Drone Aeronautical Consultants, LLC: Conditions of operation

1. Operations requested for this exemption are limited to the DJI Phantom Vision, DJI 

Inspire, & DJI S1000; all weighing less than 55 pounds including payload.

2. Operations for the purpose of aerial photography.

3. The UA will not be operated at a speed exceeding 87 knots (100 miles per hour). The

exemption holder will use either groundspeed or calibrated airspeed to determine

compliance with the 87 knot speed restriction. In no case will the UA be operated at

airspeeds greater than the maximum UA operating airspeed recommended by the

aircraft manufacturer.

4. The UA will be operated at an altitude of no more than 400 feet above ground level

(AGL). Altitude must be reported in feet AGL.

5. The UA will be operated within visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC at all times.

This requires the PIC to be able to use human vision unaided by any device other than

corrective lenses, as specified on the PIC’s FAA-issued airman medical certificate or

U.S. driver’s license.

6. All operations will utilize a visual observer (VO). The UA will be operated within the 

visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC and VO at all times. The VO will be used to 

satisfy the VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always maintains VLOS capability. 

The VO and PIC will be able to communicate verbally at all times; electronic 

messaging or texting will not be utilized during flight operations. The PIC will be 

designated before the flight and cannot transfer his or her designation for the duration of 

the flight. The PIC will ensure that the VO can perform the duties required of the VO.

7. The operating documents will be accessible during UAS operations and made 

available to the Administrator upon request.

8. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance or alterations that affect the UAS 

operation or flight characteristics, e.g. replacement of a flight critical component, will

undergo a functional test flight prior to conducting further operations. Functional test 

flights will only be conducted by a PIC with a VO and must remain at least 500 feet 

from other people. The functional test flight will be conducted in such a manner so as to 

not pose an undue hazard to persons and property.
9. The operator is responsible for maintaining and inspecting the UAS to ensure that it 

is in a condition for safe operation.

10. Prior to each flight, the PIC will conduct a pre-flight inspection and determine the

UAS is in a condition for safe flight. The pre-flight inspection will account for all

potential discrepancies, e.g. inoperable components, items, or equipment. If the

inspection reveals a condition that affects the safe operation of the UAS, the aircraft 

will be prohibited from operating until the necessary maintenance has been performed 

and the UAS is found to be in a condition for safe flight.

11. The operator will follow the UAS manufacturer’s maintenance; overhaul,

replacement, inspection, and life limit requirements for the aircraft and aircraft 

components.

12. Each UAS operated will comply with all manufacturer safety bulletins.

13. The PIC will hold either an airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or 

sport pilot certificate. The PIC will also hold a current FAA airman medical certificate 

or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued by a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 

a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC will meet the flight review 

requirements specified in 14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in which the PIC is rated on his 

or her pilot certificate.

14. The operator will not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates the

ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with safety, including evasive 

and emergency maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from persons, vessels, 

vehicles and structures. PIC qualification flight hours and currency will be logged in a 

manner consistent with 14 CFR § 61.51(b). Training operations will only be conducted 

during dedicated training sessions. During training, proficiency, and experiencebuilding flights, all persons not essential for flight operations are considered 

nonparticipants, and the PIC will operate the UA with appropriate distance from 

nonparticipants in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.119.

15. UAS operations will not be conducted during night, as defined in 14 CFR § 1.1. All

operations will be conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Flights

under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are will not be performed.

16. The UA will not operate within 5 nautical miles of an airport reference point (ARP) 

as denoted in the current FAA Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) or for airports not

denoted with an ARP, the center of the airport symbol as denoted on the current FAA-
published aeronautical chart, unless a letter of agreement with that airport’s

management is obtained or otherwise permitted by a COA issued to the exemption

holder. The letter of agreement with the airport management will be made available to 

the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request.

17. The UA will not be operated less than 500 feet below or less than 2,000 feet

horizontally from a cloud or when visibility is less than 3 statute miles from the PIC.

18. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the UA will return to a

pre-determined location within the private or controlled-access property.

19. The PIC will abort the flight in the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies.

20. The PIC will not begin a flight unless (considering wind and forecast weather 

conditions) there is enough available power for the UA to conduct the intended 

operation and to operate after that for at least five minutes or with the reserve power 

recommended by the manufacturer if greater.

21. Documents used by the operator to ensure the safe operation and flight of the UAS 

and any documents required under 14 CFR §§ 91.9 and 91.203 will be available to the

PIC at the Ground Control Station of the UAS any time the aircraft is operating. These

documents will be made available to the Administrator or any law enforcement official 

upon request.

22. The UA will remain clear and give way to all manned aviation operations and

activities at all times.

23. The UAS will not be operated by the PIC from any moving device or vehicle.

24. All Flight operations will be conducted at least 500 feet from all nonparticipating

persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless:

a. Barriers or structures are present that sufficiently protect nonparticipating persons

from the UA and/or debris in the event of an accident. The operator will ensure that 

nonparticipating persons remain under such protection. If a situation arises where 

nonparticipating persons leave such protection and are within 500 feet of the UA, flight 

operations will cease immediately in a manner ensuring the safety of nonparticipating 

persons; and

b. The owner/controller of any vessels, vehicles or structures has granted permission for 

operating closer to those objects and the PIC has made a safety assessment of the risk of 
operating closer to those objects and determined that it does not present an undue 

hazard.

The PIC, VO, operator trainees or essential persons are not considered nonparticipating 

persons.

25. All operations will be conducted over private or controlled-access property with

permission from the property owner/controller or authorized representative. Permission 

from property owner/controller or authorized representative will be obtained for each 

flight to be conducted.

26. Any incident, accident, or flight operation that transgresses the lateral or vertical

boundaries of the operational area as defined by the applicable COA will be reported to 

the FAA's UAS Integration Office (AFS−80) within 24 hours. Accidents will be

reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) per instructions contained 

on the NTSB Web site: www.ntsb.gov.

27. At least 3 days before aerial filming, the operator will submit a written Plan of 

Activities to the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) with jurisdiction over the 

area of proposed filming. The plan of activities

will include at least the following:

a. Dates and times for all flights;

b. Name and phone number of the operator for the UAS aerial filming conducted;

c. Name and phone number of the person responsible for the on-scene operation of the 

UAS;

d. Make, model, and serial or N−Number of UAS to be used;

e. Name and certificate number of UAS PICs involved in the aerial filming;

f. A statement that the operator has obtained permission from property owners and/or

local officials to conduct the filming production event; the list of those who gave

permission will be made available to the inspector upon request;

g. Signature of exemption holder or representative; and

h. A description of the flight activity, including maps or diagrams of any area, city,

town, county, and/or state over which filming will be conducted and the altitudes

essential to accomplish the operation.

28. The UAS, the UAS PIC, and the UAS operations will comply with all applicable 

parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to, parts 45, 47, 61, and 91.