## UAS STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

MOUNTAIN DRONES INC.

June 3, 2015

Drafted By:

Robert Blank

– Chief Compliance Officer

COL. (R) Edward C. Gassman

– Director of Operations

NOTE: Detailed procedures for Mountain Drones’ UAS operations may be found in the provided Operator’s Manua l and
ATTACHMENTS B THRU H . This document serves as an overview of Mountain Drones safe operation of UAS aircraft

Mountain Drone’s Standard Operating Procedure outlines company policy and procedures that are carried out dur ing each mission for the purpose of safe, efficient , and FAA compliant operations.Mountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 2 of 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Mission Planning

II. Transportation of Aircraft and Equipment

III. Personnel Considerations

IV. Pre

- Flight Actions

V. Pre

- Flight Checklist

VI. Securing the Mission Area

VII. Operational Limitations

VIII. Overview of Fail Safes and Redundancies

IX. Completing the Mission

The Mountain Drones Operator ’ s Man ual and Attachments B

thru H are i ntended to supplement this document as referenced.

I. MISSION PLANNING

MISSION PLANNING DETAILS 1) Project Scope Team Discussion 2) Safety/Risk Assessment

a. Regulatory concerns

b. Location identification/population concerns

c. Weather

- relat ed concerns

d. Technical limitations 3) Waypoint/Autonomous VLOS Missions: “Mission Planner”
or “Ground Control” Software

a. Construct digital ‘geo

- fence’ if necessary

b. Plan waypoint flight paths

c. Confirm mission feasibility using software estimates on flight times

d. R un mock mission simulation (no actual UAS flight)

e. Save mission details to GCS computer 4) For manual operat ions, #1, and #2 will be addressed prior to

mission.Mountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 3 of 11 II. TRANSPORTATION OF AIRCRAFT AND EQUIPMENT

Note: A ircraft and necessary equipment will remain under the watch and control of qualified Mountain Drones’ employees for the duration of the mission, from planning to transport, to mission completion. For any projects that involve the transportation of aircraft and equipment on a commercial airline flight, a thorough inspection of aircraft, components, software, and communications equipment will take place prior to actual operation.

Ground Control Station (GCS): The grou nd control station is a comprised of a lo cking hard case with equipment mounted and/or secured inside. All components are transported in either a ‘power

- off’ position, or are not connected to a

power source.

Communication /RF Equipment : Although most equipment is contained within the GCS case, any ancillary/backup equipment is transported in a designated hard

case.

Aircraft: Aircraft is typically transported in the trunk of a motor vehicle. Due to

its larger size, the Gryphon X8 is designed by the manufacturer to allow for the removal of each arm using a quick

- release system. For smaller models, no breakdown is necessary. In all cases, UAS will be secured to minimize the risk of damage during transport.

Batteries:

Under no ci rcumstances will aircraft and battery be connected during transportation , eliminating the risk of incidents . Batteries are

stored in sealed fireproof “LIPO GUARD” bags, manufactured specifically for this purpose.

Aircraft will be closely inspected after t ransportation to make sure nothing changed during transport. This includes, but is not limited to, making sure the motor mounts are parallel to each other, propsMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 4 of 11 and tightened, camera is fixed in right position, bolts / screws are tight.

III. PERSONNEL CONS IDERATIONS

Requirements and Conditions

• PIC is required t o hold a current sport pilot’s license, at a

minimum

• PIC will have a current medical examination (Class III Medical or higher)

• Both a PIC and a VO are required for all flights

• Both PIC and VO must have a mutual understanding of the mission scope

• Communication must be clear and uninterruptible between the
PIC and VO

• PIC and VO will have been trained according to the Mountain Drones Operator’s Manual, ( ATTACHED ), Mountain Drones UAS Training Program ( ATTACHMENT B ) and the manufacturers recommendations for operations of the specific
UAS hardware/software.

o Working knowledge of sUAS hardware and software configurations and limits

o sUAS and environment chec k procedures prior to take

off

o Proper takeoff an d landing procedures

o Adverse (e.g., wind, rain) condition flying and its

consequences

o Recognition and recover y from out

- of

- limit conditions

o Emergency procedures

o Basi c physics of flight

• Trainer conside rations

o Trainer must be a qualified pilot for the UA S

o Trainers must have had at least 20 hours experience in flying the UASMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 5 of 11 On

- Site Personnel Operating Procedure and Communication:

All non

- essential on

- site personnel will be outside of a 200 ft. virtual

fence from the UAS at all times. Essential on

- site personnel will take part in a safety meeting prior to the start of the mission to discuss specific roles and responsibilities, current / future weather, flying obstructions, emergency protocol, and other mission details. Once roles have been defined, each essential on

- site personnel will dutifully perform his or her task to completion. If any on

- site personnel see or sense any possible dangers that the rest of the crew is not aware of, it is their responsibility to speak up and inform

the crew.

