## Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Matt Lewis

Grand Junction

, Colorado http://sheriff.mesacounty.us/ http://www.MCSONews.com

www.mesauas.com

Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independent Ave. SW Washington D.C 20591

Ref: Petition for an amendment to grant of exemptio n # 11281 paragraph 13.

- FAA Docket No. FAA-2014-0963

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Ben Miller and I’m the Unmanned Aircraft Program Director for the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in Grand Juncti on Colorado.

I’m submitting this letter in collaboration with Dr aganfly Innovations to request an amendment to their 333 exemption (#11281) allowing myself to operate, off duty, under their 333 exemption for commercial purposes a s an employee of Draganfly Innovations without holding a pilots certificate fr om the FAA.

I have received permission and support from Mesa Co unty Sheriff Matt Lewis, according to MCSO internal policy on secondary empl oyment. Reference attached

letter.

Background:

I began the UAS program at the MCSO in 2008 and we received the first jurisdiction wide CoA for the use of sUAS by law enforcement in the United States. Since that time our program has received 13 separate CoA. We fly both a quad rotor sUAS as well as a fixed wing sUAS. Our program has flown o perationally now for 5 years and has 85 operational missions to date, not including training flights. I’ve flown 27 of those missions ranging from search and rescue fligh ts, armed suspect apprehension, and crime scene reconstruction among others.

Over the years the MCSO, under my direction, has cr eated one of the premier UAS teams in public safety, as well as a robust UAS tra ining course that developes safe and highly effective UAS operators.

In our program, operators are selected through a ri gorous selection process including work performance evaluation, board interv iew and table top exercise testing. After selection, team members are then re quired to take our 40 hour basic- 2 -

UAS course and successfully pass a written and prac tical test. Operators are then required 6 hrs of UAS training per month during the ir tenure. This training does not only include flight time, but tactics and aviation situational awareness.

I have personally logged more than 100 hours of gro und training as both a student and instructor. I am also our programs lead instru ctor.

Having filled the role of lead operator in the earl y days of our program I have completed 98 total UAS flight hours. Considering ou r first UAS, the Draganflyer X6 had an average flight time of just 12 minutes, this equates to numerous launch and recovery evolutions.

Of my total flight time, 65 hours have been on Drag anflyer platforms. The Draganflyer X4-ES, our primary mission platform , has an average flight duration of 20 minutes. That equates to an average of 195 l aunch and recovery.

Furthermore, I have successfully completed Draganfl y Innovations Flight Instructor training course and have 12 hours of flight trainin g in a Cessna 172 while flying

under the instruction of a CFII.

Amendment Request:

I believe there is substantial merit to allow an am endment to exemption 11281 paragraph 13. Whereby the FAA will allow myself, B enjamin Joseph Miller, to operate all UAS identified in exemption 11281 havin g completed all mandatory flight training required by the MCSO, numerous oper ational missions in command, 12 hours of single engine, manned aircraft, flight training, attainment of Flight instructor certification by Draganfly Innovations a nd holding a driver’s license in

the state of Colorado.

My UAS operations experience during my tenure with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Unmanned Aircraft program creates an equival ent level of knowledge and safety that will allow me to operate UAS safely und er exemption 11281.

Your interest in providing public service employees increased opportunities for professional development is appreciated.

Respectfully,

Ben Miller UAS program Director