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Purchase and use of Unmanned Air Systems (Drones)

May 22, 2024

The operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, is subject to regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration and may pose safety, security and privacy risks. Accordingly, Yale University regulates UAS flights from/on University property and/or in connection with University activities on or off campus. All UAS operations require prior approval from Yale Environmental Health and Safety and the Office of Risk Management and must be conducted in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations, as well as any additional requirements imposed by Environmental Health and Safety.

The  Unmanned Aerial System Use Policy  sets forth the steps that members of the Yale community should follow when seeking to fly an UAS and explains the operating restrictions of the flight. Flight requests must be completed by submitting an Unmanned Air System Flight Request Form . Purchasing Unmanned Aerial Systems also requires pre-order approval by Yale Environmental Health and Safety according to the Purchasing Policy 3201.5 Purchase of Restricted Goods and Services .

For more information, see Unmanned Air Systems on the EHS website. If you have any questions, please contact ehs@yale.edu .

Yale Environmental Health & Safety

Unmanned air systems (drones).

The operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, is subject to regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration and may pose safety, security and privacy risks. Accordingly, Yale University regulates UAS flights from/on University property and/or in connection with University activities on or off campus. All UAS operations require prior approval from Yale Environmental Health and Safety and the Office of Risk Management and must be conducted in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations, as well as any additional requirements imposed by Environmental Health and Safety. The  Unmanned Aerial System Use Policy  sets forth the steps that members of the Yale community should follow when seeking to fly an UAS and explains the operating restrictions of the flight. In addition, purchasing Unmanned Aerial Systems requires pre-order approval by Yale Environmental Health and Safety according to the Purchasing Policy 3201.5 Purchase of Restricted Goods and Services .

• Unmanned Air System Flight Request

Tools & Resources

• Drone Operations that Require Waivers
• Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)
• Visualize it: See FAA UAS Data on a Map
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Academy of Model Aeronautics National Model Aircraft Safety Code
• Unmanned Air Systems Guidelines for Hobby/Recreational Use

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Unmanned Aerial System Use

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Are drones coming to Yale?

Unmanned aerial systems take the measure of Yale in a workshop with Professor Xuhui Lee.

By Juliana Hanle,  YIBS Science Communication Fellow ( juliana.hanle@yale.edu )

A drone fell in hiccups. It slid across the field, bounced twice, and finally stopped in the far brush beyond a set of bleachers. As descents go, this one was relatively smooth. “Once I spent three days trying to climb a tree to get it back,” the craft’s operator, Joseph Muhlhausen, told a small group of students.

The students belonged to a course on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) run by Xuhui Lee , Sara Shallenberger Brown Professor of Meteorology, and Larry Bonneau, research associate in the Department of Geology and Geophysics and manager of the Yale Center for Earth Observation (YCEO) last fall. The workshop marked a first step in integrating drones into research and courses at Yale. Lee anticipates that it was just the beginning. Drones are coming to Yale.

Muhlhausen peeled up a neon patch in the center of the craft, most of which was made of a boomerang-shaped elbow of Styrofoam, and pulled out a digital camera. The device, held in place by a box Muhlhausen had 3D printed himself, had snapped photos as the craft repeatedly swept a figure eight across the Hamden field. The snapshots contained the class’ data.

YCEO made these photos fit together and spring into three dimensions. Back at the center’s lab, the class manipulated the Brooksvale park pictures to create first a photo mosaic, then, last, a 3D surface model. Software fit the photos together at “tie points,” landmarks like trees. It used the changes between each representation of an object to create a model of that thing—again, mostly trees in the case of Hamden. The software essentially replicated what our eyes do every day. It calculated depth. But unlike eyes, the software held on to that depth, retaining it as data.

The potential for drones in remote sensing is immense, as the students learned. Advantages of UAS technology over satellite remote sensing, Professor Lee explained, include the fine detail they can collect. The surface model of Brooksvale is so precise that it begins to capture the textures of individual trees. This detail is data-heavy. Simply making a mosaic can take a day of non-stop computing, he said. “We had to increase the memory of one workstation in the YCEO lab by several folds.”

Another plus of using drones is the convenience. “You can do it anytime you want,” Lee added. In contrast, researchers have to wait for satellites: for a unit to be in the right place above the planet, for it to transmit data.

