# Black	Hills	Aerial	Media 6050	Magic	Canyon	Rd

Rapid	City,	SD 57702 605

- 431

- 3975 July 7 , 2015

U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Docket Operations West Building Ground Floor, Room w12

- 140 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS Washington, DC 20590 VIA FEDERAL DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Re: Exemption Request under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

Dear Sir or Madam:

Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the “Reform Act”) and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, Black Hills Aerial Media , LLC (CAV) seeks an exemption from Federal Aviation Regulations (“FARs”) detailed below for the following described Unmanned Aerial System called in this application the CAV System, which includes an Unmanned Aircraft (UA) and ground station

- based equipment and crew:

THE UN MANNED AIRCRAFT (UA):

• A lightweight ( Max imum gross weight of 24.2 lb with all on

- boar d equipment), battery operated 8

- motor rotorcraft in the form of a n octo copter that takes off and lands vertically, manufactured by DJI, Model S1000 , modified by the applicant to carry the following equipment in flight;

• An on

- board flight computer with GPS navigation and location ability that receives signals for flight controls from a ground

- based transmitter/controller;

• An on

- board came ra capable of capturing imagery in the form of full color, high definition still photos and video;

• An on

- board telemetry system that delivers flight data from the on

- board flight computer to the

on

- board radio transmitter including altitude AGL, ho rizontal and vertical speed, compass direction of flight and direction back to its launch site;

• A 600mW, 5.8GHz on

- board radio transmitter that transmits live video to the PIC and camera operator from the on

- board camera plus all the flight data fr om the telemetry system described above;

THE GROUND STATION

- BASED PART OF THE SYSTEM:

• A Pilot in Command (PIC) in operational control of a flight operation from beginning to end and who controls the UA while in the air;

• A camera operator in operational control of the camera gimbal onboard the UA;

• 2 100mW, 2.4GHz radio transmitters/controllers operated by the PIC and camera operator to control the UA and camera gimbal while in flight;

• A radio receiver receiving live video and flight data from the on

- board camera and computer projects it all together onto a screen for the PIC and camera operator to view during flight;

• A Visual Observer (VO) is a person who provides a third set of eyes to visually track the UA while in flight.

The requested exemption would support an application for a commercial Certific ate of

## Authorization to use the above described CAV System to support aerial photography and video primarily of real property, specifically individual properties of at least two acres in size (equivalent to a square 295 feet/side).

The UA, powered by batteries, is smaller, lighter and more maneuverable than larger aircraft running on combustible fuel, it operates at lower altitudes with no people on board and will thereby reduce current risk levels and thereby enhance safety and dimi nish the likelihood of death or serious bodily injury. With a small payload and maximum flight time of only 20 minutes , this is offers little or no risk to national security.

Low level oblique photos and video from several angles are far more effective than ground based imagery for displaying the characteristics of large, complex properties with several buildings and large trees. The applicants in the past have chartered 2

- seat full

- sized helicopters for this purpose, which has proven more costly than many potential clients have been able to afford. The benefits of reduced cost and improved quality of presentation from the UA will be valuable to and benefit many buyers and sellers of real property.

Additionally, we request that we be allowed to use our system to benefit first responders nearby who might require assistance, including fire fighters, the police, the sheriff, et al., while remaining subject to all limitations cited in this application as we do so.

The CAV System will be operated in the field with a PIC , camera operator and a VO in accordance with FAA Policy N 8900.227 Section 14 "Operational Requirements for UAS" and with the following Restrictions:

. (a) No flight will be made with a UA Gross weight exceeding 55 pounds;

. (b) All operations must occur in FAA Class G airspace at no more than 400 ft AGL, at an airspeed of no more than 40 knots and no further than 3/4 NM from the PIC;

. (c) All operations must utilize a visual observer (VO). The VO and PIC must be able t o communicate by voice at all times during a flight operation;

. (d) Operations will be restricted to flights over private property with the permission of the property
owner;

. (e) The PIC must have accumulated and logged, in a manner consistent with 14 CFR § 61.51 (b), a minimum of 100 flight cycles and 25 hours of total time as a UA rotorcraft pilot and at least ten hours logged as a UA pilot with a similar UA type;

. (f) All requi red permits will be obtained from state and local government prior to operation;

. (g) The CAV System will not be operated over densely populated areas;

. (h) The CAV System will not be operated at air shows;

. (i) The CAV System will not be operated ov er any open

- air assembly of people;

. (j) The CAV System will not be operated over heavily trafficked roads;

. (k) The CAV System will not be operated within 5 NM of an airport or heliport;

. (l) The CAV System will not be operated over properties small er than two acres in size;

. (m) Operations will be restricted to day only and weather conditions equivalent to VFR;

. (n) The PIC will brief the camera operator, VO and property owner about the operation and risk before the first flight at each new loc ation;

. (o) No flight may be made without a Pre

- Flight Inspection by the PIC before each operation to ascertain that the UA is in a condition safe for flight (see Appendix A).

