September 3, 2015

Exemption No. 12749 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

− 20 15

− 1849

Mr. Ahmed Jamal Khan 848 N orth Rainbow B ou l e v ar d Las Vegas, NV 89107

Dear Mr. Khan :

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 May 8, 2015 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for an exemption

. You requested to operate an unmanned ai rcraft system (UAS) to c onduct aerial video and photography of construction sites, real estate and landscape

. 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

.

Airworthines s Certification

The UAS proposed by the petitioner is a DJI Phantom 3 Professional

. 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 proc edures 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 pe titioner and carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly greater proportions, 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 granti ng Exemption Nos. 11062, 11109, 11112, and 11213 also apply to the situation you present; 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. Ahmed Jamal Khan is granted an e xemption 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. Ahmed Jamal Khan 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 Phanto m 3 Professional 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 film ing 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 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 PIC and VO at all times. The VO may be used to satisfy the VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always maint ains 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 fo r 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 thi s 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 discrepancy exists between the conditions and limita tions 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 must follow the procedures as outlined in its operating documents. The ope rator 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 up dated 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. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance or alterations that affect the UAS op eration 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 mu st 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 i s 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 inspection must account for all potential discrepancies, e.g.

, inoperable comp onents, 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 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 current 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 under this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining approp riate 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). Flights for the purposes of training the operator’s PICs and VOs (traini ng, proficie ncy, 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 permitted 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 considered 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 visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Flights under special visual flight rules (S VFR) 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 exemption holder. The letter of agreement with the airport management must be made avail able 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 c ommunications 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 beginn ing 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 manufacture r 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 exemption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct operation s 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 accordance with 14 CFR part 47, and have identification (N− Number) markings in accor dance 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 t he 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 request.

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 nonpartici pating 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 r emain 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 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 with permission from the property owner/controller or aut horized 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 opera tional 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 (NTSB) 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 conditions and limitations apply.

29. The operator must have a mot ion 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 following:

a. Dates and times for all flights; b. Name and phon e 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 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 must be made available to th e 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 t o 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.

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

Sincerely,

/ s/ John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosures2 UNI TE D S T

A TE S OF AM E RICA
D E P A R T M E NT OF T RANSPO R T A T ION
F E D E RAL A

VI A T ION ADMINIS T R A

T ION
W ASHING T ON, DC

Regulatory Docket No.

_______________ ___________ ___

IN T H E M A

TTER O F T H E P ETITI O N FO R EXE MP TI O N OF :

Ahmed Jamal Khan FO R AN EXE MP TI O N SEE K ING RELIEF F R O M T H E RE Q UIRE M ENTS O F

TITLE 14 O F T H E C O DE O F F EDERAL RE G UL A TI O NS SECTI O NS 61. 1 13(a) & (b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), AND 91.417(a) & (b) C O NCERNING C O MMERCIAL OP ER A TI O N O F DJI Phantom 3 Professional UNMANNED AIRCRA F T SYSTE M S
P URSUANT T O SECTI O N 333 O F THE FAA MODERNIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2012

(PUBLIC LAW 112

- 95)

Sub mitt ed on May 8 , 2015

Ahmed Jamal Khan 848 N Rainbow Blvd. Suite 3618 Las Vegas

, Nevada , 89107 714

- 721

- 73933 T ABLE O F C O NTENTS

Page

G L OSSA R

Y OF ABBR E VI A

T IONS......................................................................

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SUMMA R

Y

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### . IN T RODUC T ION AND IN TE R E S T S OF P ET I T ION E R..................................

. ..................4

BACKGROUND.....................................................................................................

. ...............4

BASIS FOR P ET I T ION..........................................................................................

. ...............5

NAME AND ADDR E SS OF P ET I T ION E R...............................................

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T HE SP E CIFIC S E C T IONS OF 14 C. F .R. FROM WHICH Ahmed Jamal Khan S EE KS E X E MP T ION.........................................................................

. ...... .. . ........ ......8

T HE E X TE NT OF R EL I E F Ahmed Jamal Khan S EE KS AND T HE R E ASON Ahmed Jamal Khan S EE KS T HE R EL I E F....................

.... ....................... ... ........... 1 1

T HE R E ASONS WHY GRAN T ING Ahmed Jamal Khan’s R E QU E ST WOU L D BE IN T HE PUB L IC IN TE R E ST

.................................................. ... .......15

T HE R E ASONS WHY GRAN T ING T HE E X E MP T ION WOU L D NOT ADV E RS E L

Y AFF E CT SAF ET Y

................................................................. .... .........19

SUMMA R

Y T H A T CAN BE PUB L ISH E D IN T HE F E D E RAL R E GIS TE R...

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ANY ADDI T IONAL INFORM A T ION, VI E WS, OR ARGUM E N T S AV AI L AB L E T O SUPPO R

T Ahmed Jamal Khan’s R E QU E S T

... ...... ...... .... ..........34

CONC L USION.............................................................

.............................. ... .... ....................35

APP E NDIC E S............................................................................

....... .. .......364 G L O SSA R

Y O F ABBREVI A

TI O NS

AGL Above Ground L evel

AOI Area of In t erest

A T C A i r T ra f f i c Con t rol

A T O A i r T ra f f i c O r gan i za ti on

A V Aer i al V eh i c l e

CFR Code of Federal R e gu l a ti ons

COA C e r ti f i ca t e Of Au t hor i za ti on

F AA Federal A v i a ti on Ad mi n i s t ra ti on

F AR Federal A v i a ti on R e gu l a ti on

GCS Ground Con t rol S t a ti on

GPS G l obal Pos iti on i ng Sys t em

GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System

L OL L oss Of Li nk

NAS Na ti onal A i rspace Sys t em

NO T AM No ti ce T o A i r m an

PIC P il ot In Co mm and

Sec ti on 333 F AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012 (FMRA) Sec ti on 333

SO Safe t y Observer

SOP S t andard Opera ti ng Procedures

UA Un m anned A i rcraft

UAS Un m anned A i rcraft Sys t em

VFR V i sual F li ght Ru l es

V L OS V i sual Li ne Of S it e

VMC V i sual Me t eoro l og i cal Cond iti ons

V T OL V er ti cal T ake

- O f f and L and i ng5 SUMMA R

Y

Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks exe m p ti on from t he requ i re m en t s of 14 C. F .R §§61. 1 13(a)

& (b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a) (2), and

91.417(a) & (b), t o opera t e an Un m anned A i rcraft Sys t em pursuant t o Sec ti on 333 of t he

F AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012 (FMRA). T h i s exe m p ti on w il l per mi t t o

opera t e an Un m anned A i rcraft Sys t em (UAS) for t he co mm erc i al purpose of conduc ti ng

aer i al v i deo and pho t ography of cons t ruc ti on s it es, real es t a t e and l andscape over cer t a i n

areas of t he Un it ed S t a t es.

INTR O DUCTI O N AND INTERESTS O F T H E P ETITI O NER

Ahmed Jamal Khan prov i des h i s c li en t s w it h formal exper ti se and strong know l edge

i n advanced pho t ography and v i deo so l u ti ons t o allow an i ncrease of e f f i c i enc y , produc ti v it y

and e f fec ti veness in converting leads, prospecting, and solution selling. Ahmed Jamal Khan

has over 8 years of exper i ence i n D igital /Analog and Video Photography T echno l og y

. H e

has over 10 years recrea ti onal and hobby exper i ence i n a l l aspec t s of aer i al v i deo and

pho t ograph y

. T he ob

j ec ti ve of Ahmed Jamal Khan’s aer i al v i deo and p ho t ography

opera ti ons i s t o prov i de h i gh qua lit y im ag i ng for a var i e t y of co mm erc i a l , pub li c, and

res i den ti al uses, spec i f

i ca ll y t a r ge ti ng:

Aerial film photography and production

Cons t ruc ti on s it es before, after and surveillance

Real

- estate Appra i sa l s and Marketing

Aer i al acqu i s iti ons

Incr ease public awareness and safety6 6 BACKGROUND

Un m anned A i rcraft Sys t e m s: DJI Phantom 3 professional UAS

Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks an exe m p ti on t o opera t e the DJI sys t e m for co m pensa ti on or h i re

w it h i n t he ( NAS )

. T he DJI Phantom 3 professional is a ver ti cal t akeof f and l and i ng (V T O L )

Un m anned A i rcraft (UA) w it h Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and Ground

Con t rol S t a ti on (GCS) utilizing a 2.400 GHz R em o t e Con t rol sys t e m with a computer tablet

. T he

DJI Phantom 3 professional has a m ax im um gross we i ght of approx im a t e l y 2 pounds 13.2 ounces,

wh il e hav i ng a w i d t h of 24 i nches and a he i ght of 9 i nches, and a m ax im um speed of

approx im a t e l y 31 kno t s. T he DJI Phantom 3 professional (UA) i s equ i pped w it h four m a i n ro t ors;

u tili z i ng Lit h i um P o l y m er ba tt er i es t o power t he e l ec t r i c m o t ors.

T he DJI Phantom 3 professional (UA) t hat w il l be opera t ed by Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l be

reg i s t ered i n accordance w it h 49 U.S.C. 44103, R eg i s t ra ti on of Ai r cra f t , as we l l as 14 C. F

.R Part

47, Ai r cra f t R eg i s t ra ti o n , and m arked i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. Part 45, Iden tifi ca ti on and

R eg i s t ra ti on Mark i n g

.

BASIS FOR PETITION

Pe titi one r , Ahmed Jamal Khan , pursuant t o t he prov i s i ons of t he Federal A v i a ti on

R e gu l a ti ons(14 C. F

.R. § 1 1.61) and t he F

AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012 (FMRA),

Sec ti on 333, Spec i al R u l es f or C e r t a i n Unmanned Ai r cra f t Sys t em s , hereby pe titi ons t he

Ad mi n i s t ra t or t o co mm erc i a ll y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 professional (UA) i n t he Na ti onal

A i rspace Sys t em (NAS), and for an exe m p ti on from t he requ i re m en t s of 14 C. F .R §§ 61. 1 13(a) &

(b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) &

(b). In cons i dera ti on of t he speed, we i gh t , s i ze, and limit ed opera ti ng area assoc i a t ed w it h t he

un m anned a i rcraft and it s opera ti on, Ahmed Jamal Khan’s opera ti on of the DJI Phantom 37 7

professional (UA) m ee t s t he cond iti ons of FMRA Sec ti on 333 and t herefore, w il l not requ i re an

a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f

i ca t e i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. Part 21, Subpart H.

Accord i ng l y

, Ahmed Jamal Khan reques t s re li ef from Sec ti ons 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1),

91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b), as t hese sec ti ons set for t h requ i re m en t s for

m a i n t enance t hat on l y app l y t o a i rcraft w it h an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e.

Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat t he reques t ed re li ef i s proper s i nce an equ i va l ent l evel of

safe t y w il l be ensured. Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l use exper i enced personnel or t echn i c i ans t o

perform m a i n t enance, a lt era ti ons, or preven ti ve m a i n t enance on t he UAS's us i ng t he m e t hods,

t echn i ques, and prac ti ces prescr i bed i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e., Mon t h l y Ma i n t enance L og,

and DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Ins t ruc ti on Manua l ). Fur t her m ore, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l

docu m ent and m a i n t a i n a l l m a i n t enance records for t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS.

