Mr.	Paul	McCurdy

322	Pine	Valley	Court	

Linden,	Michigan	48451

Pmccurdy1@comcast.net

Mr.	James	Williams

Manager,	Flight	Standards	Service

Unmanned	Aircraft	Systems	Integration	Office

Federal	Aviation	Administration	

800	Independence	Avenue,	SW

Washington	D.C.	20591

Dear	Mr.	Williams,

I	am	seeking	an	exemption	from	the	following	requirements	of	14	C.F.R:

 61.113(a)	&	(b)

 91.7	(a)

 91.103

 91.119(c)

 91.121

 91.151(a)	&	(b)

 91.203(a)	&	(b)

 91.405(a)

 91.407(a)(1)

 91.409	(a)(1)	&	(2)

 91.417(a)&(b)

To	operate	an	Unmanned	Aircraft	System	pursuant	to	Section	333	of	the	FAA	

Modernization	and	Reform	Act	of	2012(FMRA).

I	am	requesting	an	exemption	in	order	to	commercially	fly	an	Unmanned	Aircraft	

System	(UAS)	for	the	purposes	of	aerial	photography,	video	production	and	aerial	

surveying.
Using	the	UASs	and	safety	measures	described	below	will	eliminate	virtually	all	risk	

given	the	reduced	mass	and	lack	of	combustible	fuel	compared	to	a	traditional	

aircraft	performing	the	same	function.	

The UAS	will	carry	no	passengers	or	crew	and,	therefore,	will	not	expose	them	to	the	

risks	associated	with	manned	aircraft	flights.	The	operation	of	small	UAS	conducted	

in	the	strict	conditions	outlined	below,	will	provide	an	equivalent	level	of	safety	

supporting	the	grant	of	the	exemptions	requested	herein,	including	exempting

the	applicant	from	the	requirements	of	Part	21	and	allowing	commercial	operations.	

This	UAS	will	operate	at	very	slow	speeds,	close	to	the	ground	and	as	a	result,	are	far	

safer	than	conventional	operations	conducted	with	turbine	helicopters	operating	in	

close	proximity	to	the	ground	and	people.

I	plan	to	operate	one	UAS:

 DJI	Phantom	3 professional

This	UAS	is	comprised	of	an	unmanned	aircraft	(UA)	and	a	transportable	ground	

station. The	UAS is commercially produced	quad copter and	will	not	exceed	a	

maximum gross	weight	of	55	pounds.	It	is	equipped	with	four	rotors driven	by	

electric	motors	powered	by	batteries.	The	UA	will	have	a	small	lightweight	camera	

attached.
The	Pilot,	Paul	McCurdy,	will	provide	the	following	levels	of	safety:

 I	will	only	operate	in	reasonably	safe	environments	that	are	strictly	

controlled,	are	away	from	power	lines, elevated	lights,	airports	and	actively	

populated	areas.

 I	will	conduct	extensive	preflight	inspections	and	protocols,	during	which	

safety	carries	primary	importance.

 I	will	operate	the	UAS below	400	feet	above	ground	level	at	all	times.

 I	will	operate	the	UAS below	the	maximum	operating	speed	of	87	knots.

 I	will	operate	the	UAS	for	75% of battery	capacity	and	reserve	25%	for	

return	home	and/or	emergencies.

 I	will	land	the UAS	prior	to	the	manufacturers recommended	minimum	level	

of	battery	power.

 I	will	operate	the UAS	only	within	visual	line	of	sight	(VLOS).

 I	will	use	the	UAS	global	positioning	system	(GPS)	flight	safety	feature	

whereby	it	will	automatically	return	to	the	point	of	origin	if	communication	

with	the	remote	control	pilot	is	lost.

 I	will	contact	respective	airports	if	operations	will	be	within	5	miles	to	advise	

them	of	my	estimated	flight	time, flight	duration,	elevation	of	flight	and	other	

pertinent	information.

 I	will	always	obtain	all	necessary	permissions	prior	to	UAS	operation.

 I	will	have	procedures	in	place	to	abort	flights	in	the	event	of	safety	breaches	

or	potential	danger.

 The	UAS	will	be	registered	with	the	FAA	at	the	nearest	FSDO	
 I	currently	hold	a	Fixed	Wing	Commercial	Pilot	License

(Certificate#3478815),	Instrument	Airplane	rated with	no	restrictions.

 I	currently	hold	a	Second	Class	FAA	Medical	Certification	with	no	restrictions

 During	UAS	operation,	I	will	be	in	possession	of	a	current	aeronautical	chart	

depicting	the	area	of	operation	as	well	as	a	two-way,	hand	held	radio	

specifically	designed	for	aviation	use.		This	will	ensure	a	greater	situational	

awareness	during	UAS	operations	in	order	to	maintain	the	highest	level	of	

safety.

I	sincerely	appreciate	your	consideration,

Sincerely,

Paul	McCurdy