Page 2 of 3

## The PIC and VO will meet the requirements outlined in FAA Policy N 8900.227 Section 16 personnel Qualifications. Additionally, the PIC and VO will perform maintenance on the system and will complete a course of maintenance instruction as part of their initial training.

We submit that the combination of the UA's light weight, flight performance and ability, fully qualified flight crew and strict operation under the guidelines established in 8900.227, and under all of the Restrictions (a) through (o) listed above, the FAA can have full confidence that the operatio n will have an equivalent or greater level of safety than manned aircraft performing the same mission.

The name and contact information of the applicant are:

Black Hills Aerial Media, LLC Attn: Nate Haggerty Ph: 605

- 431

- 3975 Email: nate@blackhillsaerialmedia.com

The regulations from which the exemption is requested are listed below. Beside each regulation number is the page of the attached Addendum upon which each may be found together with our proposed equivalent level of safety for each regulation:

- 14 CFR Pa rt 21.................................Addendum Page 1

- 14 CFR 91.203.................................Addendum Page 1

- 14 CFR 45.23, 45.29..........................Addendum Page 2

- 14 CFR 91.9....................................Addendum Page 2

- 14 C FR 61.113, 61.133.......................Addendum Page 2

- 14 CFR 91.109, 91.119, 91.121..............Addendum Page 3

- 14 CFR 91.151.................................Addendum Page 4

- 14 CFR Subpart E (91.401

- 91.417) ......Addendum Page 4

- FAA Policy 8900.227 Paragraph 16(c)(4) and Paragraph 16(e)(1) ...Addendum Page 4

We are prepared to modify or amend any part of this request to satisfy the need for an equivalent level of safety. Please contact us at any time if you require additional information or clarification. We look forward to working with your office.

Sincerel y,

Nate Haggerty, Owner Black Hills Aerial Media

, LLC

Addendum containing Exemption Requests and Equivalent Level of Safety Appendix A

– Flight Manual Appendix B

– Owner’s Manual for UA

Page 3 of 3

## ADDENDUM

EXEMPTION REQUESTS AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY

Black Hills Aerial Media

, LLC , requests an exemption from the following regulations as well as any additional regulations that may technically apply to the operation of the CAV System:

14 CFR Part 21, 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 Unmanned Aerial Systems, we request an experimental ce rtificate be issued for the CAV System under either or both of the following provisions: 21 .191 Experimental certificates. Experimental certificates are issued for the following purposes: (a) Research and development

. Testing new aircraft design concepts, new aircraft equipment, new aircraft installations, new aircraft operating techniques, or new uses for aircraft. (b) Showing compliance with regulations

. Conducting flight tests and other operations to show compliance with the airworthiness regulations in cluding 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 experimen tal 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, will not carry fuel, and will only fly under strict operational requirements. Combined with the UA’s light weight, being constructed primarily of carbon fiber and plastic, we propose that the UA will be at least as safe, if not safer, than a conventionally certificated aircraft performing the same mission.

If an experimental airworthiness certificate is not appropriate for this application, then we request an exemption of 14 CFR Part 21, Subpart H, and the requirement for an airworthiness cer tificate 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."

At a maximum gross weight of 24.2 pounds, the UA is too small to carry documentation, does not have an entrance, and is not capable of carrying passengers or crew. To obtain an equivalent level of safety and meet the intent of 91.203, we propose that documen ts deemed appropriate for this aircraft by the FAA will be co

- located with the crew at the ground control station and available for inspection upon request. In order to identify the aircraft, we propose that the information found on airworthiness and regis tration certificates be permanently affixed to the aircraft via placard containing the following information plus the word “EXPERIMENTAL” to

Addendum Page 1 of 4

## satisfy the requirement of 14 CFR 45.23, which follows immediately after the proposed pla card description below:

EXPERIME NTAL Manu facturer: DJI Innovations, Inc. 950 E Baseline Ave. Ste. 210 Apache Junction AZ 85119 Model: S1000 , Serial Number: 02Q0023722

If found please contact: (605) 431

- 397 5

14 CFR 45.23 Display of marks; general and 45.29 Size of marks. These regulations provide that each aircraft must display "N" and the aircraft's registration number in letters at least 3 inches high. Additionally, the aircraft must display the word "EXPERIMENTAL" in letters at least 2 inches high near the entrance to the cabin, cockpit, or pilot station. The UA does not have an entrance in which the word "EXPERIMENTAL" can be placed, and may not have a registration number assigned to it by the FAA.