The UAS course also considered drones in a variety of political, commercial, and academic purposes. Guest lecturers included the man at the drone controls in Brooksvale, Joseph Muhlhausen. In 2014 Muhlhausen founded CielMap , a company that specializes in aerial imaging and mapping for sustainable development and environmental monitoring. As a remote sensing specialist who has worked with the UN and the World Bank, Muhlhausen illustrated UAS consulting capabilities.

These perspectives were particularly important to students who came to the course nursing seeds of business concepts. Jiani Yang, a second year Master of Environmental Management candidate at F&ES, said that she hopes to apply her new knowledge towards creating a drone-generated database of pollution conditions in areas of China and India. It would generate daily transportation recommendations. As the laws stand, Yang said, this use of drones in China is not possible—but she is learning for the future.

A School of Management student, Raul Madriz, is interested in using drones for precision agriculture. Madriz thinks drone sensing can identify the needs of small pockets of cultivated land. He thinks in terms of cost and benefit. “What could be the return on investment?” Madriz asked. Are drones worth specific organizations’ time and money?

Not all interest is business driven, however. While Lee has not yet used drones in his own research, one of his students is exploring mapping surface albedo, an expression of reflectance, with UAS. Lee said that he intends to offer the workshop again. “We will need to buy our own drones,” he said. Then, students will fly on their own.

Decades ago satellite technology revolutionized the collection and presentation of knowledge about the earth’s surface. Today, drones are still expanding these practices. Lee and his students have just gotten started.

Learn More:

Yale Center for Earth Observation (YCEO)

Elimelech awarded the Connecticut Medal of Technology for pioneering work

Yale Climate Day

Study of slowly evolving ‘living fossils’ reveals key genetic insights

Fly with NatureEye in your classroom. Learn more  >

Explore the world’s most stunning locations

Fly a remote drone on an exhilarating guided tour above breathtaking wildlife, iconic landscapes, and historic sites while contributing to conservation.

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We look forward to welcoming you on a campus tour. Space is limited and advanced registration is required.

Summer Admissions & Aid Sessions

Starting June 3  all campus tour registrants are invited to join a thirty-minute session on admissions and financial aid led by an admissions officer  Monday through Friday at 10:30am and 1pm  at SSS Hall Room 114, 1 Prospect St. Separate registration is not required. Visitors may attend before or after a scheduled tour. 

To arrange for a group visit, please complete the Group Visit Request Form .

Virtual Information Sessions

The Yale Admissions Office regularly hosts online virtual events for prospective students. Learn more on the virtual events page . Virtual events include:

• Virtual Information Sessions - featuring an admissions officer and current student.
• Student Forums - featuring current students and live Q&A.
• Multicultural Open House - featuring Yale’s cultural and resource centers, through a week of panels, performances, and showcases.
• Regional Virtual Sessions and Current Student Conversations  - highlighting the experiences of students from different US regions.
• Up Close Virtual Sessions - highlighting the performing arts, international and professional experiences, and students from rural areas. 
• Virtual Events with Multiple Colleges  - showcasing up to five colleges and universities in a single session.

Advance registration  is required for all virtual events. 

https://www.youvisit.com/#/vte/?data-platform=v&data-link-type=immersive...

New Applications for Drones in Swidden Agriculture

Note: Yale School of the Environment (YSE) was formerly known as the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES). News articles and events posted prior to July 1, 2020 refer to the School's name at that time.

Can you tell us about your work with drones?

Sounds like a useful resource. what got you into this, agreed. can you tell me a little more about a way this technology can be applied, what are some of the implications of this kind of research.

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Center for Earth Observation

...supporting the remote sensing needs of the university, remote sensing and photogrammetry with drones - env 704.

This course explores the current state and future outlook of remote sensing with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) for environmental monitoring. UAV-based remote sensing is a rapidly developing field in environmental science and technology. The workshop is divided into three parts: (1) reviewing the state of the technology on UAV types, sensor configurations, and data acquisition methods; (2) exploring GIS and remote-sensing software tools for analyzing super-high-resolution spectral data acquired by fixed-wing drones; (3) cross-validating drone products against Lidar data and satellite imagery. Students may also have the opportunity to participate in drone flight missions. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do i need to register in advance of a campus tour.

Yes, registration is required for our public campus tours. Register here for a Visitor Center campus tour .

All groups of 10 or more are required to schedule a private tour. To schedule a private tour for your group, please submit a tour request by emailing  [email protected] or calling 203-432-2300 .

Do you offer tours for prospective students?

The Yale Undergraduate Admissions office offers campus tours that are specifically designed for prospective students. Please visit the Admissions website for additional information .

