Last week the Federal Aviation Administration
("FAA") announced a plan to streamline the process and
requirements for permitting academic-related use of Unmanned
Aircraft Systems ("UAS"). The FAA's interpretation
clarifies the use of UAS for hobby or recreational purposes at
educational institutions and community-sponsored events. It also
applies to student UAS use in furtherance of classroom instruction
at an accredited institution.
Persons may operate UAS in connection with educational
institutions and community sponsored events so long as they abide
by section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012
("Section 336") (the hobbyist/recreation section of the
Act) and are not compensated for the operation. Section 336
requires that flights be non-commercial, operated in accordance
with community-based safety guidelines, flown with aircraft
weighing no more than 55 pounds, and flown away from manned
aircraft and airports. Under these conditions, aircraft do