R eli ef from cer t a i n requ i re m en t s of Sec ti on 61. 1 13(a) and (b), en titl ed P r i va t e p il ot

pr i v il eges and li m it a ti ons: Pil ot i n comman d

, i s reques t ed by Ahmed Jamal Khan t o t he ex t ent

necessary t o a ll ow a P il ot i n Co mm and (PIC) ho l d i ng a pr i va t e p il ot or h i gher l evel cer ti f i ca t e, as

we l l as an a i r m an m ed i cal cer ti f i ca t e, and who has de m ons t ra t ed, by m ee ti ng mi n im um f li gh t

hour and current requ i re m en t s, t hat t he PIC i s ab l e t o safe l y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS i n a m anner cons i s t ent w it h t h i s exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng evas i ve and e m e r gency

m aneuvers and m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from peop l e, vesse l s, veh i c l es and s t ruc t ures.

Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks re li ef from Sec ti on 91.7(a), en titl ed C i v i l a i r cra f t a i rwor t h i nes s ,

because t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional (UAS) do not requ i re an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e i n

accordance w it h 14 C. F

.R. Part 21, Subpart H. As such, Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat he w il l

ensure t hat t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional ( UAS ) are i n an a i rwor t hy cond iti on, pr i or t o every

f li gh t , by de t er mi n i ng t hat t he UAS are i n co m p li ance w it h t he opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e., Mon t h l y8 8

Ma i n t enance L og, and DJI Ph antom 3 Professional Ins t ruc ti on Manua l ), and t hat t he a i rcraft are i n

a cond iti on for safe f

li gh t

.

Ahmed Jamal Khan a l so seeks an exe m p ti on from t he requ i re m en t s of Sec ti on 91.121,

en titl ed Alti me t er Se tti ng s , as t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS’s will not have a t yp i cal

baro m e t r i c a ltim e t er onboard. Howeve r , a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional

UAS w il l be prov i ded t o t he PIC v i a G l obal Pos iti on i ng Sys t em (GPS) equ i p m ent and Global

Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and radio co mm un i ca ti ons t e l e m e t ry da t a link, wh i ch

down li nks from t he UAS t o t he GCS for ac ti ve m on it or i ng of t he f li ght pa t h. T h i s a ltit ude

i nfor m a ti on, co m b i ned w it h Ahmed Jamal Khan opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

w it h i n v i sual li ne of s i gh t
, at or be l ow 400 feet AG L , w il l ensure a l evel of safe t y equ i va l ent t o

Sec ti on 91.121.

Add iti ona ll y

, Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks an exe m p ti on from t he requ i re m en t s of Sec ti on

91.151(b), en titl ed F uel r equ i r emen t s f or fli ght i n VF

R cond iti on s

. Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s

t hat safe t y w il l not be a f

fec t ed by opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS dur i ng

day li ght hours i n v i sual m e t eoro l og i cal cond iti ons (VMC) under v i sual f li ght ru l es (VFR), w it h

enough ba tt ery power t o f l y for a t o t al dura ti on of approx im a t e l y 13 mi nu t es for t he i n t ended pho t o

shoot and, assu mi ng nor m al cru i s i ng speed, t o f l y af t er t hat for at l east 2.5 mi nu t es for recovery

and l and i ng.

In accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. § 1 1.81, Ahmed Jamal Khan prov i des t he fo ll ow i ng

i nfor m a ti on i n support of it s pe titi on for exe m p ti on:

A. Name And Add r ess O f The P et i t i oner ; T he na m e and address of t he Pe titi oner and
po i nt of con t act i s:

Ahmed Jamal Khan 848 Rainbow Blvd., Suite 3681 Las Vegas, Nevada 714

- 721

- 7393
Em a il : JK6101@aol.com9 9

B. The Spec i f

i c Sect i ons of 14 C. F

.R. F r om Wh i ch Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks Ex e mpt i on

1. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 61. 1 13(a) And (b).

Sec ti on 61. 1 13, en titl ed Pr i va t e p il ot pr i v il eges and limit a ti ons: Pil ot i n command

, subsec ti ons (a) and (b) prescr i be t he fo ll ow i ng, i n re l evant par t :

(a) No person who ho l ds a pr i va t e p il ot cer ti f i ca t e m ay act as a p il ot i n co mm and (PIC) of

an a i rcraft t hat i s carry i ng passengers or proper t y for co m pensa ti on or h i re; nor m ay t hat person, for co m pensa ti on or h i re, act as PIC of an a i rcraf t

.

(b) A pr i va t e p il ot m a y

, for co m pensa ti on or h i re, act as PIC of an a i rcraft i n connec ti on

w it h any bus i ness or e m p l oy m ent i f

—

(1) T he f li ght i s on l y i nc i den t al t o t hat bus i ness or e m p l oy m en t ; and

(2) T he a i rcraft does not carry passengers or proper t y for co m pensa ti on or h i re.

2. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 91.7(a)

Sec ti on 91.7, en titl ed C i v i l a i r cra f t a i rwor t h i nes s , subsec ti on (a), s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng:

(a) No person m ay opera t e a c i v i l a i rcraft un l ess i t i s i n an a i rwor t hy cond iti on.

3. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on

91.121.

Sec ti on 91.121, en titl ed A ltim e t er se tti ngs, subsec ti on (a), s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng, i n par t :

(a) E ach person opera ti ng an a i rcraft sha l l m a i n t a i n t he cru i s i ng a ltit ude or f li ght l evel of

t hat a i rcraf

t , as t he case m ay be, by reference t o an a ltim e t er t hat i s se t , when opera ti ng

--
(1) B el ow 18,000 feet MS L

, t o

--
( i ) T he current repor t ed a ltim e t er s ett ing of a s t a ti on a l ong t he rou t e and w it h i n 100

nau ti cal mil es of t he a i rcraf t ;10 10 ( ii ) If t here i s no s t a ti on w it h i n t he area prescr i bed i n paragraph (a)( 1)( i ) of t h i s

sec ti on, t he current repor t ed a ltim e t er se tti ng of an appropr i a t e ava il ab l e s t a ti on ; or

( iii ) In t he case of an a i rcraft not equ i pped w it h a rad i o, t he e l eva ti on of t he

depar t ure a i rport or an appropr i a t e a ltim e t er se tti ng ava il ab l e before depar t ure.

4. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i o n 9 1.151(b)

Sec ti on 91.151, en titl ed F uel r equ i r emen t s f or fli ght i n VF

R cond iti on s , subsec ti on (b),

s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng:

(b) No person may beg i n a fli ght i n a r o t o r cra f t under VF

R cond iti ons un l ess

(cons i der i ng w i nd and f

o r ecast w e a t her cond iti ons) t he r e i s enough f

uel t o fl y t o t he

fi rst po i nt of i n t ended l and i ng and, assum i ng normal cru i s i ng speed, t o fl y a ft er t hat

f or at l east 20 m i nu t es.

5. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ement O f Sect i o n 91.405(a)

Sec ti on 91.405, en titl ed Ma i n t enance r equ i r e d , subsec ti on (a), s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng: E ach owner or

opera t or of an a i rcraf

t

—
(a) Sha l l have t hat a i rcraft i nspec t ed as prescr i bed i n subpart E of t h i s part and sha l l

between requ i red i nspec ti ons, except as prov i ded i n paragraph (c) of t h i s sec ti on, have

d i screpanc i es repa i red as prescr i bed i n part 43 of t h i s chap t er[.]

6. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 91.407(a)(1)

Sec ti on 91.407, en titl ed Opera ti on a ft er ma i n t enance, p r

even ti ve ma i n t enance, r

ebu il d i ng, or

a lt era ti o n , subse ct ion (a)(1), s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng:

(a) No person m ay opera t e any a i rcraft t hat has unde r gone m a i n t enance, preven ti ve

m a i n t enance, rebu il d i ng, or a lt era ti on un l ess

—

(1) It has been approved for re t urn t o serv i ce by a person au t hor i zed under §43.7 of t h i s

chap t e r

.11 11 7. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f

Sect i ons 91.409(a)(1) And 91.409(a)(2).

Sec ti on 91.409, en titl ed Inspec ti on s , subsec ti on (a), s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng:

(a) E xcept as prov i ded i n paragraph (c) of t h i s sec ti on, no person m ay opera t e an a i rcraft

un l ess, w it h i n t he preced i ng 12 ca l endar m on t hs, i t has had

–
(1) An annual i nspec ti on i n accordance w it h part 43 of t h i s chap t er and has been approved

for re t urn t o serv i ce by a person au t hor i zed by § 43.7 of t h i s chap t er or

(2) An i nspec ti on for t he i ssuance of an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e i n accordance w it h part 21

of t h i s chap t e r

.

8. Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i ons 91.417(a) And

91.417(b).

Sec ti on 91.417, en titl ed Ma i n t enance r eco r d s , subsec ti ons (a) and (b), s t a t e t he fo ll ow i ng:

(a) E xcept for work perfor m ed i n accordance w it h §§ 91.4 1 1 and 91.413, each reg i s t ered

owner or opera t or sha l l keep t he fo ll ow i ng records for t he per i ods spec i f i ed i n paragraph

(b) of t h i s sec ti on:

(1) R e cords of t he m a i n t enance, preven ti ve m a i n t enance, and a lt era ti on and records of t he

100

- hou r , annua l , progress i ve, and o t her requ i red or approved i nspec ti ons, as appropr i a t e,

for each a i rcraft ( i nc l ud i ng t he a i rfra m e) and each eng i ne, prope ll e r , ro t o r , and app li ance of

an a i rcraf t

. T he records m ust i nc l ude

—

( i ) A descr i p ti on (or reference t o da t a accep t ab l e t o t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or) of t he work

perfor m ed; and

( ii ) T he da t e of co m p l e ti on of t he work perfor m ed; and

( iii ) T he s i gna t ure, and cer ti f i ca t e nu m ber of t he person approv i ng t he a i rcraft for

re t urn t o serv i ce.12 12 (2) R e cords con t a i n i ng t he fo ll ow i ng i nfor m a ti on:

( i ) T he t o t al tim e i n serv i ce of t he a i rfra m e, each eng i ne, each prope ll e r , and each

ro t o r

.
( ii ) T he current s t a t us of li fe

- limit ed par t s of each a i rfra m e, eng i ne, prope ll e r , ro t o r , and app li ance.

( iii ) T he tim e s i nce l ast overhaul of a l l it e m s i ns t a ll ed on t he a i rcraft wh i ch are

requ i red t o be overhau l ed on a spec i f i ed tim e bas i s.

( i v) T he current i nspec ti on s t a t us of t he a i rcraf t
, i nc l ud i ng t he tim e s i nce t he l ast

i nspec ti on requ i red by t he i nspec ti on program under wh i ch t he a i rcraft and it s

app li ances are m a i n t a i ned.

(v) T he current s t a t us of app li cab l e a i rwor t h i ness d i rec ti ves (AD) and safe t y

d i rec ti ves i nc l ud i ng, for each, t he m e t hod of co m p li ance, t he AD or Safe t y d i rec ti ve

nu m ber and rev i s i on da t e. If t he AD or safe t y d i rec ti ve i nvo l ves recurr i ng ac ti on,

t he tim e and da t e when t he next ac ti on i s requ i red.

