# PRECISION PRODUCIS Lasers, Instruments, GPS, Software September 02 , 2015 U.S. Department of Transportation Do c ket Management System 1200 New Jersey A ve ., SE Washington, DC 20590 1400 Hugh Avenue Louisville, KY 40213 Ph: 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 •Knoxville, TN •Nashville , TN •Lexington, KY www.yourprecision.com



### Re: Summary Proces s ing Exemption Reque st Under Section 333 of the FAA Refo rm Act and Part I I of the Federal Aviation Regulations Based Upon Exempti o n 1111 OA is s u ed t o Trimble Navigation Limited Dear Sir or Madam: Pre c isi o n Product s, LLC ("Applicant") he rewit h applies for th e iss uance of an exe mpti on under Section 333 o f the FAA Mod ernizati o n and Reform Act of 20 12 (" R efo rm Act") ba sed up o n Exe mpti o n 11110 iss ued to Trimble Navigation Limited ( "Trimble ") o n Dece mber 10, 2014, as amen ded o n May 7 , 2015 with i ssuance of Exemption 11110A 

### in FAA Dock et 2014-0367. The reque s ted exemption would allow Applicant to operate th e UX5 and the UX5 hp a irc raft manufactured b y Trimble o r other Trimble aircraft approve d for co mm e r cia l o perati o ns under Exemptions Ill! 0 and 11110A , a s they may be amended in the future. Applicant no te s that , in Exemption 1125 7 , the FAA also r ecentl y authorized u se o f the Trimbl e UX5 b y a third p arty und e r conditions like th ose in Exemption Ill l 0A. 1 

### Applicant her eb y conft rms tha t it w ill accept the co nditions in Exemptions l II lOA and I 1257. Applicant aircraft will b e u sed to conduc t aerial s urveys and p erform aerial data co llect ion for agriculture, minin g, and other purp oses, but not fo r c lose d set filmin g ( here inafte r "the Purpose " ). Applicant hereby applies for a n exemption from the li ste d Federal Aviation Regulations ("F ARs") to allow co mmer cia l o pera tion of its s mall unmanned aerial ve hi c l es (sUAVs"), so l o n g as s u c h operatio n s are co nducted within and under the co nditi ons o utlin ed here in o r as m ay be esta bli shed by the FAA in an exemption g ranted under e ith er Section 333 or Section 49 U.S.C. §4470 I (f). 

### As this exemption reque s t i s ide nti c al to the already issu ed prece d ent, this r equest s ho uld qualify for s ummary processing as the FAA ha s a lready pro v ided public notice of and granted s imilar exemptions. The FAA ha s issued exe mpti ons in c irc um s tan ces si milar in all material respects to those presented in this p e titi o n. ln numero u s exe mptio n s, the FAA ha s found that the enh an ced safety achieved usin g an unmanned aircraft ("UA") w ith the s pe c ifi ca ti o n s described by the p etitio ners and carry ing no pa ssengers o r crew , w hen com p a red to flights of mu ch larger manned ai rcraft that ca rry c rew in additi o n to flammabl e fu e l , g i ves th e FAA good ca use to find that the sUA V opera ti on enab led by the exemptions serve s the public interes t. 2 

### In those cases, use of th e pro p osed sUA V not o nly e nhan ced s afety but also fulfill ed the Secretary ofT r a ns p o rtatio n' s ( th e FAA Admini s trator's) responsibility to"
... establi sh requirements fo r the sa fe o perati o n of suc h aircraft syste ms in the national airspace sys t e m ." Sec tio n 333(c) of the Ref o rm Act. Exe mption No. 11257 to M o ntana Land Surveys (s ee D oc k e t No. FAA-2014-0889)
. Exe mpti on Nos
. 11062 to Astraeus Aerial (see Docket No. F AA -20 14-0 352) , 11109 to C layco, Inc. (see D oc ket No. FAA-2014-0507) , llll 2 to VDOS Global, L LC (see D oc ket No. FAA-20 14 -0382) , and 11213 to Aeryon Labs , Inc. (see D oc k e t No. FAA