We propose to achieve an equivalent level of saf ety by including the word "EXPERIMENTAL" in the placard on the top of the aircraft, as shown above, where the PIC, camera operator VO and others in the vicinity of the aircraft while it is preparing for launch will be able to see the designation. Additiona lly, we feel that the permanent placard discussed in the previous paragraph will provide the aircraft's registration information at the ground station. Finally, we will display at the ground station a high contrast flag or banner that contains the words "U nmanned Aircraft Ground Station" in letters 3 inches high or greater. Since the aircraft will operate within 3/4 NM of the ground station, the banner should be visible to anyone that observes the aircraft and chooses to investigate its point of origin.

1 4 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. We assume that the intent of this requirement is to en sure that flight manual information is available to the aircrew while operating the aircraft. We request an exemption to this requirement since the aircraft is not only too small to carry documentation, the documentation would not be available to the

crew during flight operations.

To obtain an equivalent level of safety and meet the intent of 91.9, we propose that a current, approved UA Flight Manual (Appendix A) must be available to the crew at the ground station anytime the aircraft is in, or preparing for, flight.

14 CFR 61.113 Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in Command and 61.133 Commercial pilot privileges and limitations. The regulation provides that no person that holds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in command of

an aircraft for compensation or hire. Subparagraph (b) allows a private pilot to act as pilot in command of an aircraft in connection with any business or employment if: (1) The flight is only incidental to that business or employment; and (2) The aircraft d oes not carry passengers or property for compensation or hire.

Addendum Page 2 of 4

## Our proposed operations require that the PIC must either 1. Hold a Commercial Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA, and have logged 25 hours of flight experience in this type of UA, or 2. Meet the requirements of 8900.227 para 16(c)(2)(c) "Operations without a pilot certificate" in which the PIC is required to complete "FAA private pilot ground instruction" and pass "the FAA Private Pilot written examination." Since there are currently no means available for the pilot of a UAS to gain the experience in an equivalent category and class in order to apply for a commercial pilot's license, we propose to generate an equivalent level of safety by requiring our pilots to complete

, at a minimum, FAA commercial pilot ground instruction and pass the FAA Commercial Pilot written examination in addition to completing the private pilot requirements. Since the aircraft cannot carry passengers or property, we feel we meet the intent of 61 .113 Subparagraph (b) even though the intent of this application is to conduct a business.

14 CFR 91.109 Flight Instruction; Simulated instrument flight and certain flight tests The regulation states that "No person may operate a civil aircraft that is being used for flight instruction unless that aircraft has fully functioning dual controls."

The CAV System ground

- based control station consists of a small hand

- held radio transmitter and while it does not offer a second set of "controls", both the stu dent and instructor can, and will, operate the single set of controls simultaneously. With both student and instructor having "hands

- on" the controls during flight, we feel that this technique meets the intent 91.109 and provides an equivalent level of saf ety.

14 CFR 91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General. The regulation states that over sparsely populated areas the aircraft cannot be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. Since the aircraft will be operating at a max imum of 400 feet AGL, we cannot comply with this requirement.

In order to provide an equivalent level of safety we will only fly over private property with a size of at least two acres with the permission of the owner of the property flown over. The airc raft will not be operated over congested areas or over any open air assembly of persons. The property owner will be briefed on the expected route of flight and the associated risks to persons and property on the ground. The aircraft will be operated at a l ow altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface. Therefore we maintain that due to the small size of the UA, the hazard to persons, vehicles and structures is minimal compared to manned aircraft, which should be considered in granting the exemption.

14 CFR 91.121 Altimeter settings. The regulation requires that aircraft shall maintain cruising altitudes by reference to an altimeter setting available within 100 NM of the aircraft

. The UA will always fly below 400 feet AGL and will not need to maintain cruising altitudes in order to prevent conflict with other aircraft. An Above Ground Level altimeter measurement above the takeoff point is transmitted via radio from the UA on

- boa rd computer to the display screen held by the PIC and camera operator , providing a constantly updated AGL readout.

Addendum Page 3 of 4

## 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.

We feel the intention of this paragraph is to provide an energy reserve as a safety b uffer for delays to landing. The UA is battery operated and the maximum duration of flight from a single battery charge is 20 minutes with a 20% reserve. Since the aircraft will never fly more than 3/4 NM from the point of intended landing, a full battery charge at launch will ensure that we meet the reserve energy requirement of this paragraph. We request an exemption to the word "fuel" and ask for an equivalent interpretation with the word "energy".

