Inclusion of Educational and Research UAS Operations as Recreational Purposes

In plain language

If you fly a drone for educational or research purposes at an elementary school, secondary school, university, JROTC, or a CBO-chartered educational program, your flight is legally considered a 'recreational' flight under Section 44809.

Requirement as structured

For the purposes of 49 U.S.C. 44809, a 'recreational purpose' shall include an unmanned aircraft system operated by an elementary school, a secondary school or an institution of higher education for educational or research purposes, flown as part of an established Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programme for education or research purposes, or flown as part of an educational programme chartered by a recognised community-based organisation.

Original regulatory text

Pub. L. 115-254, div. B, title III, § 350(a) Educational and Research Purposes "(a) Educational and Research Purposes . For the purposes of section 44809 of title 49, United States Code, as added by this Act, a recreational purpose as distinguished in subsection (a)(1) of such section shall include an unmanned aircraft system "(1) operated by an institution of higher education for educational or research purposes; "(2) operated by an elementary school, a secondary school, or an institution of higher education for educational or research purposes; "(3) flown as part of an established Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program for education or research purposes; or "(4) flown as part of an educational program that is chartered by a recognized community-based organization (as defined in subsection (h) of such section).

Applies when

country

United States

operation

educational_or_research

operation regime

recreational

regulatory category

Open