- 2014-0642

# PRECISION PRODUCIS 1400 Hugh Avenue Louisville, KY 40213 Ph: 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 •Knoxville, TN •Nashville , TN •Lexington, KY 

# Lasers, Instruments , GPS, Software www.yourprecision.com

The name and address of the applicant is: Todd Jone s Preci s ion Product s 1400 Hugh Avenue Loui sv ille , KY
. 40213 Phone: (502) 459-1300 todd @ yourprecision.com Regulations from which the exemption is reque s ted: 14 C. F
. R. 6l.23(a) and (c) 14 C.F .R. 61.101 (e) (4) and (5) 14 C.F.R. 61.ll3(a) 14 C.F.R. 6l.315(a) 14 C.F. R
. 91.7(a) 14 C. F
. R
. 91.ll9(c) l4 C. F
. R .9 1.121 14 C.F. R
. 91.15l(a)(l) 14 C. F
. R
. 91.405(a) 14 C. F
. R
. 91.407(a)(l) 14 C.F. R
. 91.409 (a)( I) and (2) 14 C. F
. R
. 9l.417(a) and (b) This exemption appli cat ion is expressly s ubmitted to fulfill Co ngress' goa l in passing Sections 333(a) through (c) of the R e form Act. T hi s law dir ects the Sec retary of Tran sp ortatio n to cons ider whether certa in unm anned air cr aft systems may operate s af e ly in the nationa l airspace sys t e m (NAS) bef o re co mpletion of the rul e makin g re quired und er Section 332 of the Reform A c t. In making this determination, the Secretary is required to d etermin e w hich types ofsUAVs d o n ot create a ha za rd to users o f the NAS or the publi c or po se a threa t to nati o nal sec urity in light of the following:
• The s UA V's size, we i g ht , speed and operatio nal capab ili ty . • Operation of the sUAV in c lo se prox imity to a irp o rts and p opulated areas; and • Operation of the sUA V w ithin v isual line of s ight of the operato r . Ref o rm A ct§ 333(a). Lastly , if th e Secretary de te rmines that s uch vehic l es " may ope rat e safe ly in the national airspace syste m , the Sec reta ry s hall establish r equirement s for the safe o p e rati o n of s u c h aircraft in the nati o nal airspace syste m. " ! d. § 

### 333(c) (emphasis added). 3 

### The Federal Aviation Act, in additi o n to the authority granted by Section 333 of Reform Act , expressly grants the FAA the authority t o i ss ue exe mptions
. This s tatuto ry authority by its terms

Appli cant interpre ts thi s pro v is i o n to place the duty on the Administrator to not o nl y proc e ss applications for exemptions und e r sec tion 333, but for the Administrator to craft conditions for the safe o p eration of th e sU A V, if it s hould b e determined that the co nditions se t f o rth herein do not fulfill th e statut o r y requirements for a ppr ova l. 

