June 30

, 2015

Exemption No. 11950 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

– 20 15

– 1472

Mr. Mario F. Fabriz io

290 Calamus Circle Medina, MN 55340

Dear Mr. Fabrizio :

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

By letter dated April 29, 2015 , you petitioned the Federal Avia tion Administration (FAA) for an exemption . The petitioner requested to operate an unmanned ai rcraft system (UAS) to

conduct aerial photography, cinematography, and videography

.

See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA des cribing the proposed operations and

the regulations that the petitioner seeks an exemption

.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to the petitioner

.

Airworthiness Certification

The UAS proposed by the petitioner is a DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus

.

In accordance with the statutory criteria provided in Section 333 of P ublic Law 112

− 95 in

reference to 49 U

. S

. C

. § 44704, and in consideration of the size, weight, speed, and limited operating area associated with the aircraft and its operation, the Secretary of Transportation

has determined that this aircraft meets the conditions of Section 333. Therefore, the FAA

finds that relief from 14 CFR part 21

, C ertification procedures for products and parts,2

Subpart H

— Airworthiness Certificates , and any associated noise certification and testing requirements of part 36, is not necessary.

The Basis for Our Decision

You have requested to use a UAS for aerial data collection 1

. The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Grants of Exemption No s

. 11062 to Astraeus Aerial ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0352), 11109 to Clayco, Inc. ( see Docket No. FAA

− 2014

− 0507), 11112 to VDOS Global, LLC ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0382), and 11213 to Aeryon Lab s , Inc. ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0642), the FAA found that the enhanced safety achieved using an unmanned aircraft (UA) with the specifications described by the petitioner and carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly greater propo rtions, carrying crew in addition to flammable fuel, gives the FAA good cause to find that the UAS operation enabled by this exemption is in the public interest.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that

—

 They are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in Grant of Exemption Nos. 11062, 11109, 11112, and 11213 ;

 The reasons stated by the FAA for granting Exemption Nos. 11062, 11109, 11112, and

11213 also apply to the situation you pre sent; and

 A grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a grant of exemption is in the public interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, and 44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, Mr. Mario F. Fabrizio is granted an exemption from

14 CFR §§ 61.23(a) and ( c ), 61.101(e)(4 ) and (5), 61.113(a), 61.315(a) , 91.7(a), 91.119(c), 91.121, 91.151(a)(1), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) and (2), and 91.417(a) and (b), to the extent necessary to allow the petitioner to operate a UAS to perform aerial data collection

. This exemption is subject to the conditions and limitations listed below.

Conditions and Limitations

In this grant of exemption, Mr. Mario F. Fabrizio is hereafter referred to as the operator.

1 Aerial data collection includes any remote sensing and measuring by an instrument(s) aboard the UA. Examples include imagery (photography, video, infrared, etc.), electronic measurement (precision surveying, RF analysis, etc.), chemical measurement (part iculate measurement, etc.), or any other gathering of data by

instruments aboard the UA.3

Failure to comply with any of the conditions and limitations of this grant of exemption will be grounds for the immediate suspension or rescission of this exemption.

1. Operations authorized by this grant of exemption are limited to the DJI Phantom 2

Vision Plus when weighing less than 55 pounds including payload. Proposed operations of any other aircraft will require a new petition or a petition to amend this exemption

.

2. Operations for the purpose of closed

- set motion picture and television filming are not permitted.

3. The UA may not be operated at a speed exceeding 87 knots (100 miles per hour). The exemption holder may 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 must be operated at an altitude of no more than 400 f eet above ground level (AGL). Altitude must be reported in feet AGL.

5. The UA must 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 must utilize a visual observer (VO). The UA must be operated within the visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC and VO at all times. The VO m ay be used to satisfy the VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always maintains VLOS capability. The VO and PIC must be able to communicate verbally at all times ;

e lectronic messaging or texting is not permitted during flight operations. The PIC

must be designated before the flight and cannot transfer his or her designation for the duration of the flight. The PIC must ensure that the VO can perform the duties required of the VO.

7. This exemption and all documents needed to operate the UAS and conduct its operations in accordance with the conditions and limitations stated in this grant of exemption, are hereinafter referred to as the operating documents. The operating

documents must be accessible during UAS operations and made available to the

Administrato r upon request. If a discrepancy exists between the conditions and limitations in this exemption and the procedures outlined in the operating documents, the conditions and limitations herein take precedence and must be followed. Otherwise, the operator m ust follow the procedures as outlined in its operating documents. The operator may update or revise its operating documents. It is the operator’s responsibility to track such revisions and present updated and revised4

documents to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request. The operator must also present updated and revised documents if it petitions for extension or amendment to this grant of exemption. If the operator determines that any update or revision would affect the basis upon which the FAA granted this exemption, then the operator must petition for an amendment to its grant of exemption. The FA A’s UAS Integration Office (AFS− 80) may be contacted if questions arise regarding updates or revisions to the operating documents.

