After three airplanes flying into the Lynchburg Regional Airport changed their routes to avoid collisions with drones over Liberty University’s campus, the School of Aeronautics created a drone flight policy in 2019.
Chair of the Aerospace Technology Department Steven Brinly said they worked closely with LUPD and the Office of Risk Management to create a policy to prevent aircraft and drone collisions over Liberty’s campus.
“Our goal is not to limit UAS (unmanned aerial systems) operations on campus,” Brinly said. “Our goal is to ensure that (drone flights) conducted on campus are done in a way that is safe, legal and is cautious and protects the folks that are in the sky above us and also the folks that are walking on the ground.”
To receive permission to fly a drone on campus, students need to email aviation@liberty.edu at least 48 hours in advance. In the email, they need to state the time and location they wish to fly their drone.
Brinly said students will receive an email with a questionnaire to ensure they have all the necessary qualifications which include a Federal Aviation Administration remote pilot certificate and the drone’s registration with the FAA.
“It does go above and beyond what the FAA requires for hobby or recreational flying, but this is what Liberty has decided is the way to ensure that we prevent an aircraft from colliding with a drone over campus,” Brinly said.
The School of Aeronautics offers classes and a minor on how to safely and legally fly drones and other UASs. Professor Kendra Guillen said the class allows students to use their knowledge with hands-on activities and have their own flight time.
“It encompasses a lot of the basic skills and a lot of the requirements that students would need to know to operate a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” Guillen said. “There isn’t an industry out there that wouldn’t benefit from the use of unmanned aerial systems in some way, shape or form.”
For more information on UAS classes and the drone flight policy, students can visit liberty.edu/aeronautics/ or email avaiation@liberty.edu.
Fitch is the asst. news editor. Follow her on Twitter