### 2

# PRECISION PRODUCIS 1400 Hugh Avenue Louisville, KY 40213 Ph : 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 

### •Knoxville , TN •Nashville , TN •Lexington, KY 

## Lasers, Instruments, GPS, Software www . yourprecision
. com
includes exempting civil aircraft , as the term is defined under § 40 I 0 I of the Act, from the requirement that all civil aircraft, which includes sUA Vs, must have a current airworthiness certificate
. 4 The sUAVs that Applicant proposes to use are fixed wing and weigh 55 or fewer lbs. including payload. They operate, under normal conditions , at a speed of no more than 87 knots. They will operate at altitudes of no more than 400 feet, as further explained , and only within line of sight. They will operate as set forth in the manuals attached hereto and made a part hereof(Trimble UX5 Data Sheet/User guide contained in docket F AA-20 15-1192). Operations in compliance with these manuals will ensure that the sUA V will "not create a hazard to users of the national airspace system or the public" 5 and that the aircraft will operate in compliance with the conditions set forth in this application. AIRCRAFT AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY/NATIONAL SECURITY The applicant states that operating in compliance with the conditions s et forth in Exemption !Ill OA will provide an equivalent level of s afety for the operation of the UX5 and UX5 hp
. Approval of exemptions allowing commercial operations of sUAV s for aerial data collection will enhance safety by reducing risk. Conventional operations, using jet or piston power aircraft, operate at extremely low altitudes just feet from the subject being photographed and in extreme proximity to people and structures and present the risks associated with vehicles that weigh in the neighborhood of 6 , 000 lbs., carrying large amounts of jet A or other fuel (140 gallons for jet helicopters). Such aircraft must fly to and from the project location. In contrast, a sUAV weighing fewer than 55 lbs. and powered by batteries eliminates virtually all of that risk given the reduced mass and lack of combustible fuel carried on board. The sUAV is carried to the target area and not flown. The sUAV will carry no passengers or crew and, therefore, will not expose them to risks associated with manned aircraft flights. These lightweight aircraft operate at slow speeds , close to the ground, and in areas that are under the control of the operator and, as a result, are far safer than conventional operations conducted with larger manned aircraft operating in close proximity to the ground and people. Given the small size of the sUAVs involved and the restricted environment within wb.ich they will operate , Applicant falls squarely within that zone of safety (an equivalent level of safety) in which Congress envisioned that the FAA must , by exemption , allow commercial restricted areas in which they will operate, and the fact that they will be flown by pilots holding at least an FAA sport or recreational pilot license, approval of the application presents no national security issue
.

"The Administrator may grant an exemption from a requirement of a regulation prescribed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section or any sections 44702-44716 of the Transportation Act if the Administrator finds the exemption in the public interest." 49 U.S
. C. §4470l(t). 

### See also 49 U.S.C
. § 44711(a); 49 U
. S.C
. § 447704; 14 C.F.R. § 91.203(a)(l). 5 Section 333(b) of the Reform Act. 3

# PRECISION PRODUCIS Lasers, Instruments, GPS , Software PUBLIC INTEREST 

### 1400 Hugh Avenue Louisville, KY 40213 Ph: 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 •Knoxville, TN •Nashville, TN •Lexington, KY www.yourprecision.com

The FAA has granted exemptions to the regulations listed on Page 2 in the exemptions cited above. As discussed in detail for each of these regulations in the attached Appendix A , the public interest will be served by an exemption because , with respect to each, operation in compliance with the requested conditions will ensure an equivalent level of sa fety. As also explained at length in Trimble's original Section 333 exemption request submitted on May 30 , 2014, the grant of the requested exemption is 

### in the public interest given the clear direction in Section 333 of the Reform Act ; the authority included in the Federal Aviation Act , as amended; the strong equivalent level of safety surrounding the proposed operations; and the s ignificant public benefit derived from, among other things , the enhanced sa fety and reduced environmental impact, including the redu ced emissions associated with allowing battery powered sUA Vs instead of turbine or gas powered aircraft. 

### ********* Pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 11 , the following s ummary is provided for publication in the Federal Regi s ter, should it be determined that the publication is needed: 

### Applicant seeks an exemption from the following rules: 14 C.F.R. §§6 1.23 (a) and (c), 61.10/(e)(4) and (5), 61.1/J(a), 61.3/5(a), 9/.7(a), 91.1 19( c), 91
. 121 , 91.15/(a)(l), 91.405(a), 91.405(a)(l), 91.409(a)(/) and (2), and 9/.417(a) and (b) to operate co mm e r c iall y a s mall unmann ed vehicle (55 lbs
. or less) in motion picture and television operations and aerial data co llection. Satisfaction of the criteria provided in Section 333 of the Reform Act of20 12- s ize , weight, speed, operating capabilities, proximity to airports and populated areas and o peration within v i sual line of sight and national sec urity

- provide more than adequate justification for the grant of the requested exemption allowing commercial operation of applicant's sU AV for the Purpo se outlined herein and are consistent with exemptions already granted, including Exemption 11110A. Accordingly, the applicant respectfully requests that the FAA grant the requeste d exemption without delay
.

cc: Robert Pappas Thuy Cooper Dean Griffith Very truly yours.



