July 29th, 2015

Daniel O’Connell

33 Blue Ridge Circle

Cheshire CT, 06410

Phone: (203) 631-9191

Email: doconnellct@gmail.com

Re: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act of the Federal Aviation Regulations 

from 14 C.F.R. Part 21; 14 C.F.R. 61.113(a)&(b); 91.7(a); 91.9(b); 91.109; 119.121; 91.151(a); 

91.203(a)&(b); 91.405(a); 91.407(a) (1); 91.409(a) (2), 91.417(a)&(b)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I (Daniel O’Connell of 33 Blue Ridge Circle Cheshire, CT 06410) am submitting my petition for 

Exemption for Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) operations. I am a certified private pilot ASEL 

and have been since December 1997 with 226 hours PIC flight time and 32 of which are in 

rotary wing as well as extensive experience operating remote controlled (RC) aircraft and ultrasmall UAS.

I own and plan to operate (2) UAS; the PHANTOM 2 Vision and a PHANTOM 3 Professional both 

of which are comprised of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS or PHANTOM) and a 

transportable ground station. Each UAS to be operated by the pilot is referred to as a quadcopter with a maximum gross weight of about 4 pounds. It is equipped with four rotors that are 

driven by electric motors powered by batteries. The Phantom Vision has a small ultra-light 

weight high definition camera and the Phantom 3 Professional has a small ultra-light weight 

ultra-high definition camera. Both UAS are not toys and all precautions and adherence to rules 

and regulations will be taken. Included as attachments are the “Owner’s Manual” and “Safety 

Guide”. 

I respectfully request the grant to operate these UAS for commercial aerial photography, realestate photography and filming, aerial inspections, cinematic filming, academic filming, 

construction site inspection, search and rescue and training operations.

The Pilot, Daniel O’Connell, will abide by and provide the following levels of safety:

 I will only operate in reasonably safe environments and adhere to FAA rules and 

regulations for operation of UAS.

 I will not operate the UAS at speeds in excess of 20 Knots.

 I will not operate within 50 to 100 yards of the general public depending on location.

 I will operate as PIC (Pilot In-Command) and have a VO (Visual Observer) during flight 

operations.

 Most flights conducted will be between 3 to 10 minutes at altitudes of 150 to 250 feet 

(AGL).

 I will adhere to all METARS, NOTAMS and TFR’s.

 I will adhere to UAS manufacturer safety guidelines, and within recommended envelops 

of flight.

 I will follow UAS manufacturer maintenance plan(s).

 I will obtain pre-flight weather briefings.
 I will obtain necessary FAA and ATC permissions when applicable.

 I will operate with an Aviation Radio in order to maintain safety.

 All flight activity will be logged for both pilot and aircraft.

 I will operate under VFR conditions.

 I will operate under visual line of sight (VLOS).

 I will operate UAS and land prior to recommended battery minimum levels.

 I will conduct extensive preflight and post flight inspections and protocols, during which 

safety this is paramount and of most importance.

 I will contact airports and ATC as necessary if operations are within 5 miles from an 

airport.

 I will use the UAS global positioning system (GPS) flight safety feature whereby it hovers

and then slowly lands if communication with the remote control pilot is lost.

 I will obtain necessary permissions prior to operations.

 I will have pre, during and post flight procedures for take-off (TO), flight operations 

(FO), landings (LD) and emergencies (EM). 

 Aircraft will be clearly marked as permissible by size with N numbers.

Respectfully,

Daniel O’Connell