(v i ) Cop i es of t he for m s prescr i bed by § 43.9(d) of t h i s chap t er for each m a j or

a lt era ti on t o t he a i rfra m e and curren tl y i ns t a ll ed eng i nes, ro t ors, prope ll ers, and

app li ances.

(b) T he owner or opera t or sha l l re t a i n t he fo ll ow i ng records for t he per i ods prescr i bed:

(1) T he records spec i f

i ed i n paragraph (a)(1) of t h i s sec ti on sha l l be re t a i ned un ti l t he work

i s repea t ed or superseded by o t her work or for 1 year af t er t he work i s perfor m ed

(2) T he records spec i f

i ed i n paragraph (a)(2) of t h i s sec ti on sha l l be re t a i ned and

t ransferred w it h t he a i rcraft at t he tim e t he a i rcraft i s so l d.13 13 (3) A li st of defec t s furn i shed t o a reg i s t ered owner or opera t or under § 43. 1 1 of t h i s

chap t er sha l l be re t a i ned un ti l t he defec t s are repa i red and t he a i rcraft i s approved for re t urn

t o serv i ce.

C. The Ext e nt O f Re li ef Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan

Seeks The Re li ef.

1. Ext e nt O f Re li ef Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan

Seeks Re li ef F r om Sect i on 61. 1 13(a) And (b).

R eli ef from Sec ti on 61. 1 13(a) and (b) en titl ed P r i va t e p il ot pr i v il eges and li m it a ti ons: Pil ot

i n comman d

, i s reques t ed t o t he ex t ent necessary t o a ll ow a PIC ho l d i ng a pr i va t e p il ot or h i gher

l evel cer ti f

i ca t e, as we l l as a current and va li d a i r m an m ed i cal cer ti f i ca t e, and who has m et cer t a i n

f li gh t

- hour and currency requ i re m en t s, t o conduct t he proposed UAS f li ght opera ti ons for

co m pensa ti on or h i re.

T h i s re li ef i s reques t ed s i nce t he limit a ti ons set for t h i n Sec ti on 61. 1 13(a) and (b) s t a t e t hat

a pr i va t e p il ot m a y

, for co m pensa ti on or h i re, act as PIC of an a i rcraft i n connec ti on w it h any

bus i ness or e m p l oy m ent i f: (1) T he f li ght i s on l y i nc i den t al t o t hat bus i ness or e m p l oy m en t ; and (2)

T he a i rcraft does not carry passengers or proper t y for co m pensa ti on or h i re.

As set for t h m ore fu ll y be l o w , Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat an equ i va l ent l evel of

safe t y w il l be m a i n t a i ned because no PIC w il l be a ll owed t o opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS un l ess t hat PIC has m et cer t a i n f li gh t

- hour and current requ i re m en t s,

de m ons t ra ti ng t hat t he PIC i s ab l e t o safe l y opera t e e it her t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS i n

a m anner cons i s t ent w it h t he opera ti ons spec i f i ca ti ons as descr i bed i n t h i s exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng

evas i ve and e m e r gency m aneuvers, as we l l as m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from peop l e,

vesse l s, veh i c l es and s t ruc t ures.14 14 Fur t he r , Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat a l l f li gh t s of the DJI Phantom 3 Professional

UAS conduc t ed by t he PIC pursuant t o t he grant of t h i s Pe titi on: (1) w il l be i nc i den t al t o Ahmed

Jamal Khan’s bus i ness; and (2) w il l not carry passengers or proper t y for co m pensa ti on or h i re.

2. Extent of Re li ef Ahm e d J a ma l Kh a n Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan

Seeks Re li ef F r om Sect i on 91.7(a).

R eli ef from Sec ti on 91.7(a) en titl ed C i v i l a i r cra f t a i rwor t h i nes s , i s reques t ed t o t he ex t ent

requ i red t o a ll ow Ahmed Jamal Khan t o de t er mi ne t hat t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS's are

i n a i rwor t hy cond iti on pr i or t o every f li ght by ensur i ng t hat t he UAS i s i n co m p li ance w it h t he

opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e., t he Mon t h l y Ma i n t enance L og and DJI Phantom 3 Professional

m anua l s)

Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks t he reques t ed re li ef because t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UA S

do not requ i re an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. Part 21, Subpart H.

T herefore, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l ensure t hat t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are i n

a i rwor t hy cond iti on based upon it s co m p li ance w it h t he opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e., Mon t h l y

Ma i n t enance L og, and DJI Phantom 3 Professional Ins t ruc ti on Manua l ) pr i or t o every f li gh t , and

fur t he r , de t er mi ne t hat t he a i rcraft are i n cond iti on for safe f li gh t , as s t a t ed i n t he cond iti ons and

limit a ti ons be l o w

.

3. Ext e nt O f Re li ef Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks

Re li ef F r om Sect i on 91.121.

R eli ef from Sec ti on 91.121, en titl ed A ltim e t er se tti ngs, m ay be requ i red t o a ll ow f li ght

opera ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS's, wh i ch u tili ze a baro m e t r i c pressure senso r ,
GPS equ i p m en t , and a rad i o co mm un i ca ti ons t e l e m e t ry da t a li nk t o down li nk a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on15 15 from t he UA t o t he PIC at t he ground con t rol s t a ti on (GCS). S i nce t he F AA requ i res t hat any

a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on concern i ng UAS opera ti ons be repor t ed t o a i r t ra f f i c con t rol ( A

T C) i n feet

above ground l evel (AG L ), Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks t he reques t ed re li ef because t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS a ltim e t er m ay be set on t he ground t o zero feet AG L , ra t her t han t he

l ocal baro m e t r i c pressure or f i e l d a ltit ude, before each f li gh t

. Cons i der i ng t he limit ed a ltit ude of

t he proposed opera ti ons, re li ef from 14 CFR 91.121 i s sought t o t he ex t ent necessary t o co m p l y

w it h t he app li cab l e cond iti ons and limit a ti ons s t a t ed be l o w

. As m ore fu ll y set for t h here i n, an

equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y w il l be m a i n t a i ned s i nce t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are

equ i pped w it h a baro m e t r i c pressure sensor and GPS equ i p m en t , wh i ch au t o m a ti ca ll y ensures t hat

a ground l evel pressure se tti ng w il l be es t ab li shed pr i or t o each f li gh t , and prov i des t he PIC w it h

a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on of t he UA on t he heads

- up d i sp l ay of t he GCS.

4. Ext e nt O f Re li ef Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks

Re li ef F r om Sect i on 91.151(b).

R eli ef from Sec ti on 91.151(b) en titl ed Fuel requ i re m en t s for f li ght i n VFR cond iti ons, i s

reques t ed t o t he ex t ent requ i red t o a ll ow f li gh t s of t he ba tt ery powered DJI Phantom 3 Professional

UAS dur i ng day li ght hours i n v i sual m e t eoro l og i cal cond iti ons (VMC), under v i sual f li ght ru l es

(VFR), for a t o t al dura ti on of 13 mi nu t es t o t he f i rst po i nt of i n t ended l and i ng and, assu mi ng

nor m al cru i s i ng speed, t o f l y af t er t hat for at l east 2.5 mi nu t es. Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks t he

reques t ed re li ef because w it hout an exe m p ti on from Sec ti on 91.151(b), t he f li ght tim e dura ti on of

t he ba tt ery powered DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l severe l y cons t ra i n t he prac ti ca lit y of

any aer i al v i deo or s til l pho t o f li ght opera ti ons t hat Ahmed Jamal Khan proposes t o conduct

pursuant t o t h i s Pe titi on.16 16 S i gn i f i can tl y , as set for t h be l o w , t he t echn i cal spec i f i ca ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS

, t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS opera ti ng docu m en t s and Ahmed

Jamal Khan’s proposed opera ti ng limit a ti ons, ensure t hat Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l safe l y

opera t e t he ba tt ery powered DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS dur i ng day li ght hours i n v i sual

m e t eoro l og i cal cond iti ons (VMC), under v i sual f li ght

ru l es (VFR), w it h enough ba tt ery power t o f l y for a t o t al dura ti on of 10 mi nu t es t o t he f i rst

po i nt of i n t ended l and i ng and, assu mi ng nor m al cru i s i ng speed, t o f l y af t er t hat for at l east

2.5 mi nu t es.

5.Ext e nt O f Re li ef Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks And The Reason Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks

Re li ef F r om Sect i ons 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), And 91.417(a) & (b).

S i nce Sec ti ons 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b) on l y

app l y t o a i rcraft w it h an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e, Ahmed Jamal Khan reques t s re li ef from

t hese Sec ti ons because t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS do not requ i re a i rwor t h i ness

cer ti f i ca t es. As set for t h m ore fu ll y be l o w , t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS's m eet t he

cond iti ons of FMRA Sec ti on 333 for opera ti on w it hout an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e.

Accord i ng l y

, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l use t ra i ned t ech n i c i ans t o perform m a i n t enance,

a lt era ti ons, or preven ti ve m a i n t enance on t he UAS us i ng t he m e t hods, t echn i ques, and

prac ti ces prescr i bed i n t he UAS opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e., t he Aer i al Opera ti ons Manua l

,

Mon t h l y Ma i n t enance L og, and DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Ins t ruc ti on Manua l ).

Fur t her m ore, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l docu m ent and m a i n t a i n a l l m a i n t enance records for t he

DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

.17 17 D. The Reasons Why G rant i ng Ahmed Jamal Khan Request W ou l d Be In The Inte r est;

That Is H ow It W

ou l d B e nef

i t The P ub li c As A Who l e

Gran ti ng t he present Pe titi on w il l fur t her t he pub li c i n t erest by a ll ow i ng Ahmed Jamal

Khan t o safe l y

, e f f i c i en tl y , and econo mi ca ll y perform aer i al v i deo and pho t ography of

cons t ruc ti on s it es, real es t a t e, and l andscape over cer t a i n areas of t he

Un it ed S t a t es.

Add iti ona ll y

, use of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l decrease conges ti on of

t he NAS, reduce po ll u ti on, and prov i de s i gn i f i cant benef

it s t o t he econo m y . No t ab l y , t he

benef it s of Ahmed Jamal Khan’s proposed opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

w il l be rea li zed w it hout im p li ca ti ng any pr i vacy i ssues.

1. The P ub li c W il l B e nef i t F r om Dec r eased Congest i on O f The NAS.

T he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are ba tt ery powered and serve as a safe, e f f i c i en t , and

econo mi cal a lt erna ti ve t o t he m anned a i rcraft t rad iti ona ll y u tili zed

t o ob t a i n aer i al im ager y . By reduc i ng t he a m ount of m anned a i rcraft needed t o perform aer i al

acqu i s iti ons, an exe m p ti on a ll ow i ng t he use of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

wou l d reduce t he a m ount of m anned a i rcraft i n t he NAS, reduce no i se and a i r po ll u ti on, as we l l

as i ncrease t he safe t y of li fe and proper t y i n t he a i r and on t he ground.

Fur t her m ore, by reduc i ng t he nu m ber of m anned a i rcraft opera ti ng i n t he NAS,

conges ti on around a i rpor t s caused by arr i v i ng and depar ti ng a i rcr aft w il l be reduced. T he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS do not requ i re an a i rport t o t akeo f f or l and. Li kew i se, a reduc ti on

of m anned a i rcraft conduc ti ng aer i al v i deo and pho t ography mi ss i ons wou l d resu l t i n fewer

a i rcraft t hat m ust be hand l ed by a i r t ra f f i c con t rol dur i ng t he ground, t akeo f f, depar t ure, arr i va l

,

and l and i ng phases of f

li ght opera ti ons.18 18 2. The P ub li c W il l B e nef i t F r om The Safety And Eff i c i ency O f The DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS

.

Condu cti ng aer i al acqu i s iti ons w it h t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS i ns t ead of

m anned a i rcraf

t , w il l grea tl y benef

i t t he pub li c by dras ti ca ll y reduc i ng

t he l eve l s of a i r and no i se po ll u ti on genera t ed dur i ng t rad iti onal aer i al v i deo and s til l

pho t ography f

li ght opera ti ons. By us i ng ba tt ery power and e l ec t r i c m o t ors, t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS produce no a i r po ll u ti on, and i s the m ost v i ab l e env i ron m en t a ll y consc i ous

a lt erna ti ve t o t he cab i n c l ass, s i x cy li nder i n t ernal co m bus ti on eng i ne a i rcraft t hat are t yp i ca ll y

u tili zed for aer i al v i deo and pho t ography wh il e burn i ng approx im a t e l y 20

- 30 ga ll ons per hour

of l eaded av i a ti on fue l

. T he Phantom 3 Professional UAS, wh il e reduc i ng t he carbon foo t pr i nt

of aer i al acqu i s iti ons, a l so e limi na t es no i se po ll u ti on, as t he UA's are prope ll ed by ba tt ery

powered e l ec t r i c m o t ors, ra t her t han an i n t ernal co m bus ti on eng i ne.

By us i ng t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS t o perform aer i al acqu i s iti ons, t he

subs t an ti al r i sk t o li fe and proper t y i n t he a i r and on t he ground, wh i ch i s usua ll y assoc i a t ed

w it h t rad iti onal m anned a i rcraft f li ght opera ti ons, w il l be subs t an ti a ll y reduced or co m p l e t e l y

e limi na t ed. As i de from t he l ack of f li ght crew m e m bers l oca t ed onboard t he a i rcraf t
, t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS (we i gh i ng approx im a t e l y 2 pounds 12 ounces and respec ti ve l y , at

t he i r m ax im um gross we i gh t s w it h respec ti ve l y (and w it h no fuel on board) has l ess phys i cal

po t en ti al for co ll a t eral da m age t o li fe and proper t y on t he ground, and i n t he a i r , co m pared t o

t he m anned a i rcraft t hat t yp i ca ll y conduct s imil ar opera ti ons (we i gh i ng approx im a t e l y 6,000

pounds, and a fuel capac it y of 180 ga ll ons

3. P erform i ng Aer i al V

i deo and P hotography O perat i ons W i th The DJI Phantom

Professional UAS ' s W il l B e nef i t The E c onom y .19 19 In add iti on t o be i ng safe and e f f i c i en t
, t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are a l so an

econo mi cal a lt erna ti ve t o us i ng m anned a i rcraft t o conduct s imil ar aer i al opera ti ons. As such,

opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l a ll ow Un it ed S t a t es based co m pan i es,

li ke Ahmed Jamal Khan’s t o re m a i n co m pe tit i ve and con t r i bu t e t o grow t h of t he U.S. econo m y

.
Spec i f i ca ll y , w it h t he r i s i ng cost of av i a ti on fuel and t he E nv i ron m en t al Pro t ec ti on Agency

(“ E P A”) regu l a t ory ac ti ons phas i ng out l eaded av i a ti on fue l s, U.S. owned and opera t ed

co m pan i es m ust adopt new and a lt erna ti ve t echno l ogy i n order t o re m a i n co m pe titi ve.

Opera ti ng t he ba tt ery powered DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS i s one such t echno l ogy t hat

not on l y a ll ows co m pan i es grea t er opera ti onal f l ex i b ilit y co m pared t o m anned a i rcraf t , but

prov i des such f

l ex i b ilit y w it hout t he h i gh opera ti onal cost of a t rad iti onal m anned a i rcraf t

.
By opera ti ng t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS , co m pan i es such as Ahmed Jamal

Khan’s can re m a i n co m pe titi ve and prof it ab l e and t herefore, prov i de grea t er j ob s t ab ilit y t o

e m p l oyees and con t rac t ors, wh i ch w il l u ltim a t e l y con t r i bu t e t o grow t h of the U.S. econo m y

.

I m proved f

i nanc i al perfor m ance of U.S. co m pan i es, t hrough co mm erc i al use of t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS , prov i des a s t ab l e workforce t hat i ncreases consu m er spend i ng,

im proves l oca l , s t a t e, and federal t ax revenues and a ll ows co m pan i es t o i nvest i n research and

deve l op m ent i n order t o re m a i n co m pe titi ve bo t h i n t he Un it ed S t a t es and abroad.

4. The r e A r e No P r i vacy Issues.

S imil ar t o t he m anned aer i al acqu i s iti on f li ght opera ti ons t hat have been conduc t ed for

decades, Ahmed Jamal Khan’s proposed opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

w il l not im p li ca t e any pr i vacy i ssues. Spec i f i ca ll y , t he Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l be

opera t ed on l y i n co m p li ance w it h opera ti ng docu m en t s ( i .e. Aer i al Opera ti ons Manua l

,

Mon t h l y Ma i n t enance L og, and t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Ins t ruc ti on Manua l 's)

wh i ch requ i res proper t y owner in vo l ve m ent as we l l as l ocal l aw enforce m ent no ti f i ca ti on, and20 20 i n accordance w it h t he Federal A v i a ti on R e gu l a ti ons, i nc l ud i ng t he mi n im um a ltit ude

requ i re m en t s of 14 C. F

. R. § 91. 1 19.

E. The Reasons Why G rant i ng The Ex e mpt i on W ou l d Not Adverse l y Affect Safet y , O r

H ow The Ex e mpt i on W

ou l d P r ov i de A L e vel O f Safety At L e ast Equal T o That P r ov i ded

By The Ru l e F r om Wh i ch Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on.

1. Reasons Why The DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Meet The Cond i t i ons O f

The F AA Modern i zat i on and Reform Act of 2012 ( F MRA) Sect i on 333.

In cons i dera ti on of t he s i ze, we i gh t , speed, and limit ed opera ti ng area assoc i a t ed w it h t he

un m anned a i rcraft and it s opera ti on, Ahmed Jamal Khan’s opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS m eet the cond iti ons of FMRA Sec ti on

333, and w il l not requ i re an a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca t e i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. Part 21,

Subpart H. Sec ti on 333 prov i des au t hor it y for a UAS t o opera t e w it hout a i rwor t h i ness

cer ti f i ca ti on and se t s for th requ i re m en t s for cons i der i ng whe t her a UAS w il l crea t e a hazard t o

users of t he NAS or t he pub li c, or o t herw i se pose a t hreat t o na ti onal secur it y . Spec i f i ca ll y ,

FMRA Sec ti on 333 s t a t es t he fo ll ow i ng, i n par t :

(a) In Genera l

. -- No tw it hs t and i ng any o t her r equ i r ement of t h i s sub titl e, and not l a t er t han 180 days a

ft er t he da t e of enac t

ment of t h i s A c t

, t he Sec r e t ary of T ranspor t a ti on sha l l de t erm i ne i

f cer t a i n unmanned a i r

cra f t sys t ems may opera t e sa

f e l y i n t he na ti onal

a i rspace sys t em be

f o r e comp l e ti on of t he p l an and ru l emak i ng r equ i r ed by sec ti on 332 of t h i s A ct or t he gu i dance r equ i r ed by sec ti on 334 of t h i s A c t (b) A ssessment of Unmanned Ai r cra f t Sys t ems.

-- In mak i ng t he de t erm i na ti on under subsec ti on (a), t he Sec r

e t ary sha l l de t erm i ne, at a m i n i mum

—

(1) Which t

ypes of unmanned a i r

cra f t sys t ems, i

f an y , as a r esu l t of t he i r s i ze, w ei gh t

, speed, opera ti onal capab ilit y , p r ox i m it y t o a i rpor t

s and popu l a t ed a r

eas, and
opera ti ons within visual line of sight do not c r ea t e a haza r

d t o users of t he na ti onal

a i rspace sys t em or t he pub li c or pose a t h r eat t o na ti onal secur it

y; and (2) Whether a cer tifi ca t e of wa i ve r , cer tifi ca t e of au t hor i za ti on, or a i rwor t h i ness

cer tifi ca ti on under sec ti on 44704 of titl e 49, Un it ed S t a t es Cod e , i s r equ i r ed f or t he
opera ti on of unmanned a i r cra f t sys t ems i den tifi ed under paragraph (1). (c) R equ i r

emen ts f or Sa f e Opera ti on.

-- If t he Sec r

e t ary de t erm i nes under t h i s sec ti on t hat cer t a i n unmanned a i r cra f t sys t ems may opera t e sa

f e l y i n t he na ti onal a i rspace21 21 sys t em, t he Sec r

e t ary sha l l es t ab li sh r

equ i r emen t s f or t he sa f e opera ti on of such a i r

cra f t
sys t ems i n t he na ti onal a i rspace sys t em.

In seek i ng t h i s exe m p ti on, Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS UAS's can opera t e safe l y i n t he NAS pursuant t o FMRA Sec ti on 333, as

de m ons t ra t ed by: (a) t he charac t er i s ti cs of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS ; (b) t he p il ot

cer ti f i ca ti on requ i re m en t ; and (c) t he spec i f i c opera ti ng limit a ti ons.

a. The Spec i f

i cat i ons O f The DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Demonstrate Its Safe

Character i st i cs.

T he Phantom 3 Professional UAS do not crea t e a hazard t o users of t he NAS or t he

pub li c, or o t herw i se pose a t hreat t o na ti onal secur it y cons i der i ng it s s i ze, we i gh t , speed, and

opera ti onal capab ilit y

.

i

. T echn i cal Spec i f

i cat i ons O f The DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS.

T he t echn i cal spec i f

i ca ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are set for t h by t he

DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Spec i f i ca ti ons and Da t a Shee t , a tt ached here t o as

E xh i b i t A and B.

ii

. The DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Autonomous Fli ght And Nav i gat i o n Modes

Enab l e The UAS ' s T

o Rema i n W i th i n A Def

i ned O perat i onal A r ea.

T he Phantom 3 Professional UAS m ay be opera t ed i n bo t h m anual and fu ll y

au t ono m ous f

li ght m odes. T he DJI Phantom 3 Professional m ay be opera t ed i n m anual

f li ght m ode on l y

. A co m p l e t e d e scr i p ti on of t he f li ght and nav i ga ti onal m odes of t he

DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS i s prov i ded at pages 23

- 32 of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS and pages 8 & 1 1

.

I ii

. The Phantom 3 Professional UAS a r e Des i gned F or Automat i c Return T o H ome P o i nt

O r H over In The Ev e nt O f Loss O f The Cont r ol L i nk O r Nav i gat i on.22 22 When t he Con t rol Li nk i s l os t
, t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l re m a i n

s t a ti onary i n f

li gh t , for 3 seconds or m ore. If, af t er 3 seconds, t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional due not reacqu i re con t rols li nk da t a from t he GCS, t he UAS w il l assu m e

t hat t he Con t rol Li nk i s l ost and t he UAS w il l re t urn t o t he ho m e pos iti on ( i .e., fa il safe

m ode) v i a GPS, and w il l descend t o t he t akeo f f pos iti on and shu t down. A co m p l e t e

descr i p ti on of t he Fa il safe Func ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS are set

for t h at pages 22 t hrough 32 DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS User Manua l s, a tt ached

here t o as E xh i b i t C

.

i v . The DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS a nd Its O perat i on.

A co m p l e t e descr i p ti on of t he opera ti on and spec i f i ca ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional and f

li ght con t rol sof

t ware i s prov i ded at pages 22 t hrough 32 of t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional User Manual

. T he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS User

Manua l s are a tt ached here t o as E xh i b it s D.

b. Fli ght O perat i ons O f DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS a r e L i m i ted T o The L i ne O f

S i ght O f A Cert i f

i cated Pil ot i n Command W i th A Safety O bserve r .

Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l on l y u tili ze cer ti f i ca t ed p il o t s who possess a current and va li d

a i r m an m ed i cal cer ti f

i ca t e t o act as a p il ot i n co mm and (PIC) of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS

. Add iti ona ll y , a safe t y observer w il l ass i st a l l p il o t s dur i ng f li ght tim e.

c. Fli ghts O f DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS W il l Be Conducted P ursuant T o Spec i f i c

O perat i ng L i m i tat i ons.

In seek i ng t h i s exe m p ti on, Ahmed Jamal Khan proposes t o co mm erc i a ll y opera t e DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS for t he spec i al purpose of conduc ti ng aer i al v i deo and

pho t ography over cer t a i n areas of Un it ed S t a t es, pursuant t o t he fo ll ow i ng spec i f i c opera ti ng

limit a ti ons:23 23 1. Opera ti ons au t hor i zed by t h i s grant of exe m p ti on w il l be limit ed t o t he fo ll ow i ng

a i rcraft descr i bed i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s, ro t orcraft UAS's we i gh i ng l ess t han 55
pounds m ax im um gross we i gh t : DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Un m anned A i rcraft
Sys t e m s. Proposed opera ti ons of any o t her a i rcraft w il l requ i re a new pe titi on or a

pe titi on t o a m end t h i s gran t

. 2. UAS opera ti ons under t h i s exe m p ti on w il l be limit ed t o conduc ti ng opera ti ons for t he
purpose of aer i al v i deo and pho t ograph y

. 3. T he UA m ay not be f

l own at an i nd i ca t ed a i rspeed exceed i ng 20 kno t s.
4. T he UA m ust be opera t ed at an a ltit ude of no m ore t han 400 feet above ground l evel
(AG L ), as i nd i ca t ed by t he procedures spec i f i ed i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s un l ess a

spec i al request i s m ade and approved by A T C. A l l a ltit udes repor t ed t o A T C m ust be i n
feet AG L

. 5. T he UA's m ust be opera t ed w it h i n v i sual li ne of s i ght (V L OS) of t he PIC at a l l tim es.

T h i s requ i res t he PIC t o be ab l e t o use hu m an v i s i on una i ded by any dev i ce o t her t han

correc ti ve l enses, as spec i f i ed on t he PIC ’ s F

AA

- i ssued a i r m an m ed i cal cer ti f i ca t e.

6. T he use of f

i rst person v i ew (FPV) by t he PIC or safe t y observer (SO) i s not

per mitt ed.

7. A l l opera ti ons m ust u tili ze a safe t y observer (SO). T he SO m ay be used t o sa ti sfy t he

V L OS requ i re m ent as l ong as t he PIC a l ways m a i n t a i ns V L OS capab ilit y

. T he SO and

PIC m ust be ab l e t o co mm un i ca t e verba ll y at a l l tim es. El ec t ron i c m essag i ng or t ex ti ng
i s not per mitt ed dur i ng f

li ght opera ti ons. T he PIC m ust be des i gna t ed before t he f li ght

and cannot t ransfer h i s or her des i gna ti on for t he dura ti on of t he f li gh t

. T he PIC m ust

ensure t hat t he SO can perform t he func ti ons prescr i bed i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.
8. T he SO m ust not perform any o t her du ti es beyond ass i s ti ng t he PIC w it h see i ng and

avo i d i ng o t her a i r t ra f

f i c and o t her ground based obs t ac l es / obs t ruc ti ons and i s not

per mitt ed t o opera t e t he ca m era or o t her i ns t ru m en t s.
9. T he opera ti ng docu m en t s and t he grant of exe m p ti on m ust be access i b l e dur i ng UAS

opera ti ons and m ade ava il ab l e t o t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or upon reques t . If a d i screpancy ex i s t s
be t ween t he cond iti ons and limit a ti ons con t a i ned i n t he grant of exe m p ti on and t he
procedures ou tli ned i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s, t he cond iti ons and limit a ti ons

con t a i ned i n t he grant of exe m p ti on t ake precedence and m ust be fo ll owed. O t herw i se,

t he opera t or m ust fo ll ow t he procedures as ou tli ned i n it s opera ti ng docu m en t s. T he

opera t or m ay upda t e or rev i se it s opera ti ng docu m en t s. It i s t he opera t o r ’ s respons i b ilit y24 24 t o t rack such rev i s i ons and present upda t ed and rev i sed docu m en t s t o t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or

upon reques t

. T he opera t or m ust a l so present upda t ed and rev i sed docu m en t s i f i t

pe titi ons for ex t ens i on or a m end m ent t o t he grant of exe m p ti on. If t he opera t or
de t er mi nes t hat any upda t e or rev i s i on wou l d a f fect t he bas i s upon wh i ch t he F AA

gran t ed t he exe m p ti on, t hen t he opera t or m ust pe titi on for a m end m ent t o it s grant of

exe m p ti on. T he F

A A ’ s UAS In t egra ti on O f

f i ce (AFS

- 80) m ay be con t ac t ed i f ques ti ons

ar i se regard i ng upda t es or rev i s i ons t o t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.
10. Pr i or t o each f

li ght t he PIC m ust i nspect t he UAS t o ensure t hat i t i s i n a cond iti on
for safe f li gh t . If t he i nspec ti on revea l s a cond iti on t hat a f fec t s t he safe opera ti on of t he
UAS, t he a i rcraft i s proh i b it ed from opera ti ng un ti l t he necessary m a i n t enance has been
perfor m ed and t he UAS i s found t o be i n a cond iti on for safe f li gh t

. T he Ground

Con t rol S t a ti on m ust be i nc l uded i n t he pref li ght i nspec ti on. A l l m a i n t enance and

a lt era ti ons m ust be proper l y docu m en t ed i n t he a i rcraft records.

1 1. Any UAS t hat has unde r gone m a i n t enance or a lt era ti ons t hat a f fect t he UAS

opera ti on or f

li ght charac t er i s ti cs, e.g. rep l ace m ent of a f li ght cr iti cal co m ponen t
, m ust

unde r go a func ti onal t est f li gh t

. T he PIC who conduc t s t he func ti onal t est f li ght m ust

m ake an en t ry i n t he a i rcraft records.

12. T he pre

- f

li ght i nspec ti on m ust account for a l l po t en ti al d i screpanc i es, e.g.
i noperab l e co m ponen t s, it e m s, or equ i p m en t , not a l ready covered i n t he re l evant

sec ti ons of t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.
13. T he opera t or m ust fo ll ow t he UAS m anufac t ure r ’ s a i rcraf t/ co m ponen t
,

m a i n t enance, overhau l ; rep l ace m en t
, i nspec ti on, and li fe limi t requ i re m en t s.
14. T he opera t or m ust carry out it s m a i n t enance, i nspec ti ons, and record keep i ng

requ i re m en t s, i n accordance w it h t he opera ti ng docu m en t s. m a i n t enance, i nspec ti on,

a lt era ti ons, and s t a t us of rep l ace m en t/ overhaul co m ponent par t s m ust be no t ed i n t he

a i rcraft records, i nc l ud i ng t o t al tim e i n serv i ce, descr i p ti on of work acco m p li shed, and

t he s i gna t ure of t he au t hor i zed person re t urn i ng t he UAS t o serv i ce.
15. E ach UAS's opera t ed under t h i s exe m p ti on m ust co m p l y w it h a l l m anufac t urer
Safe t y Bu ll e ti ns.
16. T he au t hor i zed person m ust m ake an en t ry i n t he a i rcraft record of t he correc ti ve

ac ti on t aken aga i nst d i screpanc i es d i scovered be t ween i nspec ti ons.
17. T he PIC m ust possess at l east a pr i va t e p il ot cer ti f i ca t e and at l east a current t h i rd

c l ass m ed i cal cer ti f

i ca t e.25 25 18. T he opera t or m ay not per mi t any PIC t o opera t e un l ess t he PIC m ee t s t he opera t o r ’ s

qua li f i ca ti on cr it er i a and de m ons t ra t es t he ab ilit y t o safe l y opera t e t he UAS i n a m anner

cons i s t ent w it h how t he UAS w il l be opera t ed under t he exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng evas i ve
and e m e r gency m aneuvers and m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from persons, vesse l s,
veh i c l es and s t ruc t ures. PIC qua li f i ca ti on f li ght hours m ust be l ogged i n a m anner

cons i s t ent w it h 14 C. F

.R. §61.51(b). F li gh t s for t he purposes of t ra i n i ng t he opera t o r ’ s PIC's are per mitt ed under t he t er m s of t he exe m p ti on. Howeve r , t ra i n i ng opera ti ons

m ay on l y be conduc t ed dur i ng ded i ca t ed t ra i n i ng sess i ons. Dur i ng t ra i n i ng, prof i c i enc y , and exper i ence

- bu il d i ng f li gh t s, a l l persons not essen ti al for f li ght opera ti ons are

cons i dered nonpar ti c i pan t s, and t he PIC m ust opera t e t he UA w it h appropr i a t e d i s t ance
from nonpar ti c i pan t s i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. §91. 1 19.

19. UAS opera ti ons m ay not be conduc t ed dur i ng n i gh t , as def i ned i n 14 C. F

.R. §1.1.

A l l opera ti ons m ust be conduc t ed under v i sual m e t eoro l og i cal cond iti ons (VMC). If

f li ght at n i ght i s requ i red, a spec i al request w il l be m ade at t he F AA o f f i ce c l osest t o proposed area of opera ti ons. F li gh t s under spec i al v i sual f li ght ru l es (SVFR) are not

au t hor i zed.

