RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

RentaSky - WiskCal LLC

P.O.Box 804 

Pickerington, OH 43147

614-581-3021

DaveKing@WiskCal.com

Federal Aviation Administration 

U. S. Department of Transportation 

Docket Management System 

1200 New Jersey Ave., 

SE Washington, DC 20590

Dear Sir or Madam:

Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform Act), WiskCal 

LLC (dba: RentaSky) and owner David L. King hereby apply for an exemption from Federal Aviation 

Regulations (FARs) detailed below to allow for commercial operations of small unmanned aerial systems 

for the primary purpose of aerial photography and video. 

RentaSky will offer safe, low altitude, and cost effective aerial imaging to the communities we serve. A 

variety of industries will benefit; Home Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Marketing, Land 

Development, Construction, and Property Inspections. 

RentaSky will operate a DJI Inspire 1, a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) equipped with advanced 

flight control systems, high definition camera and gimbal, and advanced safety features. The sUAV will 

be operated by a responsible PIC (pilot in command) and VO (visual operator), in turn offering a safe and 

valuable experience to our clients.

1. The DJI Inspire 1 has a maximum takeoff weight of less than 6.5 pounds and thus offers a 

lightweight, small and compact video platform compared to manned aircraft.

2. The DJI Inspire 1 offers significant safety, noise, emission, security and environmental benefits 

not available to larger manned aircraft. 

3. The DJI Inspire 1 has numerous safety features such as failsafe mode, automatic landing should 

signal between PIC and UAS be interrupted, GPS based altitude and distance locks, flight limiting 

features and low battery warnings. 

4. Dual controllers provide the PIC (pilot in command) to focus on operating the sUAS while a 

second individual operates the camera.

5. Inspire 1 safety features are addressed in more detail in the attached Inspire 1 user manual.

The safe operation of the UAS will be the first priority before, during and after every operation.

1. All sUAS operations will be conducted at Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) at no more than 200 feet 

AGL. 

2. No sUAS operations will be conducted within 5 NM of an airport and will be in FAA class G 

airspace.
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

3. No sUAS operations will occur directly over densely populated areas, un-approved government 

buildings, power lines, or major roads. 

4. All sUAS operations will take place during daylight hours under conditions equivalent to Visual 

Flight Rules (VFR) with the UAS no more than 1000 ft from the PIC.

5. All sUAS operations will have a PIC and VO present and all operations will be within visual line of 

sight (VLOS) of both the PIC and VO.

6. PIC and VO will be able to verbally communicate at all times.

7. The UAS will yield to all manned aircraft at all times.

8. All required permits and permissions will be obtained from local and state government should 

they be required.

9. A pre-flight inspection by the PIC will be performed prior to each flight to assure that the UAS is 

safe for flight. A post-flight inspection will also be performed as an added level of safety. 

10. Full aircraft inspections will be completed in accordance with manufactures instructions. 

11. At no time shall the UAS be operated with missing or manufacturer unapproved parts, or in any 

condition that could pose a hazard to any other aircraft or structure or person on the ground.

12. The sUAS will not be operated at a battery level below 20%.

13. Prior to all UAS operations a pre-flight meeting will be held by the PIC to determine the 

parameters of flight in a given location, any hazards present, weather conditions, safety 

procedures at the specific location and approximate duration and route of flight.

14. The PIC will have a minimum of 10hrs flying time and operated atleast 50 individual flights of 

similar sUAS multirotor aircrafts. 

It is my belief that small unmanned aerial systems, used by experienced and responsible operators, 

following the policies outlined above, operating in privacy conscious way; will in turn offer aerial imaging 

to the general public in ways that are more cost effective, safe, and efficient than the traditional 

methods of manned aircraft.

I respectfully request the FAA to grant an exemption to RentaSky – WiskCal LLC, for commercial UAS 

aerial photography operations under the Reform Act of 2012.

If any of procedures, policies, or content of this request do not meet the requirements of an exemption, 

it is RentaSky’s intention to adjust its policies in accordance to the FAA’s requirements outlined in the 

granted exemption. 

Sincerely,

David L. King – Owner of RentaSky, WiskCal LLC

P.O.Box 804

Pickerington, OH 43147

614-581-3021

DaveKIng@WiskCal.com
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

EXEMPTION REQUESTS AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY

RentaSky - WiskCal LLC, requests an exemption from the following regulations as well as any additional 

regulations that apply to the operation of DJI Inspire 1 or similar sUAS’s for the purpose of aerial 

photography and video.

14 C.F.R. 61.113(a) and (b)

RentaSky will use specially trained staff to conduct the sUAS operations. While these individuals 

will not hold commercial pilot licenses, they will have atleast 10hrs of flying time, have 

conducted atleast 50 individual flights and read sUAS manufactures manuals and operating 

procedures. In addition each PIC and VO will be required to sign a document confirming the 

understanding of RentaSky operating and safety policies and the granted RentaSky exemption. 