IV. PRE

- FLIGHT ACTIONS

GCS, Communications Equipment, Batteries:

§ All internal equipment intact and attached to case, no visible damage

§ Check cables, wiring damage,

§ Data cables still connected to appropriate ports

§ LiPO Batteries are not “puffy”

– visual inspection to check battery integrity

Aircraft

• L anding gear and airframe secure and undamaged;

• Study propellers / mounting hardware (tight) / rotor blades for chips and deformation;

• Check motor/engine and mounting attac hed to the airframe;

• ESC ’s are undamaged and secure;

• Servos

- C heck all control surfaces and connections to servos and control horns ;

• GPS Receiver , Compass, and Cable secure and undamaged

• RC Rx & Connections secure and undamaged

• RC Satellite Rx and cable secure and undamaged

• Telemetry Module and Cable secure, undamaged, with proper

antenna orientation

• Flight Controller secured to airframe

• Flight Controller connection

– check all connections

- secureMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 6 of 11 • Velcro Battery Straps secured, undamaged, and tested t o ensure Velcro ‘bonding’ capability

• Wires

– check that wires are undamaged and secure

• Fixed Wing

• Main wings are attached and secure

• Center of Gravity

– ensure balance with payload

V. PRE

- FLIGHT CHECKLIST

See ATTACHMENTS C & D for a copy of the Flight Operations Checklist from 3D Robotics, adapted for use by Mountain Drones. Additional items have been included below as a supplement to the attached checklist to ensure the highest level of safety:

• Verifying all laptop/computer/tablet, transmitter, on

- boa rd aircraft and camera batteries are fully charged; (confirm voltages)

• Ensure no frequency conflicts with both video and transmitter /

receiver

• Checking all control surfaces for signs of damage, loose hinges, and overall condition; Looking over the wing/ro tors to ensure they are in good structural condition and properly
secured;

• Test electrical connections, plugged in and secure

• Check location of GPS equipment controlling the autopilot.

• Check the IMU movements in the ground control software.

• UAS in stabilization mode, ensure control surfaces move
towards the correct positions

• Test Rudder, Ailerons and Elevator for proper range of

movement and direction

• UAS / Drone is in a level location safe for takeoff

• FPV / Power up ground station

• FPV / Power u p Video receiver

• If using Video recorder turn on camera systemMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 7 of 11 • Camera settings are correct (still images, video, framerate)

• SD camera memory clear and inserted into the camera

• Action / Start filming

• All transmitter controls move freely in all directions

• A ll transmitter trims in neutral position

• All transmitter switches in correct position

• Transmitter throttle to zero

• Radio transmitter on

• Connect / power on battery to airframe

• Ensure led indicators and audible tones are correct

• Timer on (if applicable)

• FPV, confirm video is in monitor

• Scan for nearby cars / people / animals

• Say “CLEAR!”

• Arm flight controller

• Increase throttle slightly listening for any abnormalities

• Short 20

- 30 second hover at 3

- 5 feet (listen for vibrations /
loose items)

• Confirm Voltage le vels are correct

VI. SECURING THE MISSION AREA

Also see ATTACHED Mountain Drones Operator ’ s Manual

It is the role of the site manager to secure the mission area and coordinate with the PIC, as well as any other personnel on

- site to ensure safety prior to, and during each mission. The site manager is responsible for ensuring that the mission will be cond ucted in a manner that will not expose non

- essential personnel to operations conducted within the pre

- defined space. Site security responsibilities include tasks such as perimeter checks, defining and executing safe and legal operating altitudes and flight paths, ensuring reliable radio communication as necessary, communicating with ATC, land

owners, law enforcement, etc. as necessary to notify appropriateMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 8 of 11 individuals of the mission to be conducted. The site manager will

also ensure that no non

- essential pe rsonnel enter the defined

mission area.

VI I. OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS

Also see ATTACHED Mountain Drones Operator ’ s Manual

Unless weather or other outside factors dictate a change, the mission will be flown strictly following the plan and rules set out in the pre

- flight safety planning meeting

. The UAS will spe nd as little time in the air as possible to complete the mission safely

. Communication is required between on

- site personnel , PIC,
and VO to ensure sa fety for VLOS operations. The Mountain Drones Operator’s Manual contains a detailed summary of flight ope rations.

Below are the items that

• Unmanned aircraft must weight less than 55 lbs. (25kg).

