STATED SECTIONS(S) FOR RELIEF SOUGHT

Colvin Media Group (Christopher Colvin) is submitting an exemption request to FAA Rules for 

drone (UAV) usage, and seeking required Special Airworthiness Certificate. I am founding a 

domestic Media Group that will specialize in the production of videography and photography for 

public and private clients.

RELIEF DEFINED FOR EXEMPTION

On September 25, 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it will allow the use of 

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on some U.S. film sets. The FAA more specifically said, this is 

“the first step to allowing the film and television industry the use of unmanned aircraft systems 

(UAS) in the National Airspace System.” The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

has been successful and complied with the FAA in the past and Colvin Media Group and its 

associates intend to do the same.

Colvin Media Group resides and operates in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At all times, Colvin 

Media Group has refrained from the use of Drones while others have defied such regulations. It 

is in Colvin Media Group’s best interests, that we hold the FAA’s regulations, laws and policies 

to the standards as set forth and by spirit and application, apply for this exemption as required, 

rather than pushing an issue outside the purviews of said FAA requirements as so many other 

have done and continue to do in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

SAFETY AND ADHERENCE AND BENEFIT THEREOF

Colvin Media Group shall at all times relevant, operate and adhere with their UAV, and 

understanding fully, “which must be flown within the line of sight of the operator, less than 

400 feet above the ground, during daylight conditions, inside Class G (uncontrolled) 

airspace and more than five miles from any airport or other location with aviation 

activities

ARGUMENT IN SUPPORT OF APPLICATION

FAA Order 8130.34 is limited in scope. It does however address “civil operators” in a way that 

the spirit of it speaks to the private sector being “included” in the exemption process for the 

operation of UAV’s. Colvin Media Group, in the pursuit of their business specialty, understand 

the importance that UAV’s now play in film production. Increasingly, because of ever increasing 

limitations of budgets, the use of UAVs’ has become an attractive alternative to traditional aerial

“film or photography shoots” for private sector clients, i.e., the Real Estate market and their 

professionals, survey companies, commercial sector clients, etc. A pure argument to UAV’s 

economic benefits is relative to and pertains to simple cost. (Example) A traditional hour of air 

time in a rotorcraft would be offered to a client at a minimum charge of $369.00 per flight hour, 

whereas a UAV could accomplish the same tasks and produce the same results for a fraction of

the cost in that time,

and be done in an expedient manner. Typical flight time to secure the desired results for a 

particular (typical) client is less than (15) minutes of actual flight time. And, the flight ceiling

would be no more than a few hundred feet, if that (emphasis added), which actually poses a 

safer environment for the surrounding areas, than that of a traditional vehicle, i.e., aircraft or 

rotorcraft. This is especially true in a developed area, such as a neighborhood
SUMMARY

The applicant, Colvin Media Group (Christopher Colvin), respectfully requests a (24) month 

exemption to lawfully, within the stated regulations of the FAA and others, and as stated, 

operate a UAV for the sole purpose of producing client results relating to film, videography and 

still photography shoots. FURTHER, it is stated and affirmed here, that 

Colvin Media Group (Christopher Colvin) has made application for the required Special 

Airworthiness Certificate -Experimental Category (SAC-EC).

Regards,

Christopher Colvin