Request for Information FAA-2015-8680 

9-AWA-AVS-333Exemptions (FAA) 

Dear Messrs. Blanchard, Weiner, and McSorley:

This letter is to inform you that the following information is missing from your petition (Docket No. 

FAA-2015-8680). This information is necessary for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to

process your petition.

1. Will flight operations be conducted at night only? After twilight? Will the hours of

operation coincide with the fireworks display? 

2. Will the payload lights (show lights) be illuminated throughout the operation? Will they 

flicker at intervals? Will they be cycled on then off and then back on again?

3. Do the “Flixels” aircraft have navigation and/or anti-collision lighting systems? To what 

capabilities? How far are the lights visible? Are these separate from the payload light?

4. Will the nav and anti-collision lights be illuminated throughout the entire operation?

5. Would a 500’ buffer from spectators be prohibitive to Disney’s operation?

6. How has Disney tested the geo-fencing capability? Is there data which can be provided 

to the FAA? What happens when GPS fails?

7. How is altitude and speed limited in the aircraft? Are there software limits?

8. Is the specific UA identified if it breaks the geo-fence or limits? How?

9. How will Visual Observers (spotters) be used and how will they be positioned?

10. What is the reliability of the platform’s communication links? What is the susceptibility 

to interference?

11. What is the lost link procedure? What is the susceptibility of the communication links to 

interference and/or hacking?

12. Is there any flight test data to validate the show area and geo-fence safety distances?

13. Have test flights of the shows been conducted? How many hours or shows have been 

successfully completed? Are there any known accidents or incidents?

14. Further explain the heartbeat/watchdog concept.

15. Is there any reliability data for the flixels safety response escalation steps?

16. Is there wind test data on the 48” X 48” X 48” payload configuration?

17. Provide a 3 view scale drawing of each of the flixel payload configurations.

18. Confirm the service ceiling for the lightest flixel payload configuration.

19. Confirm the maximum number of UAS per operation is 50 aircraft, that they will all be

multi-copters, and the maximum flight time will be 5 minutes.

20. Send a scaled version of Figure 2 found in the non-proprietary petition document. Does

Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 9:19 AM 

To: Charles.Blanchard@aporter.com

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Figure 1 scale apply?

21. Is the hardware, battery, and/or multi-copter malfunction rate more than 10% of the

fleet? If so, how is this addressed?

Please submit the additional information (non-proprietary) to your docket at www.regulations.gov.

Once your information is submitted, please save your tracking number and submit your tracking number 

along with the information submitted to the docket, and any proprietary information electronically via email to 333exemptions@faa.gov. If you want us to process your request any further, we must receive 

the information described above by 05/24/16. If we do not receive the information, we will close the 

docket without notifying you further.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (202) 267–4264.

Sincerely,

/s/

Dan Ngo

FAA Office of Rulemaking

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