• Visual line

- of

- sight (VLOS) only; the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the operator or visual observer

• At all times the small unmanned aircraft must rem ain close enough to the operator for the operator to be capable of seeing the aircraft unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.

• UAV may not operate over any person not directly involved in the operation.

• Operations may only be conducted during d aylight. This is defined as operation from official sunrise to official sunset, local time)

• Must yield right

- of

- way to other aircraft, manned or unmanned. PIC and VO will communicate effectively in order to sense and

avoid other aircraft at all times.

• Air craft will operate below the maximum airspeed of 100mph (87 knots).

• Aircraft will operate under the maximum altitude of 400ft AGL.

• Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from ground control station will be adhered to during operations

• No operations are allo wed in Class A airspace.Mountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 9 of 11 • Operations in Class B, C, D, and E airspace are allowed with the required ATC permission

• Operations in Class G airspace are allowed without ATC permission.

• No person may act as an operator or VO for more than one

unmanned aircraft operation at one time

• No careless or reckless operations

• Requires preflight inspection by the operator

• A person may not operate the UAS if he or she knows or has reason to know of any physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a UAS.

VIII. OVERVIEW OF FAIL

- SAFE’S AND REDUNDANCIES

Mountain Drones’ flight systems employ several commercially

available products and standard military practices to maximize redundancies for safe operations. Mountain Drones’ Operator’s Manual ( ATTACHED ) provides an in

- depth technical explanation of these systems and their function as they relate to increased safety.

§ Return to Home Fails afe (RTH) Upon mission launch, the aircraft stores information on it’s launch position and altitude, indicated to the PIC and VO by emitting series of flashing lights (explained in detail in

attachment D ). This process may be initiated manually, or automatically based on pre

- programmed warning signals. Once the Return to Home process has been initiated, the craft will climb to a safe altitude, assess its current GPS location and altitude, and then begin autonomous flight towards the
home location. Once the aircraft arrives at the point of launch, it will briefly hover, and then begin a slow descent until landing. Upon safe landing, the aircraft will disarm itself and power down propeller rotat ion.

o Commercially available hardware and software from

trusted manufacturer

- DJI

o Can be initiated manually by pilot at any time from RC controller by toggling the GPS switch to the “FS”Mountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 10 of 11 (failsafe) position

o Triggered automatically when the second low batte ry voltage warning reaches user

- defined threshold

§ Auto

- Land Failsafe

Low Battery Voltage Warning There are two low voltage warning settings , creating a redundant system

. The first warning provides a visual and audible warning to the pilot, indicated b y the on

- boa rd ( UAS ) high

- output LED flashing RED once the battery has been depleted to 25% remaining capacity.

T his visual indicator can be easily seen by crewmembers operating

the UAS within VLOS. In addition, the onscreen FPV display and RC controller p rovide warnings to pilots and operators. Mountain Drones’ requires all operators to terminate the mission upon receiving this notification. If for any reason there is a loss of communication with the aircraft at this time, t he second low voltage warning will trigger either the RTH function or the auto

- land

function.

Multiple Batteries Wired in Parallel

Mountain Drones aircraft are equipped with at least two batteries, wired in parallel. In many cases, 3

- 4 batteries are used. These batteries are solely dedicated to the flight

- critical components. This redundancy not only provides increased flight times, but also increases reliability and lowers safety risk in the event of a battery failure. In all cases, the aircraft is capable of sustain ing flight afte r a single battery/connection failure.

Independent Power Systems for Non

- F l ight

- Critical Components All FPV, payload, GCS, etc. systems are powered by either standalone power sources, or use power supplied from a source that is not dedicated to the critical components for flight.

Wiring Redundancies

Ea ch motor is wired independently to the power distribution board

. For example, two sets of wires and ESC’s are used to power each motor on a single arm of the aircraft. This minimizes the chance ofMountain Drones Inc. SOP For Flight Ops Version 1

Page 11 of 11 total power loss to an arm of the aircraft.

VIII. COMPLETING THE MISSION

Also see ATTACHED Mountain Drones Operator ’ s Manual

The pilot will confer with the on

- site personnel via two way radio that the mission has been completed and the UAS is ready to land. Once

confirmation has been received agreed upon that the mission is completed, the pilot will announce the landing area and that the UAS is on final approach. All on

- site personnel will get to a safe distance of at least 50ft. from the landing area. The pilot will slowly bring the
UAS down to the landing zone and execute a perfect landing. The pilot will then disarm the UAS , by keeping the throttle below 10% for

more then 5 seconds

. Once the propellers have completely stopped rotating, the pilot or on

- site personnel will approach the craft and disconnect the main battery source(s), thus making the craft safe to

be around and touch. Once all power has been cut, on

- site personnel wi ll begin breaking down the craft.