CROWDER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 

September 21, 2015 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Docket Operations 

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Reference: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal 

Aviation Regulations from 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), 91.417(a) and (b) 

Dear Sir or Madam: 

Attached please find Crowder Construction Company’s request for an exemption from the listed 

Federal Aviation Regulations to allow commercial operation of its Small Unmanned Aircraft 

Systems (sUASs) for capturing photos and videos of Crowder Construction Company project sites to 

be used in project records, progress reports, project safety, and marketing materials. This exemption 

request is exclusively for the use of the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+. 

Also attached is the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ technical specifications and safety features. Crowder 

Construction has reviewed these specifications and safety features and deemed the DJI Phantom 2 

Vision+ acceptable to be used on secure Crowder Construction project sites. 

Thank you for your time and consideration, please let us know if you have any questions. 

Sincerely, 

Christopher Boyd 

Senior Project Manager

Crowder Construction Company 

Heavy Civil Division 

PO Box 30007 (28230-0007) 

6425 Brookshire Boulevard (28216) 

Charlotte, NC 

Telephone: 704.372.3541 Fax 704.716.5199 

www.crowdercc.com 
1

Federal Aviation Administration Exemption 

Petition for Exemption under Section 333 

FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 

Public 112-95 Feb. 14, 2012, Section 333 

Submitted by: Crowder Construction Company 

Date: 09/14/15 
2

Table of Content

Contact Information ........................................................................................................................3 

Mission Statement ..................................................................................................................3 

Formal Exemption Request...........................................................................................................4

Intended Equipment for Exemption ................................................................................................5 

Aircraft Performance ......................................................................................................................5 

Aircraft Features ..........................................................................................................................6-8 

Aircraft Maintenance ......................................................................................................................9 

Safety Guidelines ..........................................................................................................................10 

Potential Hazards ..........................................................................................................................11 

Insurance Coverage .......................................................................................................................12 

Privacy Concerns ..........................................................................................................................13 

Operational Conditions .................................................................................................................14 

Pilot Qualifications .......................................................................................................................15 

Pre-Flight & Post-Flight Checklists...............................................................................................16 

Appendix A: Authorization to Record & Photograph Property..........................................17 

Appendix B: Pre-flight & Post-flight Checklists....................................................................18-19 

Additional Resources.....................................................................................................................20 
3

Contact Information 

Exemption Applicant: 

Crowder Construction Company 

- Seth Bennett, (704) 619-5089, sbennett@crowdercc.com 

- Christopher Boyd, (704) 372-3541, cboyd@crowdercc.com 

www.crowdercc.com 

6425 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 

_____________________________ _____________________________ 

Seth Bennett Christopher Boyd 

Mission Statement 

To responsibly operate a UAS, in order to safely and effectively capture pictures and videos of 

Crowder Construction Company project sites to be used in project records, progress reports, project safety, and marketing materials. 
4

Formal Exemption Request 

In line with Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and 14 CFR Part 

11, Crowder Construction Company, hereby applies for an exemption from the listed Federal 

Aviation Regulations to allow commercial operation of its Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for 

aerial imaging for safety and monitoring of secured and controlled environment construction 

sites, so long as such operations are conducted under the conditions outlined or established by 

the FAA as required by Section 333. 

Regulations from which the exemption is requested 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) 

§91.417(a) and (b) 
5

Intended Equipment for Exemption 

Aircraft: DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ 

Aircraft Performance 

Supported Battery

DJI 5200mAh LiPo Battery 

Weight (Battery & Propellers Included)

1242g 

Hover Accuracy (Ready To Fly)

Vertical: 0.8m; Horizontal: 2.5m 

Max Yaw Angular Velocity

200°/s 

Max Tiltable Angle

35° 

Max Ascent / Descent Speed

Ascent: 6m/s; Descent: 2m/s 

Max Flight Speed

15m/s (Not Recommended) 

Diagonal Motor-Motor Distance

350mm 
6

Aircraft Features 

Parts Diagram: 
7

Failsafe Mode:
8

Minutes leŌ 

in UAS baƩery

Wi‐Fi signal

strength # of satellites

connected to

Wi‐Fi

Percentage of

UAS baƩery

All flights performed by Crowder will require the use of the 

DJI Pro app. This app allows the pilot to track the Phantom’s 

orientation, battery life, and signal strength and provides several other helpful features for piloting a safe flight. 

Compass UAS locaƟon

Remote Control—DJI Pro App:
9

Aircraft Maintenance 

Maintenance 

 Simon Newton's Maintenance Videos 

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jum34eU4W8 

 Other tutorials and how-to videos 

o Hypervision Australia Tutorials 

o https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrREhHrA2ATDsdKM6uQyuWA 

Replacement Parts (sources) 

 DJI (manufacturer) 

 Reputable after-market companies 

Crowder has no intention of modifying the UAS beyond factory specifications. 
10

Safety Guidelines 

Flight Environment Requirements: 

1. Do not use the aircraft in severe weather conditions. These include wind speed exceeding category 4, 

snow, rain and smog. 

2. Fly in open areas, as high buildings or structures may affect accuracy of onboard compass. 

3. Keep Phantom away from obstacles, crowds, high voltage power lines, trees or bodies of water when 

in flight. 

4. Reduce the chance of electromagnetic interference by not flying in areas with high levels of electromagnetism, including base stations or radio transmissions towers. 

5. The Phantom cannot operate within the polar areas. 

6. Do not fly the aircraft within no-fly zones specified by local laws and regulations (see below for details on “No Fly Zones Feature”). 