Can groups arrange for campus tours?

Yes. The Visitor Center welcomes special group tours. There is a charge of $50 per guide and one guide is appropriate for up to 25 people. Groups of 10 or more are required to schedule a private tour. All private tour company groups, regardless of size, are required to schedule a private tour.  Please request your tour by calling 203-432-2300 .

What time are campus tours?

Visitor Center tours take place at 1:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reservations are required .

The Visitor Center will be closed on Monday May 27, 2024 (Memorial Day), Wednesday June 19, 2024 (Juneteenth) and Thursday July 4, 2024 (Independence Day) in observance of official Yale University holidays.

Please see the Yale Undergraduate Admissions website for their schedule of tours .

How long does a campus tour take?

The Yale campus tour takes approximately one hour. 

Can accommodations be made for listening devices?

The Yale Visitor Center wants to make certain that individuals with special needs will be able to access all of the programs and tours scheduled through the center.

If you or a member of your group believe that they will require a specific accommodation, please notify the Visitor Center as soon as possible.

Accommodations such as assistive listening devices and interpreters may be arranged by contacting the office at 203-432-2302 . Please make this request at least two weeks in advance of the date needed.

Need more information?

Yale Daily News

Kiki Air suspends operations

Staff Reporter

Paule Pineda

The Yale-student-run drone delivery service Kiki Air has been temporarily grounded, according to its founder Jason Lu ’20 and Yale spokesperson Karen Peart.

The business aimed to provide busy college students with snacks and other sundries minutes after they place an order through the company’s app via drone delivery. However, in the midst of its beta testing, the app has temporarily suspended its operations. According to Lu, the company is “voluntarily pausing” its service to work with the University and the federal government to improve its protocols.

“Kiki Air is committed to the safety of the national air space system and the Yale community,” Lu wrote in an email to the News. “We worked with the University to conduct our trial, and our proposed operations are compliant with regulations.”

The app was in the process of conducting beta testing — allowing a select group of users to try out the app and offer feedback before it launched to a larger audience. The business initially planned to continue testing until March 6 and anticipated a large-scale rollout in the upcoming fall semester.

Lu clarified that the app will resume operations, but did not provide a time frame. He said the company had halted its trial to craft a “faster” and “safer” service.

“Developing is an iterative process,” Lu said. “We paused our flights to give our team time to work on research and development and further improve our app’s experience.”

Yale’s Environmental Health & Safety website specifies that the University, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration, oversees the operation of all unmanned air systems — drones. Before taking flight, all drone operations must receive approval from Yale’s Environmental Health & Safety office and the Office of Risk Management.

The FAA classifies Yale’s campus as Class D airspace — meaning it’s in the area surrounding an airport with an operational control tower; Yale is 4.5 miles from Tweed Airport. As such, Kiki Air had to receive either an airspace authorization or airspace waiver from the FAA prior to conducting its trial.

A New Haven Register article earlier this week claimed that the business had not received authorization to fly over Yale’s campus, citing an unnamed FAA official. However, Lu said that Kiki Air does have a Class D airspace authorization, which he said was valid until 2021. He said that the company has “very rigid protocols that are compliant with FAA rules.”

“The University has a drone procedure to address privacy, security and safety concerns and to ensure compliance with FAA regulations,” Peart wrote in an email to the News. “Kiki Air submitted a request under this procedure and provided documentation to the University in support of their request.”

According to Arlene Salac, public affairs contact for the Federal Aviation Administration’s New England region, the FAA is aware of and currently “looking into” reports that Yale students are using drones to make deliveries on campus.

“The FAA will meet with the students and University officials as part of the FAA’s outreach and education efforts to encourage voluntary compliance with FAA drone regulations,” Salac wrote in an email to the News.

The app, which originated as Lu’s final project for a Yale course, aimed to find a niche in the food delivery market by offering orders with no minimum price or delivery fee.

Lu provided the idea, Josh Ip ’22 the code and Cat Orman ’22 the marketing skills. So far, the business has received funding from investors, and was offered a selective $150,000 grant from Y Combinator.

The app functions by retaining Yale students — largely from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program — to pilot the drones. One student operates the drone, and another monitors the airspace for obstacles and inclement weather. Before the drones drop their cargo, customers confirm the designated drop-off location is free of obstacles.

Lu confirmed to the News that all of Kiki Air’s student pilots are FAA-certified and licensed.

Rose Horowitch | [email protected]