8. An y UAS that has undergone maintenance or alterations that affect the UAS operation or flight characteristics, e.g.

, replacement of a flight critical component, must undergo a functional test flight prior to conducting further operations under this exemption

. Functional test flights may only be conducted by a PIC with a VO and must remain at

least 500 feet from other people. The functional test flight must 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 must conduct a pre

- flight inspection and determine the UAS is in a condition for safe flight. The pre

- flight insp ection must 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 is prohibited from operating until the necessary maintena nce has been performed and the UAS is found to be in a condition for safe flight.

11. The operator must follow the UAS manufacturer’s maintenance, overhaul, replacement, inspection, and life limit requirements for the aircraft and

aircraft components.

12. Each UAS operated under this exemption must comply with all manufacturer safety bulletins.

13. Under this grant of exemption, a PIC must hold either an airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate. The PIC must also hold a

curr ent FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued by a
state, the District of Col u mbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC must also meet the flight revi ew 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 may not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates the ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated unde r this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from persons, vessels, vehicles and structures. PIC qualification flight hours and currency must be logged in a manner consistent with5

14 CFR § 61.51(b). Fl ights for the purposes of training the operator’s PICs and VOs (traini ng, proficiency, and experience

- building) and determining the PIC’s ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated under this exemption are pe rmitted under the terms of this exemption. However, training operations may only be conducted during dedicated training sessions. During

traini ng, proficiency, and experience

- building flights, all persons not essential for flight operations are considere d nonparticipants, and the PIC must operate the UA with appropriate distance from nonparticipants in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.119.

15. UAS operations may not be conducted during night, as defined in 14 CFR § 1.1. All operations must be conducted under vis ual meteorological conditions (VMC). Flights under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are not authorized.

16. The UA may 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 symbo l 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 exempt ion holder. The letter of agreement with the airport management must be made available to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request.

17. The UA may 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 sign al, the UA must return to a

pre

- determined location within the pr ivate or controlled

- access property.

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

20. The PIC is prohibited from beginning 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. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA). All operations shall be cond ucted in accordance with an ATO

- issued COA. The

exem ption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct operations that cannot be conducted under the terms of the attached COA

.

22. All aircraft operated in accordance with this exemption must be identified by serial number, registered in ac cordance with 14 CFR part 47, and have identification (N− Number) markings in accordance with 14 CFR part 45, Subpart C. Markings must be as large as practicable.6

23. 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 must be available to the PIC at the Ground Control Station of the UAS any time the aircraft is operating. These documents must be made available to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon r equest.

24. The UA must remain clear and give way to all manned aviation operations and

activities at all times.

25. The UAS may not be operated by the PIC from any moving device or vehicle.

26. All Flight operations must be conducted at least 500 feet from all n onparticipating 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 must 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 must cease immediately in a manner ensurin g 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 under this exemption.

27. All operations shall be conducted over private or control led

- access property w ith 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.

28. Any incident, accident, or flight operation that tran sgresses the lateral or vertical boundaries of the operational area as defined by the applicable COA must be reported

to the FA A's UAS Integration Office (AFS− 80) within 24 hours. Accidents must be reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTS B) per instructions

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

.

If this exemption permits operations for the purpose of closed

- set motion picture and television filming and production, the following additional conditi ons and limitations apply.

29. The operator must have a motion picture and television operations manual (MPTOM) as documented in this grant of exemption.7

30. At least 3 days before aerial filming, the operator of the UAS affected by this exemption must submit a written Plan of Activities to the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) with jurisdiction over the a rea of proposed filming. The 3

- day notification may be waived with the concurrence of the FSDO. The plan of activities

must include at least the f ollowing:

a. Dates and times for all flights;

b. Name and phone number of the operator for the UAS aerial filming conducted under this grant of exemption;

c. Name and phone number of th e person responsible for the on

- scene operation of the UAS;

d. Make, model, and ser ial 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 o f those who gave permission must 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.

31. Flight operations may be conducted closer than 500 feet from participating persons consenting to be involved and necessary for the filming production, as specified in the exemption holder’s MPTOM.

