### April 17, 2015

Exemption No. 11374

Regulatory Docket No. FAA–2015–0091

Mr. Reed Larson, PE

Vice President of Mining Services

Bowman Consulting Group, LTD

3863 Centerview Drive, Suite 300

Chantilly, VA 20151

Dear Mr. Larson:

This letter is to inform you that we have gran ted your request for exemption. It transmits our

decision, explains its basis, and gives you th e conditions and limitations of the exemption,

including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated January 13, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

on behalf of Bowman Consulting Group, LTD (h ereinafter petitioner or operator) for an

exemption. The exemption would allow the petiti oner to operate an unmanned aircraft system

(UAS) to conduct mapping and survey applications.

See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA describing 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 petiti oner is a SenseFly eBee.

### 2

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

− 95 in

reference to 49 U.S.C. § 44704, and in consider ation of the size, weight, speed, and limited

operating area associated with the aircraft a nd its operation, the Secret ary of Transportation

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

finds that the relief from 14 CFR part 21, Certification procedures for products and parts,

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 da ta collection. The FAA has issued grants of

exemption in circumstances similar in all materi al respects to those pr esented 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 Labs, Inc. ( see Docket No.

FAA

− 2014

− 0642), the FAA found that the enhanced safety achieved using an unmanned

aircraft (UA) with the specifica tions described by the petition er and carrying no passengers or

crew, rather than a manned aircraft of signi ficantly greater proporti ons, carrying crew in

addition to flammable fuel, gi ves the FAA good cause to find th at the UAS operation enabled

by this exemption is in the public interest.

Having reviewed your reasons for re questing an exemption, I find that—

 They are similar in all material respects to relief previously re quested 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 situ ation you present; and

 A grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a gr ant 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, Bo wman Consulting Group, LTD 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 a llow 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, Bowman Consu lting Group, LTD is hereafter referred to as

the operator.

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Failure to comply with any of the conditions an d 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 SenseFly eBee

when weighing less than 55 pounds includi ng 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 restricti on. 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 feet 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 PI C and VO at all times. The VO may 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;

electronic messaging or texting is not perm itted 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 en sure 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

Administrator upon request. If a discrepa ncy exists between the conditions and

limitations in this exemption and the pro cedures outlined in the operating documents,

the conditions and limitations herein ta ke precedence and must be followed.

Otherwise, the operator must follow the pr ocedures as outlined in its operating

documents. The operator may update or revi se its operating documents. It is the

operator’s responsibility to track such revisions and pr esent updated and revised

### 4

documents to the Administrator or any la w enforcement official upon request. The

operator must also present updated and revise d 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 FAA’s UAS

Integration Office (AFS-80) may be contacte d if questions arise regarding updates or

revisions to the operating documents.

8. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance or alterations that aff ect the UAS operation

or flight characteristics, e .g. replacement of a flight cr itical component, must undergo

a functional test flight prio r to conducting further opera tions 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 functi onal 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 a nd 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. Th e pre-flight inspection 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 maintenance has been performed and the

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

11. The operator must follow the UAS manu facturer’s maintenance, overhaul,

replacement, inspection, and life limit requ irements for the aircraft and aircraft

components.

12. Each UAS operated under this exemption mu st comply with all manufacturer safety

bulletins.

13. Under this grant of exemption, a PIC mu st hold either an airline transport,

commercial, private, recreational, or sport pi lot certificate. The PIC must also hold a

current FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued by a

state, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal

government. The PIC must also meet the flight review requirements specified in

14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in which the PI C is rated on his or her pilot certificate.