# ~~~ Todd Jones, Owner Precision Products , LLC

4

# PRECISION PRODUCIS 1400 Hug h Avenue Louisville , KY 40213 Ph: 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 

### •Knoxville, TN •Nashville, T N •Lexington, KY 

## Lasers , Instruments, GPS, Software www.yourprecision.com

APPENDLXA

14 C
. F
. R. 

### § 61.23(a) and (c): Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration Sec ti o ns 6 1. 2 3 (a) a nd (c) addr ess th e req uire ment o f me di ca l certifi cat es f o r pil ots. S ec ti o n 6 1 .23( a ) r equir es a p e rso n exer c i s in g the pri v il eges of a rec reati o nal pil o t to ho ld at leas t a third c lass m

e di ca l ce rtifi c ate . Sec ti o n 6 1
. 2 3(c) p e rmi ts the ho lde r of a sp o rt pil o t ce rti fi cat e to ac t as PI C of a li g ht- sp o rt a ircr a ft wi th e ith e r a m e di ca l certi fi cate or U
. S. iss u e d dri ver's li ce nse . Li g ht -s p o rt a ir c ra ft ma y we i g h up to I , 4 3 0 po und s a nd s e a t up t o two pe rso ns, inc ludin g th e p i l o t. Co mpara ti ve l y , th e Trimble cra ft w ill we ig ht f ewer than 5 5 p o und s, and it w ill no t c arry pil o ts, p asse n ge r s , o r c ar go. Th e U AS w ill a lso be o p e ra t e d wi thin vi s ual l i n e o f si ght of the PI C a nd b e low 4 00 f ee t a bove g ro und l eve l and limit e d t o o p e ra ti o ns wi th pe rmi ss i o n over pri va t e o r co ntr o ll e d- access pro p erty. G iven these safety p a r a m e t

e rs. Appli ca nt req u ests th a t the FAA wa ive Sect i o n 6 1 .23(a) upo n fi ndin g tha n a e qui va l e nt leve l of sa f e ty w ill b e provi d e d b y a ll owi n g o p er ati o n of t he Trimbl e c r aft b y pilo ts with a rec re ati o na l o r s p o rt pil o t ce rtifi ca t e and a va lid U. S
. sta t e i ss u e d dri ve r 's li ce n se , in li e u of an F AA

- i ss ued m e di ca l certifi c ate. Appli c ant a l so r eque s t s that the FAA g r a nt r e li ef fro m S ec ti o n 6 1 .23(c) t o all ow s p o rt pil o t certifi c ate ho ld e rs to o p e rate a ircraft o th er than li ght -s p o rt a ircr a ft w ith a va lid U .S
. issu e d dri ve r 's li ce n se . The F AA has g ra nte d exe mp tio n s to co nd u c t s i m il a r opera tio ns in a numbe r o f cas es , in c ludin g Exe mpti o n I 12 13. 14 C
. F.R. Part 61: Pri vate Pilot Privileges and Limitations: Pilot in Command Sec ti o n s 6 1
. 11 3 (a ) 

