U.S. Deportment 

of Transportation 

Federal Aviation 

Administration 

SEP 0 .·7 2016 

Dear Petitioner: 

800 Independence Ave .. S w 

Washington. DC. 20591 

Thank you for your petition for exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and 

Reform Act of201 2 (FMRA). This letter is in reference to the docket number in which it is 

posted. We are in the process of determining whether your requested operations may be 

conducted without an exemption under the recently-issued regulation, Operation and 

Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, 

Part 107 (www.faa.gov/uas). We understand your desire for the FAA to make a rapid 

determination and regret any inconvenience this delay may cause you. 

Section 333 of Public Law 112-95, Special Rules for Certain Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

(UAS), provided the FAA authority to authorize certain UAS operations. This incremental 

step provided a pathway for safe and legal civil operations in the National Airspace System 

(NAS) and was considered a bridge mechanism until the implementation of Part 107. 

With Part 107 in place, we are reviewing pending Section 333 petitions and will process each 

in accordance with the following. Petitions will fall into one of three tiers, which are 

summarized in the table below, as well as the respective actions that will occur: 

Tier Initial Assessment FAA action Your action 

I Your requested operation We will close your docket. For this You should review the Part 107 

may be conducted entirely group, no further communication is regulation, and may begin 

under Part I 07 without a necessary; however, it is incumbent operations in compliance with 

waiver or exemption. upon you to carefully review Part I 07 to the new rule on the effective 

ensure that you can safely operate date. 

without additional regulatory relief. 

However, if you believe your 

original requ t belongs in Tiers 

2 or 3 and you do not hear from 

us within 60 days, contact us at 

333ex .J2ti ~j'aa_._gov .. 

2 Your requested operation We will contact you within the next 60 If you believe your original 

must be conducted with a days. We will close your docket, and request requires a waiver and do 

waiver under Part I 07 consider your petition for exemption as a not hear from us within the next 

(see I 07.205 - attached). waiver application. 60 days, contact us at 9-AFS800-Part I 07Waivers!'@faa.!!ov. 

3 Your requested operation We will contact you within the next 60 If you believe your original 

may not be conducted days, and will continue working on your request requires an exemption (in 

under Part I 07 or waiver petition for exemption. other words, not in Tiers I or 2) 

without further regulatory and do not hear from us within 

relief. 60 days, contact us at 

333exemotions@faa._gov. 
2 

Part 107 is a new pathway to UAS operations, and provides additional flexibility compared to 

the Conditions and Limitations of Section 333 exemptions that the FAA has been granting to 

date. For example, rather than obtaining a Part 61 airmen certificate, UAS operators may 

simply pass a knowledge test to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate. 

We appreciate your efforts to support the FAA in the integration of safe UAS operations into 

the NAS. If you have questions about Part 107, please visit www.faa.gov/uas or contact us at 

1-844-FL YMYUAS. 

John S. Duncan 

Director, Flight Standards Service 
3 

Certain operations are not addressed by Part 107, and must be conducted with either a waiver 

or exemption. Please carefully review Part 107 to determine if your proposed operations may be 

conducted entirely under Part 107 (Tier 1), or if further relief is needed (Tiers 2 & 3). For more 

information, please visit www.govl uas or contact us at 9-AFS-800-Part107Waivers@[aa.gov. 

§ 107.205- List of regulations subject to waiver. 

A certificate of waiver issued pursuant to § 107.200 of this subpart may authorize a 

deviation from the following regulations of this part: 

Sec. 

107.25- Operation from a moving vehicle or aircraft. However, no waiver of this provision will 

be issued to allow the carriage of property of another by aircraft for compensation or hire. 

1 07.29 - Daylight operation. 

107.31 - Visual line of sight aircraft operation. However, no waiver of this provision will be 

issued to allow the carriage of property of another by aircraft for compensation or hire. 

107.33 - Visual observer. 

1 07.3 5 - Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft systems. 

107.37(a) - Yielding the right of way. 

107.39 - Operation over people. 

1 07.41 - Operation in certain airspace. 

107.51 - Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft.