Dear Sir or Madam: 

Attached please find NVIDIA Corporation's request for an exemption from the listed 

Federal Aviation Regulations to allow commercial operation of its Small Unmanned 

Aircraft Systems ("sUASs") for aerial imaging for safety and monitoring of secured and 

controlled construction sites. This exemption request is exclusively for the use ofthe 

UAS manufactured by Kespry, Inc., a Menlo Park based company. 

Also attached to this letter is the Kespry UAS Flight Manual, which outlines the 

operating requirements, limitations, and technical specifications for the Kespry system. 

NVIDIA has reviewed these manuals and has found them to be acceptable for sUAS 

operations on its secure project sites. NVIDIA submits the Kespry Flight Manual as a 

Confidential document under 14 CFR 11 .35 (b) as the entire manual contains proprietary 

information that the applicant has not and will not share with others. The Manual 

contains operating conditions and procedures that are not available to the public and are 

protected from release under the Freedom of Information Act 5 USC 552 et. seq. 

Thank you for your time and consideration, and please let me know if you have any 

questions. 

Gabriel Dobbs 

Kespry, Inc. 

Re: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Refor

Aviation Regulations from 14 CFR 61.113 (a) & (b); 91.103(b); 91.119; 91.121; 

91.15l(a); 91.405 (a); 91.407(a) (1); 91.409 (a) (2); 91.417 (a) & (b). 

Dear Sir or Madam: 

Pursuant to Section 333 ofthe FAA Modernization and Reform Act of2012 (the 

Reform Act) and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, NVIDIA Corporation, a technology company, hereby 

applies for an exemption from the listed Federal Aviation Regulations ("FARs") to allow 

commercial operation of its Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems ("sUAS") for aerial 

imaging for safety and monitoring of secured and controlled environment construction 

sites, 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. 

As detailed in this document and the attached Flight Manuals, the requested 

exemption would permit the operation ofsUAS nnder controlled conditions in airspace 

that is 1) limited 2) predetermined 3) controlled as to access and 4) would provide safety 

enhancements to the already best practices safety protocols followed by workers at each 

one ofNVIDIA's construction sites. Approval of this exemption would thereby enhance 

safety and fulfill the Secretary of Transportation's (the FAA Administrator's) 

responsibilities to " ... establish requirements for the safe operation of such aircraft systems 

in the national airspace system." Section 3 3 3© of the Reform Act. 

The name and address of the applicant is: 

NVIDIA Corporation 

2701 San Tomas Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95050 

PH: ( 408) 486-2000 

Email: jdahlgren@nvidia.com 

Regulations from which the exemption is requested: 

14 C.F.R. Part 210 

14 C.F.R. 45.23(b)O 

14 C.F.R. 61.113 (a) & (b) 

14 C.F.R. 91.7 (a)O 

14 C.F.R. 91.9 (b) (2)0 

14 C.F.R. 91.1030 

14 C.F.R. 91.1090 

14 C.F.R. 91.1190 

14 C.F.R. 91.1210 

14 C.F.R. 91.151 (a) 

014 C.F.R. 91.203 (a) & (b) 

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The Federal Aviation Act expressly grants the FAA authority to issue exemptions. This statutory authority includes exempting civil aircraft, as the term is defined under 

§40101 of the Act, including sUASs, from the requirement that all civil aircraft must 

have a current airworthiness certificate. 

The Administrator may grant an exemption from a requirement of a regulation 

prescribed under subsection (a) or (b) of this section or any sections 44702-44716 of this 

title if the Administrator finds the exemption in the public interest. 49 U.S.C. §44701(f) 

See also 49 USC §447ll(a); 49 USC §44704; 14 CFR §91.203(a) (1). 

Section 333(b) of the Reform Act assists the Secretary in determining whether 

sUAS may operate in the National Airspace System (NAS) without creating a hazard to 

the user, the public, or a threat to national security. If the Secretary determines that a 

sUAS "may operate safely in the national airspace system, the Secretary shall establish 

requirements for the safe operation of such aircraft in the national airspace system." !d. 

§333(c). 

Kespry and DJI's sUAS are multirotor vehicles, weighing 10 or fewer lbs. 

including payload. They operate under normal conditions at a speed of no more than 50 

knots and have the capability to hover, and move in the vertical and horizontal plane 

simnltaneously. The sUAS will operate only in the Pilot's visual line of sight at all times 

and will operate only within the sterile area described in the Confidential Kespry Flight 

Manual, attached as Exhibit 1 (hereinafter "the Manual") or on private property with the 

property owner's permission. Snch operations will insure that the sUAS will "not create a 

hazard to users of the national airspace system or the public." Reform Act Section 333 

(b). 

Given the small size of the sUAS involved and the restricted and sterile 

envirorunent within which they will operate, our application falls squarely within the 

zone of safety (an equivalent level of safety) in which Congress envisioned that the FAA 

must, by exemption, allow commercial operations of sUAS to commence immediately. 

Also due to the small size of the sUAS and the low altitudes and restricted areas in which 

the sUAS will operate, approval of the application presents no national security issue. 

Given the clear direction in Section 333 of the Reform Act, the authority 

contained in the Federal Aviation Act, as amended; the strong equivalent level of safety 

surrounding the proposed operations, and the significant public benefit, including 

enhanced safety, the grant ofthe requested exemptions is in the public interest. 

Accordingly, NVIDIA respectfully requests that the FAA grant the requested exemption 

without delay. 

II. PUBLIC INTEREST 

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UAS to operate with significant safety precautions in low risk environments. 

The use of sUAS on a construction site can significantly reduce the risk to 

workers of falls while inspecting, surveying, or monitoring site progress. sUAS can 

inspect, photograph, and collect data on hard to get to areas that otherwise would require 

worker inspection. Falls are a leading source of workplace fatality and injury on 

construction sites 1, and reducing falls through s UAS use for site imaging could save 

workers lives. 

Additionally, sUAS could replace the use of helicopters and small aircraft to 

monitor sites. The sUAS we propose to fly in this application are under five pounds, and 

carry no combustible material on board, as opposed to the much larger conventionally 

powered small aircraft. Shifting to sUAS from helicopters presents a marked safety 

increase for our workers and the public. 

Lastly, sUAS reduce the environmental impact by dramatically decreasing the 

energy used for aerial imaging and data collection over a construction site. Our sUAS use 

rechargeable lithium polymer batteries, as opposed to fossil fuels burned in operation of 

small aircraft that are many hundreds of times heavier. 

III. EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY 

NVIDIA proposes that the exemption requested herein apply to sUAS that have 

the characteristics and that operate with the limitations listed herein. These limitations 

provide for at least an equivalent or even higher level of safety to operations under the 

current regulatory structure because the proposed operations represent a safety 

enhancement to the already safe protocols followed on construction sites and imaging and 

surveying operations conducted with helicopters and other conventional aircraft. 

NVIDIA will be bound by the following limitations when conducting its sUAS 

operations under an FAA issued exemption: 

1. The sUAS will be less than 10 pounds. 

2. Flights will be operated within visual line of sight of a pilot. 

3. Maximum total flight time for each operational flight will be 30 minutes. The UAS 

calculates battery reserve in real time, and will return to its GPS determined takeoff 

location with at least 20% battery power reserve should that occur prior to the 30 

minute limit. 

4. Flights will normally be operated at an altitude of 200 feet AGL, never exceeding 400 

feet AGL. 

1 "Commonly Used Statistics", Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Available at: 

https:f fwww.osha.gov / oshstats/ commonstats.html 

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8. The sUAS will only operate within a confined "Sterile Area" as defined in the 

Manual. The Manual also requires the establishment of a "Security Perimeter" for the 

flight operations area. 

9. A briefmg will be conducted in regard to the planned sUAS operations prior to each day's production activities. It will be mandatory that all personnel who will be 

performing duties within the boundaries of the safety perimeter be present for this briefing. 

10. All onsite personnel will consent to the UAS flyover, and the operator will obtain 

additional verbal or written consent of all persons who will be allowed within 100 

feet of the flight operation. 

11. Pilot will have been trained in operation ofUASs generally and received up-to-date information on the particular UAS to be operated as required by Section F of the 

Manual. 

12. Written and/or oral permission from the relevant property holders will be obtained. 

13. All required permissions and permits will be obtained from territorial, state, county or city jurisdictions, including local law enforcement, fire, or other appropriate 

goverrunental agencies. 

14. If the sUAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, it will have capability to 

enter reduce its hover throttle and enter a controlled descent. 

IV. DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC REGULATIONS 

14 CFR 61.113 (a) & (b): Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in command 

Sections 61.113 (a) & (b) limit private pilots to non-commercial operations. Because the sUAS will not carry a pilot or passengers, the proposed operations can achieve the 

equivalent level of safety of current operations by requiring the Pilot operating the aircraft to have (1) completed a sUAS flight training course of 100 hours before flying a sUAS (See Section F of the Manual for more details) and (2) a Sport Pilot certificate. The 

FAA has previously acknowledged in ptior grants of exemption under Section 333 that a 

corrunercial pilot's certificate was not necessary to operate a sUAS, but that the FAA 

could not waive the requirement for an FAA-issued pilot's license. A Sport Pilot 

certificate addtesses the FAA's requirement that the Pilot in command have the requisite training and understanding of the National Airspace System, and also ensures that the 

Pilot is registered with the FAA and will not pose a risk to national security. The Sport Pilot certificate also does not require the Pilot to undertake the additional cost and time of 

additional manned aviation flight time that the Private Pilot's license requires and which will not translate to skill or competency operating the sUAS. 

Unlike a conventional aircraft that carries the pilot and passengers, the sUAS is remotely 

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nor passenger, carries 

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p

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exclusively within a secured area as set out in the Manual. Like other civil aircraft, 

operations under this exemption will be tightly controlled and monitored by the operator, 

pursuant to the Manual's requirements, and under the requirements and in compliance 

with local public safety requirements, to provide security for the area of operation as is 

currently done on active construction sites. The FAA will have advance notice of all 

operations. 

The risks associated with the operation of the sUAS are therefore diminished from the 

level of risk associated with commercial operations contemplated by Part 61 when 

drafted, and allowing operations of the sUAS as requested with a Pilot who has met the 

minimum requirements stated in Section F of the Manual achieves the level of safety 

contemplated by 14 C.F.R. §61.113 (a) & (b). 

14 C.F.R. 91.103: Preflight Action 

This regulation requires each pilot in command take certain actions before flight to 

ensure the safety of flight. An exemption is needed from this requirement as the Pilot will 

take separate preflight actions, including checking for weather conditions, checking flight 

battery requirements, checking takeoff and landing distances, and all other actions in the 

Preflight Checklist in the Manual. These actions will provide an equivalent level of 

safety. See Appendix A of the Manual. 

14 C.F. R. 91.119: Minimum Safe Altitudes 

Section 91.119 establishes safe altitudes for operation of civil aircraft. Section 91.119 (d) 

allows helicopters to be operated at less than the minimums prescribed, provided the 

person operating the helicopter complies with any route or altitudes prescribed for 

helicopters by the FAA. This exemption is for a multirotor craft that flies similarly to a 

helicopter, with vertical take off and vertical landing, which will typically operate at 

altitudes of 200 AGL, so an exemption may be needed to allow such operations. The 

sUAS will never operate at altitude higher than 400 AGL and will be in a restricted area 

with security perimeter, where buildings and people will not be exposed to operations 

without their pre-obtained consent. See Manual for detailed procedures. 

The equivalent level of safety will be achieved given the size, weight, speed of the sUAS 

as well as the location where it is operated. No flight will be taken without the permission 

ofthe property owner or local officials. Because of the advance notice to the property 

owner and any onsite personnel as outlined in the Manual, all affected individuals will be 

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14 C.F.R. 91.121: Altimeter Settings 

This regulation requires each person operating an aircraft to maintain cruising altitude by reference to an altimeter that is set " ... to the elevation of the departure airport or an appropriate altimeter setting available before departure." As the sUAS may not have a 

barometric altimeter, but instead a GPS altitude read out, an exemption may be needed. An equivalent level of safety will be achieved by the operator, pursuant to the Manual and Safety Check list, confirming the altitude of the launch site shown on the GPS 

altitude indicator before flight. 

14 CFR 91.151 (a): Fuel requirements for flight iu VFR conditions 

Section 91.151 (a) outlines fuel requirements for beginning a flight in VFR conditions. 

Our sUAS is limited to operations in sterile and controlled environments as outlined in 

the Manual, and has a limited range and flight time which require an exemption from 14 CFR 91.15l(a). 