20. T he UA m ay not opera t e w it h i n 5 nau ti cal mil es of an a i rport reference po i nt as
deno t ed on a current F

AA pub li shed aeronau ti cal chart un l ess a l e tt er of agree m ent w it h

t hat a i rpor t ’ s m anage m ent i s ob t a i ned, and t he opera ti on i s conduc t ed i n accordance

w it h a NO T

AM as requ i red by t he opera t o r ’ s COA. T he l e tt er of agree m ent w it h t he

a i rport m anage m ent m ust be m ade ava il ab l e t o t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or upon reques t

. 21. T he UA m ay not be opera t ed l ess t han 500 feet be l ow or l ess t han 2,000 feet

hor i zon t a ll y from a c l oud or when v i s i b ilit y i s l ess t han 3 s t a t u t e mil es from t he PIC.

22. If t he UA l oses co mm un i ca ti ons or l oses it s GPS s i gna l

, i t m ust re t urn t o a pre

de t er mi ned l oca ti on w it h i n t he p l anned opera ti ng area and l and or be recovered i n
accordance w it h t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.
23. T he PIC m ust abort the f li ght i n t he event of unpred i c t ed obs t ac l es or e m e r genc i es
i n accordance w it h t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.
24. T he PIC i s proh i b it ed from beg i nn i ng a f li ght un l ess (cons i der i ng w i nd and forecast

wea t her cond iti ons) t here i s enough power t o f l y at nor m al cru i s i ng speed t o t he

i n t ended l and i ng po i nt and l and t he UAS w it h 25% ba tt ery power re m a i n i ng. 25. T he

opera t or m ust ob t a i n an A i r T ra f f i c O r gan i za ti on ( A

T O) i ssued C e r ti f

i ca t e of W

a i ver or
Au t hor i za ti on (COA) pr i or t o conduc ti ng any opera ti ons under t he grant of exe m p ti on.26 26 T h i s COA w il l a l so requ i re t he opera t or t o request a No ti ce t o A i r m an (NO T AM) not

m ore t han 72 hours i n advance, but not l ess t han 48 hours pr i or t o t he opera ti on. A l l

opera ti ons sha l l be conduc t ed i n accordance w it h a i rspace requ i re m en t s i n the A T O

i ssued COA i nc l ud i ng c l ass of a i rspace, a ltit ude l evel and po t en ti al t ransponder

requ i re m en t s.
26. A l l a i rcraft opera t ed i n accordance w it h t he exe m p ti on m ust be i den ti f i ed by ser i al

nu m be r , reg i s t ered i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. part 47, and have i den ti f i ca ti on (N

Nu m ber) m ark i ngs i n accordance w it h 14 C. F .R. part 45, Subpart C. Mark i ngs m ust be

as l a r ge as prac ti cab l e.
27. Before conduc ti ng opera ti ons, t he rad i o frequency spec t rum used for opera ti on and

con t rol of t he UAS m ust co m p l y w it h t he Federal Co mm un i ca ti ons Co mmi ss i on (FCC)

or o t her appropr i a t e govern m ent overs i ght agency requ i re m en t s.
28. T he docu m en t s requ i red fewer t han 14 C. F .R. 91.9 and 91.203 m ust be ava il ab l e t o

t he PIC at t he Ground Con t rol S t a ti on of t he UAS any tim e t he UAS i s opera ti ng. T hese

docu m en t s m ust be m ade ava il ab l e t o t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or or any l aw enforce m ent o f f i c i al

upon reques t

. 29. T he UAS m ust re m a i n c l ear and y i e l d t he r i ght of way t o a l l m anned av i a ti on

opera ti ons and ac ti v iti es at a l l tim es.
30. T he UAS m ay not be opera t ed by t he PIC from any m ov i ng dev i ce or veh i c l e.
31. F li ght opera ti ons m ust be conduc t ed at l east 500 feet from a l l nonpar ti c i pa ti ng persons (persons o t her t han t he PIC, SO, opera t or t ra i nees or essen ti al persons),

vesse l s, veh i c l es, and s t ruc t ures un l ess: a. B a rr i ers or s t ruc t ures are present t hat

su f f i c i en tl y pro t ect nonpar ti c i pa ti ng persons from t he UAS and / or debr i s i n t he event of

an acc i den t

. T he opera t or m ust ensure t hat nonpar ti c i pa ti ng persons re m a i n under such

pro t ec ti on. If a s it ua ti on ar i ses where nonpar ti c i pa ti ng persons l eave such pro t ec ti on
and are w it h i n 500 feet of t he UA, f li ght opera ti ons m ust cease imm ed i a t e l y and / or; b.

T he a i rcraft i s opera t ed near vesse l s, veh i c l es or s t ruc t ures where t he owner / con t ro ll er
of such vesse l s, veh i c l es or s t ruc t ures has gran t ed per mi ss i on and t he PIC has m ade a

safe t y assess m ent of t he r i sk of opera ti ng c l oser t o t hose ob j ec t s and de t er mi ned t hat i t

does not present an undue hazard, and; c. Opera ti ons nearer t o t he PIC, SO, opera t or

t ra i nees or essen ti al persons do not present an undue hazard t o t hose persons per §

91. 1 19(a).27 27 32. A l l op era ti ons sha l l be conduc t ed over pr i va t e or con t ro ll ed

- access proper t y w it h

per mi ss i on from t he l and owner / con t ro ll er or au t hor i zed represen t a ti ve. Per mi ss i on
from l and owner

/ con t ro ll er or au t hor i zed represen t a ti ve w il l be ob t a i ned for each f li ght

t o be conduc t ed.

33. Any i nc i den t , acc i den t , or f li ght opera ti on t hat t ransgresses t he l a t eral or ver ti cal

boundar i es of t he opera ti onal area as def i ned by t he app li cab l e COA m ust be repor t ed

t o t he F AA's UAS In t egra ti on O f f i ce (AFS

- 80) w it h i n 24 hours. Acc i den t s m ust be

repor t ed t o t he Na ti onal T ranspor t a ti on Safe t y Bo a rd (N T SB) per i ns t ruc ti ons con t a i ned

on t he N T SB W

eb s it e: ww w .n t sb.go v

.

2. Reasons Why An Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 61. 1 13(a) And (b)

W ou l d Not Adverse l y Affect Safet y .

Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat t he equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y es t ab li shed by Sec ti on

61. 1 13(a) and (b) w il l be m a i n t a i ned because no PIC w il l be a ll owed t o opera t e t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS un l ess t hat PIC has de m ons t ra t ed, by m ee ti ng mi n im um f li gh t

hour and currency requ i re m en t s, t hat t he PIC i s ab l e t o safe l y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS i n a m anner cons i s t ent w it h t he exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng evas i ve and e m e r gency

m aneuvers and m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from peop l e, vesse l s, veh i c l es and s t ruc t ures.

Cons i der i ng Ahmed Jamal Khan’s proposed area of operat io ns , and t he opera ti ng

limit a ti ons set for t h

- above; t he para ll el na t ure of pr i va t e p il ot aeronau ti cal know l edge

requ i re m en t s t o t hose of co mm erc i al p il ot requ i re m en t s (See E xe m p ti on No. 1 1062); and t he

a i r m ansh i p sk ill s necessary t o safe l y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

, Ahmed

Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat t he add iti onal m anned a i r m ansh i p exper i ence of a co mm erc i a ll y

cer ti f i ca t ed p il ot wou l d not corre l a t e t o t he a i r m ansh i p sk ill s necessary for Ahmed Jamal

Khan’s spec i f

i c proposed f

li ght opera ti ons.

T he F AA has prev i ous l y gran t ed re li ef from Sec ti on 61. 1 13(a) and (b) spec i f i c t o UAS,

i n c i rcu m s t ances s imil a r , i n a l l m a t er i al respec t s, t o t hose presen t ed here i n (e.g. E xe m p ti on28 28 Nos. 1 1062, 1 1063, 1 1064, 1 1065, 1 1066, 1 1067, 1 1080, 11 109, 111 10, 111 12, 11 136, 11 138,

11 150, 11 153, 11 156, 11 158, 11 159, 11 160, 11 161). Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l not a ll ow any PIC

t o opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS un l ess t hat PIC has de m ons t ra t ed, by m ee ti ng

mi n im um flight hour requ i re m en t s of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS t ra i n i ng and

currency requ i re m en t s, t hat t he PIC i s ab l e t o safe l y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional

UAS or i n a m anner cons i s t ent w it h t h i s exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng evas i ve and e m e r gency

m aneuvers and m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from peop l e, vesse l s, veh i c l es and s t ruc t ures.

Spec i f i ca ll y , t he PIC m ust have accu m u l a t ed and l ogged, i n a m anner cons i s t ent w it h

14 C. F .R. § 61.51(b), 25 hours of t o t al tim e as a UAS ro t orcraft p il ot (w it h a mi n im um of 5

hours of t hose hours as a UAS p il ot opera ti ng t he sa m e m ake and m odel of UAS t o be used for

opera ti ons under t he exe m p ti on). In add iti on t o t he hour requ i re m en t s, t he PIC m ust

acco m p li sh 3 t akeo f

fs and l and i ngs i n t he preced i ng 90 days (for currency purposes)

As i n E xe m p ti on Nos. 1 1062, 11 138, and 11 153, pr i or docu m en t ed f li ght exper i ence

t hat was ob t a i ned i n co mp li ance w it h app li cab l e regu l a ti ons w il l ensure an equ i va l ent l evel of

safe t y dur i ng Ahmed Jamal Khan’s proposed opera ti ons. T he Ad mi n i s t ra t or has he l d t hat pr i or

docu m en t ed f

li ght exper i ence t hat was ob t a i ned i n co m p li ance w it h app li cab l e regu l a ti ons

wou l d ensure safe opera ti ons, s t a ti ng as fo ll ows:

In E xe m p ti on No. 1 1062, t he F AA requ i red t hat pr i or t o conduc ti ng opera ti ons for t he

purpose of m o ti on p i c t ure f ilmi ng (or s imil ar opera ti ons), t he PIC m ust have

accu m u l a t ed and l ogged, i n a m anner cons i s t ent w it h 14 CFR 61.51(b), 25 hours of

t o t al tim e as a UAS ro t orcraft p il ot i nc l ud i ng at l east 10 hours l ogged as a UAS p il ot

w it h a m u lti

- ro t or UAS. Pr i or t o opera ti ons under E xe m p ti on No. 1 1062, t he PIC m ust

a l so have accu m u l a t ed and l ogged a mi n im um of 5 hours as a UAS p il ot opera ti ng t he

sa m e m ake and m odel of UAS t o be used for opera ti ons under t he exe m p ti on. For

c l ar i f i ca ti on, t he F

AA cons i ders t hese mi n im um hour requ i re m en t s t o be i nc l us i ve29 29 ra t her t han add iti ve; i .e. 5 hours m ake and m odel tim e m ay be i nc l uded i n the 10 hours

of m u lti

- ro t or tim e and t he 10 hours m ay be i nc l uded i n

t he t o t al 25 hours of UAS ro t orcraft tim e. In add iti on t o t he hour requ i re m en t s, t he

PIC m ust acco m p li sh 3 t akeo f fs and l and i ngs i n t he preced i ng 90 days (for currency

purposes). T he F

AA f i nds t hat at a mi n im u m , t he f li gh t

- hour requ i re m en t s i n

E xe m p ti on No. 1 1062 are appropr i a t e t o prac ti ce and bu il d prof i c i ency i n the sk ill s

necessary t o safe l y conduct t he pe titi one r ’ s proposed opera ti ons. T he F AA a l so f i nds

t hat pr i or docu m en t ed f

li ght exper i ence t hat was ob t a i ned i n co m p li ance w it h

app li cab l e regu l a ti ons wou l d sa ti sfy t h i s requ i re m en t

. T ra i n i ng, prof

i c i enc y , and

exper i ence

- bu il d i ng f

li gh t s can a l so be conduc t ed under t he grant of exe m p ti on t o

acco m p li sh t he requ i red f li ght tim e. Dur i ng t ra i n i ng, prof i c i enc y , and exper i ence

bu il d i ng f li gh t s t he PIC i s requ i red t o opera t e t he UA w it h appropr i a t e d i s t ances i n

accordance w it h 14 C. F

.R 91. 1 19. E xe m p ti on No. 11 138 at page 15.