Unless otherwise specified in this grant of exemption, the UAS, the UAS PIC, and the UAS operations must comply with all applicable parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to,

parts 45, 47, 61, and 91.8

This exemption termin ates on July 31, 2017 , unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service

EnclosuresMario F. Fabrizio April 29, 2015

290 Calamus Circle Medina, MN 55340 Cell (612) 360

- 9017

Email: mario@fabrizios.com

U.S. Department of Transportation Docket Management System 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590

RE: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act of 2012

Attachments: 1) Phantom 2 Vision+ User Manual V1.6

2 ) Flight Log

References: 1) FAA Exemption No. 11138, Regulatory Docket No. F AA20140481 in the matter of the petition of DOUGLAS TRUDEAU 2) FAA Exemption No. 11136, Regulatory Docket No. FAA

– 2014

– 0508 in the matter of the petition of ADVANCED AVIATION SOLUTIONS LLC 3) FAA Exemption No. 11080 Regulatory Docket No. FAA20140 355 in the matter of the petition of FLYING CAM INC 4) FAA Exemption No. 11437 Regulatory Docket No. FAA20150221 in the matter of the petition of MARCUS D MELHUS

Dear Sir or Madam,

In accordance with the FAA ’ s Guidelines for Submitting a Petition for Exemption under section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 , I Mario F. Fabrizio

, referred to hereafter as the petitioner, request exemption from the following sections of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations §§

61.113(a) ; 61.113(b) ; 91.119(c) ; 91.121 ; 91.151(a) ; 91.405(a) ; 91.407(a)(1) ; 91.409 (a)(1) ; 91.409(a)(2) ; 91.417(a) & (b) ; In order to operate small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) commercially in airspace regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) for the purposes of aerial photography, cinematography, videography, and other flight operations that could be performed safely and more cost effectively with the use of small UAS at low altitude within the U.S. national airspace system as compared to a manned aircraft. Operations will be in support of local fire departments and related emergency service agencies, focusing on pre

- incident planning and imaging that would form the basis for incident action plans in the event of a real emergency. Operations will be performed only at the request of and with the authorization and permission of clients (municipalities) or their authorized agents in order to improve incident pre

- planning and raise

awareness of the beneficial use s of small unmanned air systems for use within the fire service to improve their ability to respond in the event of a real incident.So long as such operations are conducted within and under the conditions outlined herein

or as may be established by the FAA as required by Section 333. The conditions identified and proposed by the petitioner are drawn from references 1

- 3.

The FARs The petitioner seeks exemption from the above mentioned FARs for the following

reasons ; 61.113(a) & (b) ; The petitioner requests relief in order to facilitate the utilization of an experienced UAS

operator with the a ddition of a trained observer. All pre

- flight inspection, maintenance and flight logs will be saved and made available to the FAA an d Secretary o f Transportation (SoT) for

review ; with the purpose of safely integrating civil UAS operation in the National Airspace System

. 91.119(c) As discussed in Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU), operations conducted closer than 500 feet to the ground may require that the UA be operated closer than 500 feet to essential persons, or objects that would not be possible without additional relief. The petitioner requests modification, waiver or exemption and clarification concerning the terms “ congested areas ” and

“ den sely populated ” . The petitioner requests waiver for this condition to allow reasonable and responsible operations in areas of subdivisions and neighborhoods if required. The petitioner will primarily operate the UAS between ground level and 2 00 feet

. The UAS will be operated over designated properties with the consent of the local municipality or their designated agent and while maintaining a safe distance from persons. The petitioner will compile flight data from the logs. This data may assist the FAA in development of regulations for commercial operations in low

- risk, controlled environments.

91.121 As discussed in Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU) is inapplicable since the

UAS does not have an altimeter and instead utilizes electroni c GPS with a barometric sensor for

altitude information. 91.151(a) As discussed in Exemption 11136 (ADVANCED AVIATION SOLUTIONS LLC) prior relief has been granted for manned aircraft to operate at less than the prescribed minimums, including Exemption Nos. 2689, 5745, and 10650. In addition, similar UAS specific relief has been granted in Exemption Nos. 8811, 10808, and 1 0673 for daytime, VFR conditions. The UAS provides battery power remaining in percent to the PIC. The UA batteries provide approximately 25 minutes of powered flight. Information provided in the operating documents discusses procedures regarding remaining battery power management. Those documents contain a condition in which the PIC will initiate a landing procedure when battery remaining reaches a specified level. Given the limitations on proposed operations and the location of those proposed operations, T he FAA found that a reduced minimum power reserve for flight in daytime VFR

conditions was reasonable. 91.405(a) ; 91.407(a)(1) ; 91.409 (a)(1) & (2) ; 91.417(a) & (b)

As discussed in Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU), The petitioner proposes to inspect and ensure that the UAS is in a condition for safe flight in accordance with the operatingdocuments. The FAA found that adherence to the petitioner ’ s operating documents and the

conditions and limitations specified, describing the requirements for maintenance , inspection, and recordkeeping, were sufficient to ensure that safety would not be adversely affected.

