KOPTERCAM 100 3 rd Street Fair Haven, NJ 07704 201
- 874
- 5030 kendecker@verizon.net www.koptercam.com May 22, 2015 U.S. Department of Transportation Docket Management System 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 Re: Exemption Request Under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations for Kenneth Decker (d/b/a KopterCam) Dear Sir or Madam: Pursuant to Section 3 33 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform Act “) and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, Kenneth Decker (d/b/a Kopter Cam) , seeks an exemption from Federal Aviation Regulations (“FARs” ) to operate unmanned aerial systems (“ UAS”), as described more fully below. The requested exemption would support an application for a commercial Certificate of Aut horization to use the UAS to support aerial photography and videography. Specifically, the proposed UAS operations would include a DJ1 Inspire 1, DJ I S1000, and DJIPhantom 2.

 **DJI Inspire 1** system consists of a lightweight (6.5 lb) battery operated aircraft, a tablet
- based ground control station and/or RC Controller, and associated communications equipment. The aircraft carries an onboard geo
- referenced gimbaled camera that allows it to obtain photography and videography. The ability to gather high resolution photo and video has been requested by broadcasting companies. (See Attached File for Manual)

 **DJI S1000** is comprised of a multi
- rotor unmanned ai rcraft and two handheld ground control stations. The DJI
- S1000 has a maximum gross weight of approximately 24 pounds, diagonal wheelbase of 41.4 inches, and height of approximately 18 inches. The DJI
- S1000 is equipped with eight rotors driven by eight li thium polymer battery powered electric motors. Design and operational characteristics are provided in DJI S1000+ Operating Manual (See Attached File for Manual)
.

 **DJI Phantom 2** is comprised of a quad rotor unmanned aircraft and a handheld ground control station. The Phantom II has a maximum gross weight of approximately 2.8 pounds, diameter(rotor span) 23.75 inches, width of 12.5 inches, and height of 8.1 inches.

The Phantom II is equipped with four rotors driven by four lithium polymer battery powered electric motors. Design and operational characteristics are provided in DJI Phantom 2 Operating Manual (See Attached File for Manual )
. Flight crews shall conduct pre
- flight i nspections as docume nted in Operating Manual s . The public interest would be served by the grant of an exemption because it e nables broadcasters to be able to conduct aerial video cover age, including for on
- site reporting, such as traffic and emergencies, where it is critical to relay footage in real
- time to provide the public with important information that also assists with managing emergency response to and around the scene. This will make it easier for broadcasters to deploy at the scene, compared wit h existing equipment that can be limited in their ability to reach the scent and/or provide overhead views of the area. The aircraft will be operated in the field with both a Pilot in Command (“PIC”) and a ground
- based Visual Observer (“VO”) in accordan ce with FAA Policy N 8900.227 Section 14 “Operational Requirements for UAS” with the following additional restrictions:  All operations will occur in Class G airspace at no more than 400 feet AGL  Operations will only be conducted with permission from the ap propriate land owner  All required permits will be obtained from the state and local government prior to operation  The aircraft will not be operated over populated areas as defined on FAA sectional maps  The aircraft will not be operated at air shows or over an open - air assembly of people  The aircraft will not be operated over heavily trafficked roads  The aircraft will not be operated within 5 nautical miles of a public airport or heliport  Operations will be limited to day, visual meteorological conditions  Aircraft will remain within Visual Line of Sight at no greater than 1⁄4 nautical miles of the PIC at all times  While the aircraft is airborne, the VO will be positioned within voice distance to the PIC  PI C will file a NOTAM providing radial/DME, radius, and a date/time group for each operation a minimum of 72 hours before any planned flight activity. The PIC and VO will meet the requirement outlined in FAA Policy N 8900.327 Section 16 Personnel Qualifications. Additionally, the PIC and VO will perform maint enance on the system and will complete a course of maintenance instruction as part of their in i tial training. Due to the simplicity of the system, we do not anticipate the need for a suppl emental pilot. We submit that the combination of the aircraft’s li ght weight, the autopilot’s demonstrated flight performance, fully qualified flight crew and strict operation under the guidelines established in 8900.227, the FAA can have confidence that the operation will have an equivalent or greater level of safety of manned aircraft performing the same mission. The name and contact information of the applicant are: Kopter Cam Attn: Ken Decker Phone: 201
- 874
- 5030 Email: kendecker@verizon.net The regulations from which the exemption is requested are as follows:  14 CFR Part 21 14 CFR 91.203

 14 CFR 45.23. 45.29  14 CFR 91.9  14 CFR 61.113, 61.133  14 CFR 91.109, 91.119  14 CFR 91.121, 91.151  14 CFR Subpart E (91.401
- 91.417)  FAA Policy 8900.227 Paragraph 16(c) (1). **Additional Information:**  The applicant, Kenneth Decker, has been a radio control aircraft hobbyist for over 25 years, a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and a Certified and Trained Graduate of Fly Safe Academy. Kenneth Decker built his first Mikro kopter in 2008 and has been studying, researching, building and flyi ng UAS ever since. In addition, Kenneth Decker has 25 years of experience as a Camera operator for a variety of Entertainment, News, Sports and Music Programs. He has been awarded six “Emmy” Awards for achievement in exemplary camera work. We believe that experience coupled with our know ledge of UAS could make KopterCam a leader in this innovative field. We are prepared to modify or amend any part of this request to satisfy the need for an e quivalent level of safety. We look forward to working with your office. Please contact us at any time if you require additional information or clarification. Sincerely, Ken Decker Kenneth Decker

/KopterC am 100 Third Street Fair Haven, NJ 07704 Attachm ents: a. DJ1 Inspire 1 Manual b. DJIS1000 Manual c. DJIPhantom Manual