Accord i ng l y

, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l ensure safe opera ti ons by not a ll ow i ng any PIC

t o opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS un l ess t hat PIC has de m ons t ra t ed, by m ee ti ng

mi n im um f

li gh t

- hour and currency requ i re m en t s, that t he PIC i s ab l e t o safe l y opera t e t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS i n a m anner consistent w it h t he exe m p ti on, i nc l ud i ng evas i ve and

e m e r gency m aneuvers and m a i n t a i n i ng appropr i a t e d i s t ances from peop l e, vesse l s, veh i c l es

and s t ruc t ures.

3. Reasons Why An Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 91.7(a) W ou l d Not

Adverse l y Affect Safet y .

T he equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y es t ab li shed by Sec ti on 91.7(a) w il l be m a i n t a i ned

because pr i or t o every f

li gh t
, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l ensure t hat t he DJI Phantom 330 30 Professional UAS i s i n an a i rwor t hy cond iti on based upon t he UAS ’ s co m p li ance w it h it s

opera ti ng docu m en t s and as s t a t ed i n t he cond iti ons and limit a ti ons here i n. Add iti ona ll y , t he

F AA has prev i ous l y gran t ed re li ef from Sec ti on 91.7(a) spec i f i c t o UAS, i n c i rcu m s t ances

s imil a r , i n a l l m a t er i al respec t s, t o t hose presen t ed here i n (e.g. E xe m p ti on Nos. 1 1062, 1 1063,

1 1064, 1 1065, 1 1066, 1 1067, 1 1080, 11 109, 111 10, 111 12, 11 136, 11 138, 11 150, 11 153, 11 156,

11 157, 11 158, 11 159, 11 160, 11 161).

4. Reasons Why An Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 91.121 W ou l d Not

Adverse l y Affect Safet y .

T he equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y es t ab li shed by Sec ti on 91.121 w il l be m a i n t a i ned because

t he a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l be prov i ded t o t he PIC

v i a GPS equ i p m ent and a rad i o co mm un i ca ti ons t e l e m e t ry da t a li nk, wh i ch down li nks from t he

UA t o t he GCS for ac ti ve m on it or i ng of t he f li ght pa t h and a ltit ude. T h i s a ltit ude i nfor m a ti on,

co m b i ned w it h Ahmed Jamal Khan’s opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w it h i n

v i sual li ne of s i gh t , at or be l ow 400 feet AG L , w il l ensure a l evel of safe t y equ i va l ent t o

Sec ti on 91.121. T he a ltit

ude i nfor m a ti on w il l be genera t ed by GPS equ i p m ent i ns t a ll ed on

board t he a i rcraf

t . Pr i or t o each f

li gh t , a zero a ltit ude i n iti a ti on po i nt i s au t o m a ti ca ll y

es t ab li shed by t he UAS's at ground l eve l

. T he F AA has prev i ous l y gran t ed re li ef from Sec ti on

91.121 spec i f

i c t o UAS, i n c i rcu m s t ances s imil a r , i n a l l m a t er i al respec t s, t o t hose presen t ed

here i n (e.g. E xe m p ti on Nos. 1 1062, 1 1063, 1 1064, 1 1065, 1 1066, 1 1067, 1 1080, 11 109, 111 12,

11 136, 11 138, 11 150, 11 153, 11 156, 11 157, 11 158, 11 159, 11 160, 11 161).

5. Reasons Why An Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i on 91.151(b) W ou l d Not

Adverse l y Affect Safet y .31 31 A grant of t h i s exe m p ti on wou l d ensure an equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y es t ab li shed by 14

C. F .R. Sec ti on 91.151(b) as a resu l t of (1) t he t echn i cal spec i f i ca ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS ; (2) t he limit a ti ons on t he proposed f li ght opera ti ons; and (3) t he l oca ti on of

t he proposed f

li ght opera ti ons. Accord i ng l y , Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l ensure t hat he w il l safe l y

opera t e t he ba tt ery powered DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS dur i ng day li ght hours i n VFR

cond iti ons, w it h enough ba tt ery power t o f l y for a t o t al dura ti on of 10 mi nu t es t o t he f i rst po i nt

of i n t ended l and i ng and, assu mi ng nor m al cru i s i ng speed, t o f l y af t er t hat for at l east 2.5

mi nu t es.

Here, as i n E xe m p ti on No. 11 109, t he t echn i cal spec i f i ca ti ons of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS t he limit a ti ons on t he proposed f li ght opera ti ons and t he the l oca ti on of t he

proposed opera ti ons, w il l ensure an equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y es t ab li shed by 14 C. F .R. Sec ti on

91.151(b). Fur t her m ore, safe t y w il l be ensured as t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional prov i de

aud i b l e and v i sual warn i ngs t o t he PIC at t he GCS when t he UA's exper i ences l ow ba tt ery

vo lt age, t he f

i rst warn i ng occurr i ng at approx im a t e l y 33% re m a i n i ng ba tt ery powe r , and aga i n

at approx im a t e l y 10% re m a i n i ng ba tt ery powe r

. At t he cr iti ca ll y l ow ba tt ery l eve l

, t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l descend and l and au t o m a ti ca ll y

.

S i gn i f i can tl y , prev i ous exe m p ti ons gran t ed by t he F AA concern i ng Sec ti on 91.151

es t ab li sh t hat safe t y i s not adverse l y a f fec t ed when t he t echn i cal charac t er i s ti cs and opera ti ng

limit a ti ons of t he UAS are cons i dered. R eli ef has been gran t ed for m anned a i rcraft t o opera t e at

l ess t han t he mi n im u m s prescr i bed i n Sec ti on 91.151, i nc l ud i ng E xe m p ti on Nos. 2689, 5745,

and 10650. Moreove r , t he F AA has prev i ous l y gran t ed re li e f from Sec ti on 91.151 spec i f i c t o

UAS i n c i rcu m s t ances s imil ar i n a l l m a t er i al respec t s t o t hose presen t ed here i n (e.g. E xe m p ti on

Nos. 88 1 1, 10808, 10673, 1 1042, 1 1062, 1 1063, 1 1064, 1 1065, 1 1066, 1 1067, 1 1080, 11 109,

111 10, 11 136, 11 138, 11 150, 11 153, 11 156, 11 157, 11 158, 11 159, 11 160, 11 161).32 32 6. Reasons Why An Ex e mpt i on F r om The Requ i r ements O f Sect i ons 91.405(a),

91.407(a)( 1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), And 91.417(a) &(b) W ou l d Not Adverse l y Affect

Safet y .

In seek i ng t h i s exe m p ti on, Ahmed Jamal Khan sub mit s t hat t he equ i va l ent l evel of

safe t y w it h regard t o t he regu l a t ory m a i n t enance and a lt era ti on requ i re m en t s es t ab li shed by

Sec ti ons 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b) w il l be

m et because Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l use t ra i ned t echn i c i ans t o perform m a i n t enance,

a lt era ti ons, or preven ti ve m a i n t enance on t he UAS's us i ng t he m e t hods, t echn i ques, and

prac ti ces prescr i bed i n t he opera ti ng docu m en t s i .e., t he Opera ti ons Manua l , Mon t h l y

Ma i n t enance L og, and DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Ins t ruc ti on Manua l . Fur t her m ore,

Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l docu m ent and m a i n t a i n a l l m a i n t enance records for t he DJI Phantom

3 Professional UAS

.

S i nce t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l be i nspec t ed as prescr i bed by t he

opera ti ng docu m en t s, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l m a i n t a i n t he equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y

es t ab li shed by Sec ti ons 91.405(a), 91.409(a)(1), and 91.409(a)(2). A copy

of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional User Manua l s are a tt ached here t o as E xh i b i t C and D; a

copy of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Ma i n t enance L OG i s a tt ached here t o as E xh i b i t

E

. Li kew i se, t he exe m p ti on sought w il l not adverse l y a f fect safe t y because Ahmed Jamal Khan

w il l use t ra i ned t echn i c i ans t o perform m a i n t enance, a lt era ti ons or preven ti ve m a i n t enance on

t he UAS us i ng t he m e t hods, t echn i ques, and prac ti ces prescr i bed by t he opera ti ng docu m en t s.

Fur t her m ore, t he exe m p ti on sought wou l d m a i n t a i n an equ i va l ent l evel of safe t y

E s t ab li shed by Sec ti ons 91.407, 91.417(a) and 91.417(b), because a l l m a i n t enance of t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS w il l be perfor m ed by t ra i ned t echn i c i ans. Ma i n t enance w il l be

docu m en t ed and m a i n t a i ned u tili z i ng t he m on t h l y m a i n t enance l og.33 33 S i gn i f i can tl y , prev i ous exe m p ti ons gran t ed by t he F AA concern i ng Sec ti ons 91.405(a),

91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b) es t ab li sh t hat safe t y i s not adverse l y

a f fec t ed when t he t echn i cal charac t er i s ti cs and opera ti ng limit a ti ons of t he UAS are

cons i dered.

In cons i dera ti on of Ahmed Jamal Khan’s proposed opera ti ng limit a ti ons, the opera ti ng

docu m en t s, and t he t echn i cal aspec t s of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

, Ahmed Jamal

Khan sub mit s t hat safe t y w il l not be adverse l y a f fec t ed by gran ti ng exe m p ti on from 14 C. F .R.

Sec ti ons 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1) and (a)(2), 91.409(a) (2), and 91.417(a) and (b). T he F AA has

prev i ous l y gran t ed re li ef spec i f i c t o UAS i n c i rcu m s t ances s imil a r , i n a l l m a t er i al respec t s, t o

t hose presen t ed here i n (e.g. E xe m p ti on Nos. 1 1062, 1 1063, 1 1064, 1 1065, 1 1066, 1 1067,

1 1080, 11 109, 111 10, 111 12, 11 136, 11 138, 11 150, 11 153, 11 156, 11 157, 11 158, 11 159, 11 160,

11 161).