Category A Zones 

 Includes: Large international airports 

 Restriction: 5 mile radius 

Category B Zones 

 Includes: Smaller airports 

 Restriction: 0.6 miles radius 

DJI’s “No Fly Zones” feature now prevents the Phantom from traveling unsafely into or 

near an airport’s no fly zone. When connected to GPS, the Phantom is supplied with a 

global database of restricted areas—including those of airports. According to the categories 

denoted below, this feature will inhibit the Phantom from take-off within the restricted radius and from flight into the restricted radius. 
11

Potential Hazards 

The following are potential hazards that may or may not be present during flight operations: 

- Jets, airplanes, gliders, and other UAS’s 

- Houses, commercial buildings, shops, and out buildings 

- Power lines, low voltage lines, high voltage lines, cable lines 

- Trees, shrubs, and hedges 

- Automobiles and RVs 

- Wildlife, both land and air 

- Rivers, lakes, ponds, sounds, straits, and other bodies of water 

- Unaccounted for people 

- Unaccounted for pets 

Return-to-Home Feature: 

In the event that the DJI Phantom 2 H3-3D loses signal or the battery runs too low, the GPScontrolled Return-To-Home feature will ensure safe retrieval. The 'home' location is to be set upon flight startup (see 

Pre-Flight Checklist Exhibit A). 
12

Insurance Coverage 

Commercial UAS insurance coverage is not currently available through private insurers or 

through AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics). 
13

Privacy Concerns 

Since privacy concerns are of highest priority, a signed construction contract from the owner 

must be in place prior to commercial flying. (See Appendix A). 

Adjacent Properties 

To maintain utmost integrity in concerns of privacy while recording from the UAS, the pilot will 

exercise great care when operating near adjacent properties. The UAS is only intended to capture 

pictures and videos of areas within the permissible boundaries of the construction site (according 

to written & signed consent). 
14

Operational Conditions 

To capture high quality images and video, operational conditions will be closely monitored. 

The following variables will be taken into consideration: 

Day Time 

 Sunny Weather is Highly Preferred 

 Little to No Cloud Cover 

 Zero to Low Wind Speeds 

 High Visibility Conditions 

Night Time 

 No night-time operations are to be conducted. 
15

Pilot Qualifications 

Current Pilots: Seth Bennett and Patrick Buckley 

Training requirements for a Crowder certified pilot(s): 

□ Watch Online Training Videos for General Types of Filming

□ Watch Online Training Videos for Task-Specific Types of Filming

□ (New Pilots) Shadow and “Spot” for Current Pilot for 90 Days Prior to First Flight Operation 

□ Attend Upcoming and Local UAS Courses (Part of Pilot's Continuing Education)

□ Attend Local Course Hosted by DJI (Part of Pilot's Continuing Education)

□ Follow Flight Plans and Safety Guidelines Set Forth in this Document 

To ensure that pilot(s) maintain awareness of current rules, laws, safety techniques, and filming 

practices, pilot(s) are required to take at least (1) continuing education course per year through a 

3rd party group and provide Crowder Construction Company with proof of completion. 
16

Pre-Flight & Post-Flight Checklist 

Prior to every flight, the pilot must complete a pre-flight checklist and a post-flight 

checklist. These checklists will be filed with construction site paperwork for documentation in the event of an audit. 

(See Appendix B for checklist examples.) 
┤Appendix A ├ 

Crowder Construction Co. – Charlotte 6425 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 332-8184 

Authorization to Record & Photograph Property 

I, ________________________, property owner, give permission to Crowder Construction 

Company to record video and capture pictures of the property commonly known as: 

__________________________ 

__________________________ 

The recorded footage may be used in any ethical manner for project records, progress reports, 

project safety, and marketing materials. 

Sincerely, 

_________________________ _______________ 

Signature Date 

_________________________ _______________ 

Signature Date 
┤Appendix B ├ 

Crowder Construction Co. – Charlotte 6425 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 332-8184 

Pre-Flight Checklist 

Location: ___________________________________________________________ 

Pilot: _________________________________ 

Date: ______________ 

□ Conduct thorough survey/walk-through of flight area (take note of weather conditions) 

□ Identify potential hazards with spotter 

□ Designate safe launch & landing area 

□ Select spotting location for spotter (may change due to filming angle) 

□ Request all non-essential personnel to clear the take-off area 

□ Unpack all equipment from UAS transportation case 

□ Power up remote 

□ Begin video recording 

□ Power up DJI Phantom 2 

□ Launch DJI Phantom 2 

□ Conduct flight operations 

□ Land DJI Phantom 2 in designated landing area 
┤Appendix B ├ 

Crowder Construction Co. – Charlotte 6425 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 (704) 332-8184 

Post-Flight Checklist 

□ Power off DJI Phantom 2 

□ Turn off video recording 

□ Power down remote 

□ Replace all equipment into transportation case 

____________________________________________________________ 

Pilot Signature 
20

Additional Resources 

http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/ 

http://www.dji.com/newpilot 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjoWtWg9BPyZK8YxMrH2Zw 

http://www.modelaircraft.org/ 

http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-2/download 

http://www.dii.com/product/phantom-2/spec 

http://www.dii.com/support 

http://wiki.dii.com/en/index.php/Phantom 2 

http://wiki.dji.com/en/index.php/Phantom2Vision%2BFlightLimits 

http://www.dji.com/newpilot