### & (b ) limit p riva t e pil o t s t o no n -comme r c ia l o p e ra t io n s. Sec ti o n 6 1 .3 15(a) addre sses the pri v il eges a nd limit a tio ns o f the ho l de r o f a s p o rt pil o t ce rtifi ca te . B ecause the sUAV w ill not ca rry a pil o t o r pa sse nge rs , th e pr o p ose d o p e r atio ns c a n ac hi eve th e e qui va le nt l eve l of sa f ety o f c urr e nt o p er a ti o ns by requiring the PI C o p erati ng th e a ircraft to ho ld a certi fi ca t e i ss ue d by th e FAA autho ri zi n g op e ra tio n of an y a irc raft (A T P , Commer c i a l , Pri va t e , R

ec r eati o n a l o r S p o rt). U nlike a co n ve ntio na l a ircr a ft th a t carries th e pil o t and p asse n ge r s, the sUAVi s re m o t

e l

y co ntr o ll e d wi th n o li v in g thing o n b oar d. T he area of o pe ra ti o n is co ntro ll e d a nd res tri c t ed , a nd a ll fli g ht s are pl anne d and coo rd in a t e d in a d van ce as se t f o rth in t h e ma nual. T h e l eve l o f sa f e ty prov id e d b y th e r e quire m ents in cl ud e d in th e manual excee d s that prov id e d b y a s in g l e indi v idu a l ho lding a co mmer c ial pil o t 's certifi cate o p e ra tin g a co nve nti o n a l a ircraft
. The ri sks assoc iate d w ith th e o p e ra ti o n of th e s UA V a re so dimini s h e d fro m th e leve l of ri s k a ssoc ia t e d w ith co mm erc ia l o p e ra ti o n s co nte mpl a ted b y P a rt 6 1 w h e n dr a fte d , t ha t all ow in g o perati ons of the sUAV as reques t e d wi th a n y ce rtifi cate iss u e d b y th e F AA as the PI C g reatl y exceeds the pr ese nt l eve l of s a f ety ac hi eve d b y 14 C. F
. R
. Pa rt 6 1. The FAA has gra nte d exemp t io ns fo r p riv ate a nd s p o rt o r rec r ea ti o n a l pil o ts to co nduc t s imil a r o p er atio n s i n Ex e mpti o n s 110 62 , 11 2 13 , 11 360 a nd 1144 7. 14 C
. F. R
. 

### § 91.119: Min i m u m Safe Alt i tudes Sec ti o n 91
. 11 9 es tabli s h es sa f e altitud es fo r o p er ati o n o f c i v il ai rc raft. S p ec i fic all y, 9 1
. 11 9(c) limit s a ir c r

afts fl y in g ove r ar eas o th e r tha n co nges te d ar eas to an a ltitud e of 50 0 fee t ab ove th e s urf ace , except over op e n wa t e r o r sp a rse l y p o pul a t e d areas. In th ose cases , th e a ir c raft may no t b e o p e ra t e d c l

ose r th an 5 00 fee t to a n y p e rso n , vesse l , ve hi c l e , or s truc tu re . 

### 5

# PRECISION PRODUCIS Lasers , Instruments, GPS, Software 1400 Hugh Avenue Louisville , KY 40213 Ph: 502-459-1300 Fax: 502-473-1900 •Knoxville, TN •Nashville, TN •Lexington, KY www.yourprecision.com

As s et forth herein , the Trimble craft will never operate at higher than 400 feet AGL. They will, however, be operated to avoid congested or populated areas that are depicted in yellow on VFR sectional charts. Because aerial survey work must be accomplished at relatively low altitudes and at altitudes less than 400 feet AGL , an exemption from Section 9l.ll9(c) is needed. The equivalent level of safety will be achieved given the size, weight , s peed, and material with which the Trimble craft are built. Also, no flight will be taken without the permis s ion of the landowner or those who control the land
. Because of the advance notice to the landowner, all affected individual s will be aware of the survey flights
. Compared t o aerial survey operations conducted with aircraft or rotorcraft weighing far more than the Trimble craft and carrying flammable fuel , any risk associated with these operations will be far les s than those c urrently allowed with co nventional aircraft operating at or below the same altitude. Indeed , the low-altitude operations of s UA V will maintain se paration between these sUA V operations and the o perations of conventional aircraft that must comply with Section 91.119. The FAA ha s granted exemptions to conduct similar operations in Exemptions ll 062, 11213 , 11360 and 11447
. 