14. The operator may not permit any PIC to ope rate unless the PIC demonstrates the

ability to safely operate the UAS in a ma nner consistent with how the UAS will be

operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and

maintaining appropriate distan ces from persons, vessels, vehi cles and structures. PIC

qualification flight hours and currency must be logged in a manner consistent with

### 5

14 CFR § 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes of training the operator’s PICs and VOs

(training, proficiency, and e xperience-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 permitted under the terms of this exemption. However,

training operations may only be conducted dur ing dedicated training sessions. During

training, proficiency, and expe rience-building flights, al l persons not essential for

flight operations are considered nonpartic ipants, and the PIC must operate the UA

with appropriate distance from nonparti cipants 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 visual meteorological conditi ons (VMC). Flights

under special visual flight rule s (SVFR) are not authorized.

16. The UA may not operate within 5 nautical mile s of an airport reference point (ARP) as

denoted in the current FAA Airport/Facil ity Directory (AFD) or for airports not

denoted with an ARP, the center of the ai rport symbol as denoted on the current FAApublished aeronautical chart, unless a lett er 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 ai rport 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 it s GPS signal, the UA must return to a predetermined location within the priv ate or controlled-access property.

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

20. The PIC is prohibited from beginning a f light 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 fo r at least five minutes or with the reserve

power recommended by the manufacturer if greater.

21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate of Waiver or Author ization (COA). All

operations shall be conducted in accorda nce with an ATO-issued COA. The

exemption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct

operations that cannot be conducted unde r the terms of the attached COA.

22. All aircraft operated in accord ance with this exemption must be identified by serial

number, registered in accordance with 14 CFR part 47, and have identification (NNumber) markings in accordance with 14 CF R part 45, Subpart C. Markings must be

as large as practicable.

### 6

23. Documents used by the operator to ensure th e 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 th e Administrator or any law enforcement

official upon request.

24. The UA must remain clear and give wa y 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 nonparticipating

persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless:

a. Barriers or structures are present that sufficiently pr otect 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 ensuring the safety

of nonparticipating persons; and

b. The owner/controller of any vessels, vehicles or struct ures 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 es sential persons are not considered

nonparticipating persons under this exemption.

27. All operations shall be conducted over priv ate or controlled-access property with

permission from the property owner/cont roller 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 transgresses the lateral or vertical

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

to the FAA's UAS Integration Office (AFS- 80) within 24 hours. Accidents must be

reported to the National Transportation Sa fety Board (NTSB) per instructions

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

.

If this exemption permits operations for th e purpose of closed-set motion picture and

television filming and production, the following additional conditions 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 ove r the area of proposed filming. The 3-day

notification may be waived w ith the concurrence of the FSDO. The plan of activities

must 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

under this grant of exemption;

c. Name and phone number of the person res ponsible for the on-s cene operation of

the UAS;

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

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

f. A statement that the operator has obtain ed permission from property owners

and/or local officials to conduct the filming production event; the list of those

who gave permission must be made av ailable to the inspector upon request;

g. Signature of exemption holde r or representative; and

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

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

essential to accomplish the operation.

31. Flight operations may be conducted closer th an 500 feet from pa rticipating 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 al l applicable parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to,

parts 45, 47, 61, and 91.

This exemption terminates on April 30, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight St andards ServiceBowman Consulting – 3863 Centerview Drive – Suite 300 – Chantilly, VA – 20151 – (703) 464-1000 January 13, 2015

United States Department of Transportation

Docket Management System

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20590

Filed at www.regulations.gov

SUBJECT: Petition for Exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations

Dear Sir or Madam:

Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the “Reform Act”) and 14 C.F.R. Part

11, Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd (BCG), seeks an exemption from Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) detailed

below for the eBee Unmanned Aircraft System (“eBee”) manufactured by SenseFly SA of Switzerland:

 14 CFR 61.113(a) and (b)

 14 CFR 91.7(a)

 14 CFR 91.119(c)

 14 CFR 91.121

 14 CFR 91.151(a)(1)

 14 CFR 91.405(a)

 14 CFR 91.407(a)(1)

 14 CFR 91.409(a)(1) and (2)

 14 CFR 91.417(a) and (b)

BCG provides consulting engineering and surveying services to clients in the land development, oil & gas,

transportation, power & energy and mining sectors. BCG’s mining clients own and operate open pit mines

throughout the United States, predominantly in the southwest. The surveying services provided to these mining

clients routinely include topographic and feature mapping that is acquired through aerial photogrammetry. Use of

the eBee UAS to produce this mapping creates benefits to the mining and construction industries and to the

environment which serve the public interest. Specifically, use of the eBee UAS provides the following advantages:

 Safety: The eBee UAS is constructed of flexible foam and weighs less than two pounds. The eBee operates on

a sealed lithium

‐ polymer battery and does not use combustible fuel. Use of the eBee UAS on mine sites allows

acquisition of topographic and feature data that is otherwise unobtainable due to steep terrain, pit walls, high

walls and other aggressive topography typical of active mine sites.

 Cost: Use of the eBee provides a competitive advantage to our clients because they are able to acquire survey

data at an estimated savings of 30 to 40 percent compared to conventional aerial photogrammetry via

manned aircraft.

 Schedule: The workflow for conventional manned aerial photography is such that the client receives

deliverables from several days to several weeks after flight date. The eBee UAS includes post

‐ processingPetition for Exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations Page 2 of 4

Bowman Consulting – 3863 Centerview Drive – Suite 300 – Chantilly, VA – 20151 – (703) 464-1000 software that resides on BCG workstations that allows BCG to deliver the final mapping product to the client

from several hours to a few working days after flight date.

 Quality: The eBee UAS, at normal flight heights, acquires imagery at a resolution of less than one inch per

pixel. This resolution provides excellent clarity in the resulting ortho

‐ photos, and also results in very accurate

survey deliverables.

The requested exemption would authorize commercial operations using the eBee for mapping and survey

applications. These operations will be subject to strict operating requirements defined in the eBee user manual

(BCG requests that the FAA treat the eBee training program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R. 11.35(b) and not include

this document in the public docket) in order to ensure at least an equivalent level of safety to currently authorized

operations using manned aircrafts.

UAS CHARACTERISTICS

The eBee is a small (38 inches wingspan) and ultra

‐ light (maximum take

‐ off weight of 1.7 pounds) platform made

of flexible foam that performs precision aerial mapping missions thanks to the onboard GPS and the related flight

management software (eMotion) that allows the operator to safely and efficiently plan a mission in 3D, and then

monitor it in real

‐ time. Thanks to the embedded camera, protected by a foam envelope, the eBee takes a

collection of high

‐ definition still images that are used later to generate maps and contour lines of the surveyed

area.

The four main characteristics of the eBee are:

1. Very light weight

The eBee is so light that the operator can launch it by hand and let it land on almost any surface without

requiring a parachute or landing net (belly land). Its low kinetic energy (60 Joules (“J”) at cruise speed) also

significantly reduces the risk of hazardous situations. Finally, the wings of the eBee are detachable and made

of flexible foam with no sharp or hard edges and almost no internal strengthening structure.

2. Electric

‐ powered

The eBee is electric

‐ powered. A brushless engine technology makes it silent and reliable. The propeller is

attached with two rubber bands to the body of the plane so that it can easily flex away in case of contact with

any object.

3. Semi

‐ automatic flight

The artificial intelligence incorporated within the eBee autopilot system continuously analyzes data from the

Inertial Measurement Unit and from the onboard GPS and takes care of all the aspects of the flight under the

supervision of the operator.

4. Option for Manual control

Additionally, the eBee provides an override capability that allows the operator to take manual actions during

the flight (Go to Home, Go Land, Hold and Resume the mission) and also suspend automated operations and

take manual control of the aircraft should it become necessary to respond emergent circumstances, thanks to

the remote controller provided with the system.

