FAA-Recognized Identification Area

Where Aerial Systems Move from Prototype to Deployment

At Richmond Field Station, advanced aerial technologies are flown, validated, and prepared for deployment in a controlled, regulatory-aligned environment. RFS is one of the only FRIA sites on the West Coast, and the only FRIA in the East Bay.

What FRIA Status Unlocks

Early-stage testing without Remote ID requirements
Faster iteration cycles for new hardware and autonomy systems
A compliant, designated airspace for development and validation

Who This Is For

Drone and UAS startups, robotics and autonomy companies, infrastructure and inspection firms, public agencies exploring aerial deployment, and academic research teams seeking real-world environments to test, validate, and deploy advanced aerial systems.

The Platform

The SKY layer at RFS is anchored by the Center for Applied Drone Research, a dedicated environment for testing, validating, and advancing advanced aerial systems. Combined with UCB's applied research ecosystem, this creates a rare, real-world test environment for aviation, robotics, and infrastructure applications.

Map of drone flying fields at RFS with FRIA boundary in blue and flight zones 1 through 4 in yellow — FRIA-approved area outlined in blue. Drone flying is restricted to zones outlined in yellow, subdivided into subfields #1–#4.

How to Access the Airspace

Establish Sponsorship

All flight activity is anchored through a UC Berkeley sponsor (PI) or approved company engagement. Requests are reviewed and approved at the site level.

UAS Registration & Compliance

Follow UC's standardized onboarding:

Register drone(s) with the FAA and UC
Register pilot(s) with UC
Review UC drone policies
Complete pre- and post-flight requirements

UC Drone Program guide · Flight request form

Flight Approval & Scheduling

Once registration is confirmed, flights are coordinated and scheduled on-site, airspace usage is managed for safety and availability, and teams receive confirmed flight windows. Submit UAS flight requests a minimum of 72 hours prior to the proposed flight.

Execute & Iterate

With approval in place, conduct live flight testing, iterate quickly within the FRIA environment, and capture data to refine systems in real conditions.

Deployment & Use Cases

Where advanced aviation moves from testing to real-world operations across infrastructure inspection, emergency response, logistics, environmental monitoring, and public agency pilots, enabling validation with cities, DOTs, and utilities in real conditions.

What's Available

Flight testing and validation of aerial platforms, autonomy stacks, and sensing systems. Drone plus infrastructure workflows across real assets. Applied deployment scenarios with safety and policy in the loop. Collaboration with UC Berkeley researchers and student teams.