Aviation

In 2012, CITRIS Aviation launched at UC Merced with the opening of the MESA Lab (for Mechatronics, Embedded Systems, and Automation, a multidisciplinary collaborative space that focuses heavily on airborne research: building, flying, and modifying unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as well as aerial crop monitoring and analysis make up a large part of ongoing projects.

The UC Merced campus is distinguished as the UC Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety, offering expertise and ensuring regulatory compliance for UAS operations within the entire University of California system. The Center is authorized to grant certain forms of approval for UAS operations in the US via the Federal Aviation Administration. The UC Center of Excellence on UAS Safety specializes in dedicated training for operators, researchers and technical users.

CITRIS Aviation specializes in gathering scientific data using unmanned aerial vehicles, especially in the fields of landscape ecology and agriculture. We emphasize through research, consultation and courses developing practical solutions, promoting the use of timely aerial data, and understanding information.

Drones are in the process of revolutionizing data acquisition in the fields of surveying, precision agriculture, construction, firefighting, and even accident forensics. They are also becoming an invaluable tool for cinematographers and real estate services providing a low-cost and minimally intrusive alternative to helicopters. Increasingly affordable and user-friendly drones have also opened the field to a host of hobbyists and enthusiasts, opening up a burgeoning consumer market, and speeding up the rate of innovation and development. As drones find use in ever more applications, regulations have been developed in order to assure safe operation and integrate drones into the national airspace.

UAS Safety offers expertise and ensures regulatory compliance for UAS operated within the entire University of California system. It also provides support and training for risk management and the safe operation. In addition, the Center is also authorized to grant certain forms of approval for UAS operations in the US via the Federal Aviation Administration.

Introduction to Drone Safety and Regulations This base course is classroom only, and provides students with the tools to pass the CFA Part 107 exam, which is required to fly drones commercially. Introduction to Safe Drone Operation This course will cover the basics of drone piloting, mission planning and field operations. Specialized Courses Specialized topics such as aerial mapping, environmental sensing, and cinematography will be offered on a demand basis, or other specialized courses can be tailored to the needs of specific groups.