AIRWORTHINESS ASSESSMENT OF THE EBEE UAS

BCG notes that the eBee UAS, including the aircraft, the flight software, and the post

‐ processing software, is a

mature and established system. The airworthiness of the eBee has been demonstrated on several different

projects in the United States involving state/federal agencies or universities, including the US Army Corps ofPetition for Exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations Page 3 of 4

Bowman Consulting – 3863 Centerview Drive – Suite 300 – Chantilly, VA – 20151 – (703) 464-1000 Engineers (“USACE”) New Orleans, who coordinated with the Department of Army and the FAA to obtain all

authorizations required in order to operate the eBee UAS.

SenseFly has also obtained flight approvals for the eBee from the national civil aviation authority in many other

countries, including:

 Switzerland (flight approval for Visual Line of Sight “VLOS” operations)

 Canada (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 Australia (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 France (flight approval for Extended

‐ VLOS operations)

 Germany (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 United Kingdom (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 Norway (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 Sweden (flight approval for VLOS operations)

 Denmark (flight approval for VLOS operations)

OPERATING REQUIREMENTS

We propose to operate the aircraft with both a Pilot in Command (PIC) and a ground

‐ based Visual Observer (VO) in

accordance 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' AGL

 Operations limited to Visual Flight Rules Meteorological Conditions (VMC) and daylight hours

 The aircraft will remain within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) of both PIC and VO at all times

 VLOS guaranteed with a GPS geo

‐ fence around operator of 0.5 miles

 Operations will be conducted over private, controlled

‐ access property with the permission of the land

owner (most surveys will take place over active mine sites that are characteristically large, removed from

population centers, with controlled access)

 The aircraft will not be operated over urban or populated areas, at open

‐ air assemblies of people, or at air

shows

 The PIC will file a NOTAM for each operation

 The PIC must have completed the SenseFly training program for operation of the eBee

 Operations over congested areas shall be avoided;

 Operations must not interfere with manned aircraft operations, must yield the right of way to manned

aircraft, and operators must See & Avoid other aircraft and obstacles at all times

 All operations conducted within 5 miles from an airport shall only be initiated after verbal coordination

with the airport authority, or air traffic control when a control tower is present at the airport;

 All operations shall comply with required permissions and permits established by territorial, state, county

or city jurisdictions; including local law enforcement, fire, or other appropriate governmental agencies.

 The eBee operations will be compliant with existing safety procedures inherent to the survey activities of

BCG.

OPERATOR REQUIREMENTS

The aircraft will be operated by an individual who meets the following requirements:

 Has successfully passed a manufacturer’s training program for the eBee; BCG requests the FAA treat the

eBee training program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R. 11.35(b) and does not include this document in the

public docket.

 Has a Private Pilot certificate.Petition for Exemption under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations Page 4 of 4

Bowman Consulting – 3863 Centerview Drive – Suite 300 – Chantilly, VA – 20151 – (703) 464-1000 The PIC and VO will meet the requirements outlined in FAA Policy N 8900.227 Section 16 Personnel Qualifications.

The PIC will perform routine maintenance on the system and will complete a course of maintenance instruction as

part of their initial training. Due to the simplicity of the system, we do not anticipate the need for a supplemental

pilot.

CONCLUSION

Our mining clients operate in a very competitive financial global environment, and in hostile physical

environments. Use of the eBee UAS is in the public interest because it allows these companies to reduce costs and

remain competitive. It also supplants aircraft of significantly greater proportions carrying crew and flammable

fuel, as well as conventional survey crews that require personnel to work in difficult and unsafe terrain. The eBee

UAS makes not only the NAS safer, it makes BCG employees on the ground safer.

We submit that the combination of the aircraft's light weight, historically 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.

Sincerely,

Bowman Consulting

Reed Larson, PE

Vice President of Mining Services

Attachment: Exemption Requests

Transmitted separately: eBee User Manual

eBee Maintenance Manual

eBee Training Program

eBee Justification of Airworthiness and Safety Assessment