The sUAS will not carry property for compensation or hire since they will be used solely to 

provide our clients with aerial imaging. Without an exemption, the pilot would be required to 

hold a commercial pilot certificate under §61.133. However, the risk associated with the 

contemplated operations is less than the risk posed by a traditional aircraft. The sUAS will fly at 

altitudes well below the permissible limits for other civil aircraft, eliminating the risk to other 

aircraft, and within a geographical envelope under the sole control of RentaSKy clients. 

Requiring a commercial pilot certificate would provide no appreciable safety benefit and would 

needlessly impose additional cost on RentaSky. Because the contemplated operations would not 

comply with §61.113(b)(1) and none of the other exceptions to paragraph (a) apply, relief is 

needed from both paragraphs (a) and (b).

14 CFR Part21, Subpart H: Airworthiness Certificates

This part establishes the procedures for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate.

While the FAA continues to work to develop airworthiness standards for UAS, we request an 

experimental certificate be issued for the UAS operated by the applicant under either or both of 

the following provisions:

21 .191 Experimental certificates.

Experimental certificates are issued for the following purposes:

Research and development. Testing new aircraft design concepts, new aircraft equipment, new 

aircraft installations, new aircraft operating techniques, or new uses for aircraft.

Showing compliance with regulations. Conducting flight tests and other operations to show 

compliance with the airworthiness regulations including flights to show compliance for issuance 

of type and supplemental type certificates, flights to substantiate major design changes, and 

flights to show compliance with the function and reliability requirements of the regulations. 

Since the experimental certificate can be used for commercial purposes such as market surveys, 

sales demonstrations, and customer crew training, we would expect that an experimental 

certificate would permit our commercial purpose as well.

The aircraft will not carry persons or property and will only fly under strict operational 

requirements. As RentaSky’s sUAS also carries no combustible fuel, weighs less than 6.5 pounds 
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

and is constructed primarily of plastics and composites, we propose the UAS is at least as safe, if 

not significantly safer than conventionally certified aircraft used within similar parameters.

If an experimental airworthiness certificate is not appropriate for this application, then we 

request an exemption of 14 CFR Part21, Subpart H, and the requirement for an airworthiness 

certificate in general, citing the equivalent level of safety outlined in the previous paragraph.

14 CFR 91.203(a) & (b) Civil aircraft: Certifications required.

The regulation provides that an airworthiness certificate, with the registration number assigned 

to the aircraft and a registration certificate must be aboard the aircraft.

Additionally, subparagraph (b) provides that the airworthiness certificate be "displayed at the 

cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew.”

As the sUAS is too small to carry documentation, does not have an entrance and does not carry 

a crew, we propose the following in order to meet the intent of 91.203 and provide an 

equivalent level of safety. All documents deemed appropriate by the FAA for this aircraft will be 

located at the operational ground station for each flight in proximity to the PIC and VO and will 

be available for inspection on request. In order to identify the aircraft, we propose to use the 

manufacturer’s model and production codes located on the aircraft as well as a RentaSky logo 

affixed to the aircraft as well. 

14 CFR 91.9 Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements.

This regulation provides that no person may operate an aircraft unless a current, approved flight 

manual is in the aircraft. The intent of this requirement is to ensure that flight manual 

information is available to the aircrew while operating the aircraft.

RentaSky requests an exemption to this requirement as the UAS cannot, given its size, carry the 

flight manual. To meet an equivalent level of safety, we propose to have the current 

manufacturer’s flight manual and the RentaSky flight manual at the operational ground station 

of each flight, available to both the PIC and VO.

14 CFR 91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General.

The regulation provides that over sparsely populated areas the aircraft cannot be operated 

closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, system, or structure. Since the UAS will be operating 

at a maximum 200 feet AGL, we cannot comply with this requirement and thus ask for an 

exemption. In order to provide an equivalent level of safety, we propose the following.

The UAS will only be operated within VLOS of the PIC and VO at a maximum range of 1000 feet 

from the ground station.

A preflight safety risk assessment will be completed prior to each flight to ensure the UAS is in a 

condition for safe flight and that the planned operation can be completed safely. RentaSky’s 

Flight Manual and Pre-Flight Checklist is included as Appendix A and Appendix B.

The UAS will not be operated within 5 NM of any airport and will only be operated with the 

consent of property manager and/or owner. 
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

14 CFR 91.121 Altimeter settings.

The regulation provides that aircraft shall maintain cruising altitudes by reference to an 

altimeter setting available within 100 nautical miles of the aircraft.

The UAV will always be flying below 200 feet AGL within VLOS of the PIC and VO that will 

provide separation from terrain, structures and other aircraft. Also, the UAS will continually 

transmit an AGL reading back to the controller at the ground station and the AGL lock in the 

UAS’s software will be set to 400 feet, providing an equivalent level of safety.

14 CFR 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions.

The regulation provides that no person may begin a flight in an airplane under day-VFR 

conditions unless there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and to fly after 

that for at least 30 minutes.

