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Registering state owned sUAVs for 107

whicks1

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I work for a state university and am studying up for a 107 cert. My unit is looking to purchase a mavic air 2 for a research project. As with most large state/local gov I don’t do any of the actual buying, I just do the request, and there are rules for who can sign contracts, what apps we can use, etc.

I’ve been able to pass through most of the red tape so far and the drone is in queue for order but I haven’t been able to wrap my head around the 107 registration for the device with the FAA, if (assuming it’s me) I can use the web registration portal, or if I (or another campus entity like legal counsel, contracts, etc.) need to use the paper form.

I clearly don’t own the thing, but it’s not operated by a business or trust.

The heading structure of Aircraft Registration – Unmanned Aircraft (UA) doesn’t make it particularly clear where govt owned devices fall in the registration ecosystem. So anyone with experience in this area, advice is appreciated.
 
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Owning organization must register the drone(s) and obtains the non recreational FAA number and the affix to the drone. Pilot(s) of the drone, for the purpose you state must hold an FAA 107.

Also:
Welcome to the forum from the deserts of Arizona!
 
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Thanks, yes, but in an org like a state university or a locality like a PD where there are potentially thousands of employees “who” is (generally) the appropriate entity to do the registering if it isn’t the pilot doing it on behalf of the org? Offices of risk management, facilities, deans/assistant deans, office of legal council, business units like contracts/purchasing, or in the case of a city govt, the city councils/manager, etc.
 
I work for a state university and am studying up for a 107 cert. My unit is looking to purchase a mavic air 2 for a research project. As with most large state/local gov I don’t do any of the actual buying, I just do the request, and there are rules for who can sign contracts, what apps we can use, etc.

I’ve been able to pass through most of the red tape so far and the drone is in queue for order but I haven’t been able to wrap my head around the 107 registration for the device with the FAA, if (assuming it’s me) I can use the web registration portal, or if I (or another campus entity like legal counsel, contracts, etc.) need to use the paper form.

I clearly don’t own the thing, but it’s not operated by a business or trust.

The heading structure of Aircraft Registration – Unmanned Aircraft (UA) doesn’t make it particularly clear where govt owned devices fall in the registration ecosystem. So anyone with experience in this area, advice is appreciated.

The law doesn't prescribe who registers the aircraft, and it is not even required to be someone who is a Part 107 RPIC. Some agencies appoint a responsible person, often a pilot, to oversee the organization's sUAS program and deal with registrations, but that's not a requirement. In my organization we have multiple aircraft owned by different departments, and they are individually registered by the owning departments or pilots. Whatever works is fine.
 

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