## Epic aerials

September 4, 2015 U.S. Department of Transportation Docket Management System 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act Dear Sir or Madam: Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and 14 C.F.R. part 11, Epic Aerials, a photography and videography design company, hereby applies for an exemption from the Federal Aviation Regulations listed below to allow operation of our Small Unmanned Aircraft Sys tem (sUAS) commercially in airspace regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, so long as such operations are conducted under the conditions outlined herein or as may be established by the FAA as required by Section 333. The requested exemption wou ld permit us to pursue our commercial interests in providing services to clients using a small advanced sUAV in the following areas:

 Real Estate  Marketing  Special Events  Aerial Inspections All sUAS flights will occur over private or controlled access pro perty and will do so with the property owner’s knowledge and consent, and only with the presence of people who have consented or otherwise agreed to be in the area where videography will take place. Additionally, Epic Aerials requests an option to allow operations in Class G airspace, over people not involved in the operation. The owner/operator possesses a private pilot certificate (#3620371), as well as a Transportation Worker Identity Credential (T WIC) issued by the Transportation Security Administration. The owner/operator has been operating radio
controlled aircraft for over 30 years.Regulations from which exemption is requested:

14 C.F.R. Part 21 14 C.F.R. 45.23 14 C.F.R. 91.7 14 C.F.R. 9 1.9 14 C.F.R. 91.109 14 C.F.R. 91.119 14 C.F.R. 91.121 14 C.F.R. 91.151 14 C.F.R. 91.23 14 C.F.R. subpart E 91.401
- 91.417 Small unmanned aircraft systems are seen as superior to helicopters, and other full
- scale aircraft, due to the smaller size, less costly equipment and personnel costs, reduced noise, and significantly smaller environmental impact. I will be utilizing pre and post flight inspections of the aircraft to ensure all systems are fully operational, thus providing a safe flight environment. Epic Aerials is petitioning for an exemption to operate a Blade Chroma with a built
- in stabilized HD camera and GPS safety features to limit the flight altitude and radius of flight. The Blade Chroma also features a failsafe system that, in the event of a loss of communication with the transmitter, automatically returns the sUAV to its point of flight origin and safely lands. In addition, t he ST
- 10 transmitter provides full telemetry of the sUAV, including battery level, altitude, airspeed, heading, and latitude/longitude position The commercial services that Epic Aerials would like to provide are photography and videography of real estate property for the purposes of marketing and/or inspection, general marketing, and special events. I would be flying t he sUAS within the guidelines of the exemption , and will meet the specifications of the Model Aircraft Operating Standards as noted below:

 The sUAS wil only be operated in line
- of
- sight of the pilot, and will be flown in such a way as to not create a haza rd to users of the national airspace system, or the public.  A spotter will be present, along with the pilot in command (PIC).  When flying the sUAS within five (5) miles of an airport, airport operators will be notified and the PIC will yield the right
- of
- way to full scale aircraft.  Maximum flight time for each operation will be 30 minutes .  Flights will be terminated with sufficient battery level to allow reserve flight time to safely land the sUAS.  The sUAS will be programmed so that it will not operate at an altitude that exceeds 400 feet AGL.  The Blade Chroma weighs less than 15 pounds, including all payload.The use of the sUAS by Epic Aerials will not adversely affect the safety of the public because it

will be operated within the restrictions of the exemption, and will be flown within line
- of
- sight of the PIC and observer. Use of the sUAS will provide a level of safety higher than that of a f ull scale aircraft due to its lightweight, size, performance capability, reduced noise, and smaller environmental impact. Additionally, the owner/operator already possesses aeronautical knowledge, and has been vetted by the Transportation Security Adminis tration (TSA). The sUAS will operate at speeds of no more than 20 knots. It can hover, and can simultaneously move vertically and horizontally. Given the small size of the sUAS, and the restricted environment within which it will operate, Epic Aerials op erations would adhere to the reform act’s safety requirements. I respectfully request an exemption under Section 333, to enable Epic Aerials to provide efficient, limited, low
- risk commercial sUAS operations for the activities stated, respecting the space and privacy of citizens and property while keeping the airspace safe. Sincerely, David Engelhard Epic Aerials 215 Rochelle Drive Morehead City, NC 28557 252 - 725 - 2695Davided1@ec.rr.com