The UAS is smart battery powered and continually transmits battery charge information back to 

the ground station to be evaluated by the PIC who will return the UAS back to the ground 

station prior to the battery showing 20% remaining capacity. We feel that this combined with 

the fact that the UAS will have a maximum range of 1000 feet from the ground station provides 

an equivalent level of safety.

14 C.F.R. 91.405(a), 91.407(a) (1), 14 C.F.R. 91.409(a) (1)&(2) and 14 C.F.R. 91.417(a) & (b) 

Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations.

We propose that the PIC perform maintenance and inspection and “be authorized to approve 

the aircraft for return to service.” As provided for in Appendix A, the PIC will inspect the aircraft 

prior to every flight to ensure it is in airworthy condition. A maintenance check will also be 

performed at intervals instructed by the manufacturer, DJI. Any general maintenance and repair 

or replacement of components will be completed by the PIC following the manufacturer’s 

recommendations and documented in accordance with 91.417. In any case where the UAS 

cannot be returned to service by the PIC, or is suspected to be unsafe, the UAS will not be 

operated until returned to all manufacturer specifications. We feel that due to the simplicity, 

size, robustness and construction of the aircraft, the PIC can assure an equivalent level of safety.

8900.227 Paragraph 16(cXa) PIG Medical. and Paragraph 16(eX1) Observer Medical

This policy provides that both the PIC and observer must have a valid FAA second-class medical 

certificate issued under part 67 in order to perform as a pilot or observer. We feel that 

requiring the PIC and VO to meet the same medical requirements as a commercial pilot carrying 

passengers in a large aircraft is an unnecessary burden.

Since the UAV is of small size, unmanned, has an auto return home feature, will be operating at 

low altitudes, will not operate over a densely populated area, and required to be in VLOS of the 

IC and VO at all times, we feel both the PIC and VO requiring vision corrected to 20/20 and a 

valid state issued driver’s license supports medical requirements. 
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

APPENDIX A

RentaSKy Flight Parameters and Restrictions

1. All flights will occur in FAA Class G airspace at no more than 200 feet AGL and no further than 

1000ft from the PIC.

2. The sUAS will not be flown faster than 40mph or as limited by FAA regulations.

3. All operations will utilize a PIC and VO with the PIC and VO able to communicate verbally at all 

times.

4. All operations will occur only during daylight hours and in weather conditions equivalent to VFR.

5. All operations will occur at VLOS from the PIC and VO.

6. The PIC and VO will have a pre-flight meeting at the site of the operation just prior to the flight 

to assess weather, area of operation, topography, flight time, route, hazard mitigation and 

overall operational and safety parameters. Also during this meeting, the pre-flight aircraft 

checklist (see Appendix B) will be implemented.

7. PIC is responsible for maintaining an established safe emergency landing plan if at any time 

during the operation conditions become unfavorable due to unforeseen hazards, safety 

concerns, or weather. 

8. All operations will be reviewed prior to flight and conducted with the full permission of the 

property owner or manger. 

9. Flight planning will include the termination of the flight with 20% battery remaining, as 

determined by the data link between the UAS and ground station.

10. The UAV will at all times give way to manned aircraft.

11. Prior to every flight, a highly visible launch banner will be placed at the site of the ground station 

to allow an outside observer to determine the location of the UAS’s origin and command point.

12. All permits required by state and local governments will be obtained prior to any operations.

13. No flight operations will occur without a successful pre-flight inspection by the PIC before each 

flight to determine that the UAS is in a condition for safe flight.

14. At the conclusion of each flight a post-flight inspection will be done to assess the condition of 

the UAS.

15. A full aircraft check will be performed in accordance with manufactures instructions.

16. Replacement of parts shall only be done according to manufacturer’s instructions.

17. All flight operations will be logged in a flight logbook.

18. All maintenance done and inspections performed will be lodged in a maintenance log.

19. Check for software updates weekly and upload to UAS as needed to continually keep the UAS 

software as current as possible.
RentaSky – WiskCal, LLC FAA 333 Exemption Request June 6, 2016

APPENDIX B

RentaSky Pre-Flight Checklist

1. Ensure the area identified for flight is considered FAA Class G airspace, winds conditions are less 

than 15mph, and weather conditions are favorable. 

2. Identify all potential obstructions and safety hazards in or near the area planned for flight. 

3. Inspect all propellers for proper tightness and that they are free of cracks, dings, chips and 

excessive wear.

4. Inspect all wiring and motors.

5. Inspect the airframe for cracks or damage.

6. Inspect battery voltage of UAS on-board battery and Remote Controller/Transmitter battery to 

ensure there is sufficient energy in both systems for safe flight.

7. Turn off wifi wireless on all devices located the person or within 10ft of the PIC and VO.

8. Recalibrate compass according to manufacturer’s instructions.

9. Always turn on Remote Controller/Transmitter before turning on UAS battery.

10. Ensure that a link between Transmitter and UAS is established and that GPS link is established. 

11. Engage throttle, lift aircraft off the ground and verify the aircraft responds properly to all inputs 

and hovers accurately.