7. The F AA May P r escr i be Any O ther Cond i t i ons F or Safe O perat i on.

In accordance w it h Sec ti on 333 of t he F AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012

(FMRA) and 14 C. F

.R. § 21.16 en titl ed Spec i al Cond iti ons, Ahmed Jamal Khan reques t s t hat

t he F AA prescr i be spec i al cond iti ons for t he i n t ended opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS , wh i ch con t a i n such safe t y s t andards t hat t h e34 34 ad mi n i s t ra t or f

i nds necessary t o es t ab li sh a l evel of safe t y equ i va l ent t o t hat es t ab li shed by 14

C. F .R. Part 21, Subpart H, and 14 C. F .R §§ 61. 1 13(a) & (b), 91.7 (a), 91.121,

91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b). Such spec i al

cond iti ons w il l per mi t safe opera ti on of t he UA's for t he limit ed purpose of conduc ti ng aer i al

v i deo and pho t ography over cer t a i n areas of t he Un it ed S t a t es for co m pensa ti on or h i re. FMRA

Sec ti on 333 se t s for t h t he requ i re m en t s for cons i der i ng whe t her a UAS w il l crea t e a hazard t o

users of t he NAS or t he pub li c, or o t herw i se pose a t hreat t o na ti onal secur it y and fur t he r ,

prov i des t he au t hor it y for such UAS t o opera t e w it hout a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca ti on i n accordance

w it h any requ i re m en t s t hat m ust be es t ab li shed for t he safe opera ti on of t he UAS i n t he NAS.

Li kew i se, t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or m ay prescr i be spec i al cond iti ons pursuant t o 14 C. F .R. §21.16, for

opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS , s i nce t he a i rwor t h i ness regu l a ti ons of 14

C. F .R. Part 21 do not con t a i n adequa t e or appropr i a t e safe t y s t andards, due t o t he novel or

unusual des i gn fea t ures of t he a i rcraf t . Sec ti on 21.16, en tit l ed Spec i al Cond iti ons, s t a t es t he

fo ll ow i ng:

If t he F AA f i nds t hat t he a i rwor t h i ness regu l a ti ons of t h i s subchap t er do not con t a i n

adequa t e or appropr i a t e safe t y s t andards for an a i rcraf t , a i rcraft eng i ne, or prope ll er

because of a novel or unusual des i gn fea t ure of t he a i rcraf t , a i rcraft eng i ne or prope ll e r , i t

m ay prescr i be spec i al cond iti ons and a m end m en t s t here t o for t he produc t

. T he spec i al

cond iti ons are i ssued i n accordance w it h Part 1 1 of t h i s chap t er and con t a i n such safe t y

s t andards for t he a i rcraf

t , a i rcraft eng i ne or prope ll er as t he F AA f i nds necessary t o

es t ab li sh a l evel of safe t y equ i va l ent t o t hat es t ab li shed i n t he regu l a ti ons. See 14 C. F .R. §

21.16.35 35 T herefore, i n accordance w it h FMRA Sec ti on 333 and 14 C. F .R. § 21.16, t he F

AA m ay

prescr i be spec i al cond iti ons for Ahmed Jamal Khan’s i n t ended opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3

Professional UAS , wh i ch con t a i n such safe t y s t andards t hat t he ad mi n i s t ra t or f i nds necessary t o

es t ab li sh a l evel of safe t y equ i va l ent t o t hat es t ab li shed by 14 C. F .R. Part 21, Subpart H, and 14

C. F .R Sec ti ons 61. 1 13(a) & (b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1)

& (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b).

F

. A Summary That Can Be P ub li shed In The F ederal Reg i ster stat i ng: The Ru l es

F r om Wh i ch Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks Ex e mpt i on:

Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks exemp ti on f r om t he r equ i r emen t s of 14 C. F

.R Sec ti ons

61. 1 13(a) & (b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) &

(a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b).

A B ri ef Descr i pt i on O f The Natu r e O f The Ex e mpt i on Ahmed Jamal Khan Seeks:

Th i s exemp ti on w il l perm i t Ahmed Jamal Khan t o comme r c i a ll y opera t e an Unmanned

Ai r cra f t Sys t em (U

A S) f or t he purpose of conduc ti ng aer i al v i deo and pho t ography over

cer t a i n a r eas of t he Un it ed S t a t es.

G

. Any Add i t i onal Informat i on, V i ews, O r Arguments A

va il ab l e T

o Support Ahmed

Jamal Khan’s Request.

T h i s Pe titi on i s m ade pursuant t o t he F AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012 (FMRA)

Sec ti on 333, wh i ch d i rec t s t he Secre t ary of T ranspor t a ti on t o de t er mi ne i f cer t a i n UAS m ay

opera t e safe l y i n t he NAS. As such, Ahmed Jamal Khan request for exe m p ti on m ay be gran t ed

pursuant t o t he au t hor it y of FMRA Sec ti on 333 and 14 C. F .R. Part 1 1, as set for t h above.36 36 FMRA Sec ti on 333 se t s for t h t he requ i re m en t s for cons i der i ng whe t her a UAS w il l crea t e

a hazard t o users of t he NAS or t he pub li c, or o t herw i se pose a t hreat t o na ti onal secur it y and

fur t he r , prov i des t he au t hor it y for such UAS t o opera t e w it hout a i rwor t h i ness cer ti f i ca ti on. As

d i scussed i n de t a i l above, Ahmed Jamal Khan w il l opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

safe l y i n t he NAS, w it hout crea ti ng a hazard t o users of t he NAS, or t he pub li c, or o t herw i se pose

a t hreat t o na ti onal secur it y

.37 37 C O NCLUSI O N

As set for t h here i n, Ahmed Jamal Khan seeks an exe m p ti on pursuant t o 14 C. F .R. § 1 1.61

and Sec ti on 333 of t he F

AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012 (FMRA), wh i ch w il l per mi t

safe opera ti on of t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS co mm erc i a ll y , w it hout an a i rwor t h i ness

cer ti f i ca t e, for t he limit ed purpose of conduc ti ng aer i al v i deo and pho t ography over cer t a i n areas

of t he Un it ed S t a t es. By gran ti ng t h i s Pe titi on, t he F AA Ad mi n i s t ra t or w il l be fu l f illi ng t he

Congr e ss i onal m anda t e of t he F AA Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012, wh il e a l so

advanc i ng t he i n t eres t s of t he pub li c, by a ll ow i ng Ahmed Jamal Khan t o safe l y , e f f i c i en tl y , and

econo mi ca ll y opera t e t he DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS co mm erc i a ll y w it h i n t he NAS.

W H ERE FO R E

, i n accordance w it h t he Federal A v i a ti on R e gu l a ti ons and t he F AA

Modern i za ti on and R e form Act of 2012, Sec ti on 333, Ahmed Jamal Khan respe c tf ul ly reques t s

t hat t he Ad mi n i s t ra t or grant t h i s Pe titi on for an exe m p ti on from t he requ i re m en t s of 14 C. F .R

Sec ti ons 61. 1 13(a) & (b), 91.7(a), 91.121, 91.151(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1),

91.409(a)(1) & (a)(2), and 91.417(a) & (b), and per mi t Ahmed Jamal Khan t o opera t e t he DJI

Phantom 3 Professional UAS co mm erc i a ll y for t he purpose of conduc ti ng aer i al v i deo and

pho t ography over cer t a i n areas of t he Un it ed S t a t es.

Da t ed: May 08 , 2015

R e spec t fu ll y sub mitt ed,

Ahmed Jamal Khan 848 N Rainbow Blvd. Suite 3618 Las Vegas, Nevada 89107 714

- 721

- 7393 Email

– JK6101@aol.com38 38 APP E NDIC E S:

A

– DJI Phantom 3 Professional Data Sheet

B

– DJI Phantom 3 Professional User Manuel

C

- Mon t h l y Maintenance L og39 39 APP E NDIX

– A

DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS Data Sheet

Ahmed Jamal Khan on l y u tili zes safe and re li ab l e UAS's. DJI i s an i ndus t ry l eader i n s m a l l UAS

produc ti on. DJI UAS's are l oaded w it h ground break i ng sof t ware enab li ng t he user t o set para m e t ers

wh i ch w il l not a ll ow f

li ght i n t o con t ro ll ed a i rspace. Para m e t ers can a l so be set t o limi t f li ght t o no h i gher

t han a prede t er mi ned and set a ltit ude as we l l as limi t f li ght t o a prede t er mi ned and set d i s t ance. In

add iti on, DJI sof

t ware prov i des rea l

- tim e a ltit ude and l oca ti on i nfor m a ti on t o t he PIC v i a t he li nked

m on it o r and R a d i o Con t rol T rans mitt er

.

1.1 DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

1.1.1 A i rcraft

- DJI Phantom 3 Professional UAS

1.1.1.1 B att er i es

– DJI Power 4480 m AH Li Po B att ery

1.1.1.2 W e i gh t (Battery & Propellers Included)

– 2 l bs 12 oz (1280 g)

1.1.1.3 Hover Accuracy

– V er ti ca l : + /

- 1 0 m ; Hor i zon t a l : + /

- 1 m

1.1.1.4 Max T

il t Angel

- 35deg

1.1.1.5 Max Ascen t/ Descent Speed

– 5 m/ s / 3 m/s

1.1.1.6 Max F li ght Speed

– 16 m/ s (NOT R E COMM E ND E D)

1.1.2 G im bal

1.1.2.1 DJI Phantom 3 Axis Gimbal

1.1.2.2 Con t ro l Accuracy

- ±0.03 deg

1.1.2.3 Con t ro l ler

– 3Ax i s (pitch, roll, yaw)

1.1.2.5 P it ch

- Con t ro ll ab l e

- 90deg to 0deg

1.1.2.6 Hor i zon

– Au t o m a ti c

1.1.3 C am era

1.1.3.1 Sony EXMOR 1/2.3”

1.1.3.2 FOV 94° 20 mm40 40 1.1.3.3 Effective pixels: 12.4 M

1.1.3.4 Opera ti ng T

e m pera t ure Range

- 0°C to 40°C

1.1.4 T rans mitt er

1.1.4.1 Lightbridge

1.1.4.2 Opera ti ng Frequency 2.400GHz

– 2.4835GHz

1.1.4.3 Co mm un i ca ti on D i s t ance (unobs t ruc t ed) FCC Co m p li ance 2000m

1.1.4.4 T rans mitt er Power FCC Co m p li ance: 20dBm CE:16 dBm

1.1.4.5 B att ery 6000 m Ah Li

- l on 2S

1.1.5.6 Opera ti ng T

e m pera t ure

- 0°C

- 40°C

1.1.5 Range Extender

1.1.5.1 Lightbridge

1.1.5.2 Opera ti ng Frequency 2.400GHz

– 2.4835GHz

1.1.5.3 Co mm un i ca ti on D i s t ance (unobs t ruc t ed) FCC Co m p li ance 20 00m

1.1.5.4 T rans mitt er Power FCC Co m p li ance: 20dBm CE:16 dBm

1.1.5.5 B att ery 6 000 m Ah Li

- l on 2S

1.1.5.6 Opera ti ng T

e m pera t ure

- 0°C

- 40°C41 41 APP E NDIX

– B

DJI Phantom 3 Professional User Manuel42 42 APPE N D I X

– C

Monthly Maintenance Log

Ahmed Jamal Khan

Mon t h l y Maintenance and R e pa i r L og

A i rcraf t :

Hours:

Da t e:

Da t e Issue

D i scove r ed Da t e Issue

R e so l ved Issue Desc r i pt ion / Maintenance

Condu ct ed R e pa i r / Maintenan ce

P erfor m ed By

A i rfra m e

Mo t ors

Prope ll ers

F li ght Con t rol

Upda t e

G im bal

M i sc.43 43