The battery powering the sUAS provides approximately 35 minutes of powered flight. To 

meet the 30 minute reserve requirement in 14 CFR §91.151, sUAS flights would be limited to approximately 5 minutes in length. Given the limitations on the sUAS's 

proposed flight area and the location of its proposed operations within a predetermined 

area, a longer time frame for flight in daylight or night VFR conditions is reasonable. 

NVIDIA believes that an exemption from 14 CFR §91.15l(a) falls within the scope of prior exemptions. See Exemption 10673 (allowing Lockheed Martin Corporation to 

operate without compliance with FAR 91.151 (a)). Operating the small sUAS, in a tightly controlled area where only people and property owners or official representatives who have signed waivers will be allowed, with less than 30 minutes of reserve fuel, does not 

engender the type of risks that Section 91.15l(a) was intended to alleviate given the size and speed of the small UAS. Additionally, limiting sUAS flights to 10 minutes would 

greatly reduce the utility for which the exemption will be granted. 

An equivalent level of safety can be achieved by limiting flights to 30 minutes, or enough battery reserve to ensure that the sUAS lands at the GPS determined takeofflocation with 

at least 20% of battery power (as determined by the onboard monitoring system and the Pilot), whichever happens first. This restriction would be more than adequate to return the sUAS to its plmmed landing zone from anywhere in its limited operating area. 

Similar exemptions have been granted to other operations, including Exemptions 2689F, 5745, 10673, and 10808. 

6 
compliance with Part 43. 

Given that these sections and Part 43 apply only to aircraft with an airworthiness 

certificate, these sections will not apply to NVIDIA. Maintenance will be accomplished 

by the operator pursuant to the flight manual and operating handbook as referenced in the 

Manual. An equivalent level of safety will be achieved because these small sUAS are 

very limited in size and will carry a small payload and operate only in restricted areas for 

limited periods of time. If mechanical issues arise the sUAS can land immediately and 

will be operating from no higher than 400 feet AGL. As provided in the Manual, the Pilot 

will ensure that the sUAS is in working order prior to initiating flight, perform required 

maintenance, and keep a log of any maintenance performed. Moreover, the Pilot is the 

person most familiar with the aircraft and best suited to maintain the aircraft in an 

airworthy condition to provide the equivalent level of safety. 

******* 

Pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 11, the following summary is provided for publication in the 

Federal Register, should it be determined that publication is needed: 

Applicant seeks an exemption from the following rules: 14 C.F.R. §21, subpart H; 14 

C.F.R 45.23(b);14 C.F.R. §§ 61.113( a) & (b);91.7 

(a); 91.9 (b) (2);91.103(b);91.109; 91.119; 91.121; 91.151(a);91.203(a) and (b); 91.405 

(a); 91.407 (a) (1); 91.409 (a) (2); 91.409 (a) (2) and 91.417 (a) & (b) to operate 

commercially a small unmanned vehicle (55lbs or less) in construction operations. 

Approval of exemptions allowing commercial operations of sUAS in the construction 

industry enhances safety while reducing risk. Manned aircraft monitoring and surveying 

creates a greater risk because the craft are much larger, have combustible fuel, and carry 

an onboard human pilot. In contrast, a sUAS weighing fewer than 10 lbs. and powered by 

batteries eliminates virtually all of that risk given the reduced mass and lack of 

combustible fuel carried on board. The sUAS will carry no passengers or crew and, 

therefore, will not expose them to the risks associated with manned aircraft flights. 

The operation of small sUAS, weighing less than l 0 lbs., conducted in the strict 

conditions outlined above, will provide an equivalent level of safety supporting the grant 

of the exemptions requested herein, including exempting the applicant from the 

requirements of Part 21 and allowing commercial operations. These lightweight aircraft 

operate at slow speeds, close to the ground, and in a sterile environment and, as a result, 

are far safer than conventional operations conducted with turbine helicopters operating in 

close proximity to the ground and people. 

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******* 

Satisfaction of the criteria provided in Section 333 of the Reform Act of2012--size, 

weight, speed, operating capabilities, controlled operating environment and operation 

within visual line of sight and national security- provide more than adequate justification 

for the grant ofthe requested exemptions allowing commercial operation of applicant's 

sUAS in construction ip.dustry pursuant t~ the Manual appended hereto. 

ck Dahlgren 

NVIDIA Corporation 

Gabriel Dobbs 

Kespry, Inc. 

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