### 14 C.F.R. 

### § 91.121: 

### Altimeter Settings This regulation requires each person operating an aircraft to maintain cruising altitude by reference to an altimeter that is set"
... to the elevation of the departure airport or an appropriate altimeter setting available before departure
. " As each sUAV model in at least one operating mode will not have a barometric altimeter, but instead a GPS altitude read out, an exemption will be needed. An equivalent le ve l of safety will be achieved by the operator, pursuant to the manuals, co nfirming the altitude of the launch site s hown on the G PS altitude indicator before flight. The FAA has granted exemptions to conduct s imilar operations in Exemptions 11062 , 11213 , 11360 and 11447
. 

### 14 C.F.R. § 9l.l51(a): 

### Fue l Requirements for Flight in VFR Conditions Section 91.151 (a) prohibit s an individual from beginning "a flight in an airplane under VFR co nditions unless (considering wing and forecast weather co nditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing , and, assuming normal cruising speed- ( 1) During the day , to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or (2) At night , to fly after that for at least 45 minutes ." The battery powering the sUAV limits the duration of the flight. To meet the 30-minute reserve requirement in 14 C.F.R.

**~** 91.151, sUAV flights would be severely limited , in so me cases to approximately 10 minutes in length
. Given the limitations on the sUA V's proposed flight area and the location of its proposed operations within a predetermined area , a longer time frame for flight in daylight or night VFR conditions is reasonable
. Applicant believe s that an exemption from 14 C.F. R. § 91.151 (a) falls within the scope of prior exemptions
. 

### See Exemption 10673 (allowing Lockheed Martin Corporation to operate without compliance with FAR 91.151 (a)). Operating the sUAV , in a tightly controlled area where only people and property owners or official representative s who have s igned waivers will be allowed, with less than 30 minute s of reserve fuel , does not engender the type of risks that Section 91
. 151 (a) was intended to alleviate given the size and speed of the sUAV
. Applicant believes that an equivalent level of sa fety can be achieved by limiting flight s to five minutes ofreserve time on the batteries
. This re s triction would be more than adequate to return the sUA V to its planned landing zone from anywhere in its limited operating area. Similar exemptions 6

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have been granted to other operations in Exemptions 2689F, 5745, 10673, 10 808 and Exemptions 11062 , 11213 , 11360 and 11447
.

14 C.F.R. Part 91: Mai n te n ance Inspections Section 9!.405(a) requires that an aircraft operator or owner "shall ha ve that aircraft in s pected as prescribed in s ubpart E of this part and s hall between required inspections, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, have discrepancies repaired as presc ribed in part 43 of this chapter
.... " Section 91.407 similarly makes reference to requirements in Part 43; Section 91.409(a)(2) requires an annual inspection for the is s uance of an airworthiness certificate. Section 91.417(a) requires the owner or operator to keep records showing certain maintenance work that has been accomplished by certificated mechanics, under Part 43 , or licensed pilots and records of approval of the aircraft for return to service. Given that these sections and Part 43 apply only to aircraft with an airworthiness certificate, these sections wi ll not apply to the applicant. Maintenance will be accomplished by the operator pursuant to the manuals. An equiva lent l eve l of sa fety w ill be achieved because these sUAVs a r e very limited in size and will carry a sma ll payload and operate only in areas for limited period s of time. If mechanical issues arise , the sUAV can land immediate l y since it wi ll be operating from no higher than 400 feet AGL. As provided in the manuals , the operator will ensure that the sUA Vis in working order prior to initiating flight, perform required maintenance , and keep a log of any maintenance performed
. Moreover, the operator is the person most familiar with the aircraft and be s t s uited to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy co ndition in order to pro vi de the equiva l ent level of sa fety
. The FAA has granted exemptions for similar operations in Exemptions II 062 , 11213 , 11360 and 11447
.

7