The UAS The DJI Phantom 2 vision plus is a highly successful consumer grade small rotorcraft in the quadcopter configuration with an advertised weight of less than 44 Ounces (1242g) designed primarily to carry aloft a high definition camera. It has an advertised maximum speed of less than 30 knots (15m/s) and a maximum climb rate of less than 1200 feet per minute (6 m/s). It is powered by four ele ctric motors with a distance between motors of less than 14 inches (350mm). It utilizes an internal inertial measuring unit (IMU) with integrated barometric sensor augmented with global positioning system (GPS) to maintain its geospatial orientation and po sition. It is controlled primarily through an FCC certified radio control (RC) unit. Real time video and telemetry information is transmitted back to a ground control station allowing the operator and/or PIC to monitor battery level, GPS signal strength, a ltitude (AGL), distance from PIC, camera imagery, and control camera angle. It has failsafe modes of operation for either loss of RC or GPS signal. Altitude can be limited by the onboard flight controller and maximum altitude can be preprogrammed by the PI C. Battery life limits flight times to approximately 25 minutes. The onboard flight controller will warn the pilot via telemetry and external lighting cues before reaching a low battery state. An automatic termination of flight and landing will be initiate d when the battery reaches a predetermined low state. It is anticipated that flights will usually last

less than 12 minutes. More information is available in attachment 1

.

Risk mitigation The petitioner has reviewed FAA exemptions reference ’ s 1

- 3 Conditi ons and Limitations section and believes that the procedures specified therein are reasonable and will be utilized in order to manage and mitigate risk and ensure public safety. A preflight checklist will be developed and employed to ensure that the UA air worthiness will be verified before launch. Airworthiness will be maintained by performance of routine inspections before each flight, maintaining flight and maintenance logs to record time on failure prone components. These

documents will be made availabl e to the FAA and SoT to assist in future implementation of safety standards and regulations. The petitioner will only operate the UAS over designated properties with the clients consent. Flight plans will be predetermined to limit the UAS s flight

time and limit safety concerns. The petitioner will take into account distance from persons and potential flight obstacles prior to operating the UAS. UAS operation will always be within

VLOS of the PIC and the observer.

Public interest Use of the UAS in lieu of a manned aircraft would enhance safety and reduce the environmental impact as compared to similar operations conducted with manned aircraft of greater proportions, carrying a crew and flammable fuel. With the ability to easily and cost effectively gain a perspective of complex and possibly high risk environments, fire departments can more effectively develop pre

- plans to mitigate an y situations that arise. Moreover, the abilityto periodically review building roof modifications and loads significantly improves situational

awareness and improves the safety of both firefighters and occupants. Additionally, effective use of this technology will allow smaller fire departments to maximize their resources on mitigating actual issues as o pposed to wasting precious time getting a “ big picture ” perspective

in a real incident. Operations for this petition will enable fire departments to gain an enhanced perspective for characteristics, exposures and hazards associated with a particular prope rty that cannot be gained through ground level inspection. Aerial surveying and inspections can increase planning efficiency, improve resource estimations , and reduce risks to personnel and property

. The petitioner will provide clients with photographic da ta for these purposes on a ‘ for hire ’ basis acting as an independent contractor. A visual observer will be utilized. Flight data including UA flight time, Control Unit operation time, incident, accident, and details concerning any deviations from normal op erations will be available to FAA for use in collecting data regarding the use of UAS as part of this application. This data may be submitted to FAA via traditional means or other means as required.

Conclusion The petitioner is requesting this exemption for the purposes of “ aerial photograph y, cinematography, videography , inspections and other flight operations ” . The reason for such a general and broad based request is that the petitioner wishes to provide services to fire departments and other emergency service providers that can only be provided through the quick deployment and cost effective operations provided by a UAS. It is believed that these services will allow clients to significantly improve their pre

- planning and situational awareness which in turn will lead to more efficient mitigation of incidents, thereby reducing property loss and improved the safety of both building occupants and emergency services personnel. The petitioner's business model is based on the id ea of offering ad hoc small UAS serv ices to clients

who wish to e mploy these services as a safe, effective, and legal option to enhance their operations. By providing this service to multiple clients, the petitioner can ensure adherence to standards and protocols and can develop and refine generally applicable safety guidelines and

processes. The petitioner has refrained from engaging in commercial use of the UAS. The primary purpose of seeking this exemption is to obtain the capability to o ffer th ose services while remaining in compliance. The petitioner has 4 years of experience in t he radio control

model aircraft hob by

. In addition, the petitioner has more than 8 years of general aviation ASEL experience and holds a current Commercial Pilo t certificate (3239714) with a instrument rating.

Respectfully submitted

Mario F. Fabrizio