss of consciousness, or damage to any property, other than the drone, unless the cost of repair (including materials and labor) does not exceed $500 or the fair market value of the property does not exceed $500 in the event of total loss.

Condition for Safe Operation

No person may operate a sUAS unless it is in a condition for safe operation. Prior to each flight, the operator must check the sUAS to verify it is in a condition for safe operation. The operator must discontinue using the sUAS if it is no longer in a condition for safe operation.

Medical Condition

No person may operate a sUAS or otherwise participate in the operation of the drone if the person has a physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of the sUAS.

Remote Pilot in Command

A remote pilot in command must:

1. be designated before or during the flight, and is responsible for the operation of the drone;
2. ensure that the drone will pose no undue hazard to other people, aircraft, or property in the event of a loss of control of the drone;
3. have the ability to direct the sUAS to ensure compliance with Federal regulations; and
4. ensure that the operation of the sUAS complies with all applicable Federal regulations.

Hazardous Operation

The operator shall not operate a sUAS in a careless or reckless manner.

The operator shall be responsible for the drone at all times and must ensure that it poses no undue hazard to other people, aircraft or property during its operation.

The operator shall not cause anything to be dropped from the drone that creates an undue hazard to persons or property.

In-flight Emergency

If an in-flight emergency occurs that requires immediate action, the remote pilot in command may deviate from any operating rule in order to meet the emergency. If the remote pilot in command deviates from an operating rule, the remote pilot in command must, upon request from the FAA administrator, send a written report of the deviation to the FAA administrator. Unrelated to whether the FAA administrator requires a report, the remote pilot in command must also submit a written report to the District Administrator concerning the incident, including what occurred, what actions the remote pilot in command took during the incident (including any rules that the remote pilot in command deviated from), and why the remote pilot in command took those actions.

Operation from a Moving Vehicle or Aircraft

Except as expressly permitted by Federal regulations, no person may operate an sUAS from a moving vehicle or aircraft.

No Alcohol or Drugs

No person may operate or assist in the operation of a sUAS while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Night Operation

No person may operate a sUAS during the night, unless the following requirements are met:

1. the remote pilot in command has completed FAA-approved training for night operations and maintains recurrent training requirements;
2. the small unmanned aircraft is equipped with lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least three (3) statute miles that has a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.

Visual Line of Sight

The remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), must be able to see the drone throughout the entire flight in order to:

1. know its location;
2. determine its attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;
3. observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and
4. determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.

Use of a Visual Observer

If a visual observer is used during the operation of a drone, all of the following requirements must be met:

1. the remote pilot in command and the visual observer must maintain effective communication with each other at all times;
2. the remote pilot in command must ensure the visual observer is able to see the drone;
3. the remote pilot in command and the visual observer must coordinate their efforts to scan the airspace where the drone is operating for any potential collision hazard and maintain awareness of the drone’s position through direct visual observation.

Operation of Multiple Aircraft

No person may operate or participate in the operation of more than one (1) drone at a time.

Hazardous Materials

No drone may carry hazardous materials.

Location of Operation

No person may operate a drone so close to another aircraft so as to create a collision hazard. The person operating the drone must comply with all applicable right-of-way rules.

No person may operate a drone over a human being unless that human being is directly participating in the operation of the drone or located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that can provide reasonable protection from a falling drone or the drone complies with one (1) of the following category requirements:

1. Category 1 small unmanned aircraft are permitted to operate over people, provided the small unmanned aircraft:
    
   1. weighs 0.55 pounds or less, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft at the time of takeoff and throughout the duration of each operation;
   2. contains no exposed rotating parts that would cause lacerations;
   3. is compliant with Remote ID capability to broadcast identification and location information about the drone and its control station.
2. Category 2 small unmanned aircraft are permitted to operate over people, provided the small unmanned aircraft:
    
   1. weighs more than 0.55 pounds, does not have an airworthiness certificate under Part 21 (Note: The drone must hold an airworthiness certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 21, which verifies it meets FAA standards for safe operation.), and meets maximum force impact requirements;
   2. contains no exposed rotating parts that would cause lacerations;
   3. is compliant with remote ID capability to broadcast identification and location information about the drone and its control station.
3. Category 3 small UAS have greater maximum force impact potential and have further operating restrictions. A remote pilot in command may not operate a small unmanned aircraft over open-air assemblies of human beings. Additionally, a remote pilot in command may only operate a small unmanned aircraft over people if:
    
   1. the operation is within or over a closed or restricted access site and all people on site are on notice that a small UAS may fly over them; or
   2. the small unmanned aircraft does not maintain sustained flight over any person unless that person is participating directly in the operation or located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that can provide reasonable protection from a falling small unmanned aircraft.
4. Category 4 operation allows small unmanned aircraft issued an airworthiness certificate under Part 21 (Note: The drone must hold an airworthiness certificate issued under 14 C.F.R. Part 21, which verifies it meets FAA standards for safe operation.) to operate over people, so long as the operating limitations specified in the approved Flight Manual or as otherwise specified by the Administrator do not prohibit operations over people. Additionally, no remote pilot in command may operate a small unmanned aircraft in sustained flight over open-air assemblies unless the operation is compliant with Remote ID. To preserve the continued airworthiness of the small unmanned aircraft and continue to meet a level of reliability that the FAA finds acceptable for operating over people in accordance with Category 4, additional requirements apply.
   
   Note: Sustained flight over an open-air assembly includes hovering above the heads of persons gathered in an open-air assembly, flying back and forth over an open-air assembly, or circling above the assembly in such a way that the small unmanned aircraft remains above some part of the assembly. 'Sustained flight' over an open-air assembly of people in a Category 1, 2, or 4 operation does not include a brief, one-time transiting over a portion of the assembled gathering, where the transit is merely incidental to a point-to-point operation unrelated to the assembly.

No person may operate a drone in any manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns of an airport, heliport, or seaplane base. Further, no person may operate a drone in certain designated airspaces without authorization from Air Traffic Control. Similarly, no person may operate a drone in prohibited or restricted areas unless that person has permission from the using or controlling agency.

Preflight Familiarization, Inspection

An operator must conduct a preflight inspection that includes an assessment of the operating environment and any risk to persons and property in the immediate vicinity both on the surface and in the air, including:

1. local weather conditions;
2. local airspace and any flight restrictions;
3. the location of persons and property on the surface; and
4. other ground hazards.

The operator must also ensure that all persons participating in the drone operation are informed about the operating conditions, emergency procedures, contingency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and potential hazards.

Additionally, the operator must verify that all controls (i.e., the control links between the ground control station and the drone) are working properly, that there is sufficient power to operate the drone for the intended period of operation, and that any object attached to or carried by the drone is properly secured and does not adversely affect the flight characteristics or controllability of the aircraft.

Operating Limitations

The drone shall not exceed eighty-seven (87) knots (100 miles per hour).

The drone’s altitude cannot be higher than 400 feet above ground level unless the drone is:

1. flown within a 400-foot radius of a structure; and
2. does not fly higher than 400 feet above the structure’s immediate uppermost limit.

The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station, must be no less than three (3) statute miles. (Flight visibility means the average slant distance from the control station at which prominent unlighted objects may be seen and identified by day and prominent lighted objects may be seen and identified by night.)

The minimum distance of the drone from clouds must be no less than 500 feet below the cloud and 2,000 feet horizontally from the cloud.

Revised 8/11/25

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