Operation Requirements – before you fly

Regardless of the planned purpose of a UAV flight, all risks need to be reduced to a minimum, the pilot in charge of the vehicle must be qualified for the intended operation, and the vehicle must be labelled appropriately.

OperatorID

All flight vehicles must display the UOM OperatorID. This ID is for UOM business use only and is a requirement to be covered by the University's insurance. If the vehicle is loaned, sold, or used privately this ID must be removed or replaced with a suitable alternative. If flying for UOM business, only use the OperatorID above, do not create or use your own OperatorID.

FlyerID

For all types of UAV flight, the pilot commanding the vehicle (and ideally all people involved in the operation) must have passed the CAA’s online theory test to gain a FlyerID (https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/). All pilot FlyerIDs and expiry dates must be sent to your school UAV manager before operations commence.

GVC (General VLOS Certificate)

For operations within the Specific Category PDRA01, the pilot must also hold a valid GVC certificate. This is a higher standard qualification involving both a more in-depth theory examination and a practical flight assessment. The evidence of the GVC qualification (e.g. a certificate), the associated FlyerID, and its expiry must be sent to your school UAV manager before operations commence.

UOM risk assessments

These guidance pages only apply to the airspace risks and laws. All other UOM policies should still be followed including handling of dangerous goods (e.g. lithium batteries), site-permissions (e.g. trespass, privacy), data protection (e.g. handling of sensitive data), and general injury prevention when operating machinery outdoors (e.g. exposue, cuts, heavy lifting).