14 CFR Subpart E (91.401

- 91.417)

- Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Alterations The regulation provides that the operator is primarily responsible for maintaining the aircraft in an airworthy condition, including compliance with part 39 and 43. Para graphs 91.407 and 91.409 require that the aircraft be "approved for return to service by a person authorized under 43.7" after maintenance and inspection.

It is our intention that the PIC perform maintenance and inspection of the aircraft and "be authori zed to approve the aircraft for return to service." As provided in the Pre

- Flight Checklist in Appendix A, the PIC will ensure that the aircraft is in an airworthy condition prior to every flight and in addition conduct detailed inspections after every two hours of flight. Maintenance performed by the PIC is limited to repairing small cracks, replacing a propeller, checking electrical connections and updating software and firmware for the on

- board computer. All other maintenance will be performed by the man ufacturer or their designated repair facility. The PIC will document work performed in accordance with 91.417. We feel that due to the size, construction, and simplicity of the aircraft, the PIC can ensure an equivalent level of safety.

8900.227 Paragrap h 16(c)(4) PIC Medical. and Paragraph 16(e)(1) Observer Medical. This policy provides that both the PIC and VO must have a valid FAA second

- class medical certificate issued under part 67 in order to perform as a pilot or observer.

The UA maximum gross w eight is 24.2 pounds, it is constructed of carbon fiber and plastic and the PIC is not on board. Both the PIC and the VO are required to be in VLOS. Given the unlikely event that both the PIC and VO become medically incapacitated while the aircraft is in f light, the UA will return autonomously to the site of launching and land without crew intervention. Therefore, requiring the PIC and VO to meet the same medical requirements as a commercial pilot carrying passengers in a large aircraft is an unnecessary bu rden.

We propose that the minimum medical requirements for the PIC and VO be vision corrected to 20/20 and a valid, state issued driver's license. The 20/20 vision requirement will ensure that the PIC and VO can see and avoid air traffic; a licensed driv er is medically qualified to operate a much larger vehicle.

Addendum Page 4 of 4

## APPENDIX A

– FLIGHT MANUAL

FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS

. (a) No flight will be made with a UA Gross weight exceeding 55 pounds;

. (b) All operations must occur in FAA Class G airspace at no more than 400' AGL, at an airspeed of no more than 40 knots and no further than 3/4 NM from the PIC;

. (c) All operations must utilize a visual observer (VO). The VO and PIC must be able to communicate verbally at all times during a flight operation;

. (d) Operations will be restricted to flights over private property with the permission of the property
owner;

. (e) The PIC must have accumulated and logged, in a manner consistent with 14 C FR § 61.51 (b), a minimum of 100 flight cycles and 25 hours of total time as a UA rotorcraft pilot and at least ten hours logged as a UA pilot with a similar UA type;

. (f) All required permits will be obtained from state and local government prior to o peration ;

. (g) The CAV System will not be operated over densely populated areas;

. (h) The CAV System will not be operated at air shows;

. (i) The CAV System will not be operated over any open

- air assembly of people ;

. (j) The CAV System will not be o perated over heavily trafficked roads;

. (k) The CAV System will not be operated within 5 NM of an airport or heliport;

. (l) The CAV System will not be operated over properties smaller than two acres in size;

. (m) Operations will be restricted to day onl y and weather conditions equivalent to VFR;

. (n) The PIC will brief the camera operator, VO and property owner about the operation and risk before the first flight at each new location;

. (o) No flight may be made without a successful Pre

- Flight Inspection by the PIC before each operation to ascertain that the UA is in a condition safe for flight.

PRE

- FLIGHT CHECKLIST (1) Use voltmeter to determine that UA battery is fully charged in order t o prevent unexpected premature descent; (2) Check all wiring connections a re tight; (3) Check all propellers are undamaged and no cracks exist in an y structural members of the UA; (5) Turn on radio controller, check for adequate voltage, set it to connect to the UA, move all control switches to forward or down position and throttle co ntrol stick full back position; (6) Connect UA main battery, check for radio co ntact with UA’s radio receiver; (7) At a location different from previous flight, re

- set GPS a nd compass to current location; (8) Turn on transmitter, gimbal and camera.

TO REGAIN CONTROL AFTER LOST RADIO CONTACT 1. Failsafe = ON 2. Throttle = 50% 3. Mode = ATTI 4. Failsafe = OFF 5. Mode = GPS

Appendix A

- Page 1 of 2

## Appendix A

- Page 2 of 2© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 1 

# Spreading Wings S 1000 User Manual

V 1. 0 0

201 4

. 2

. 24

www.dji.com© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 2 

# Disclaimer

Thank you for purchasing this DJI product. Please visit the S 1000 page on www.dji.com regularly to keep up with

p roduct information, technical updates and manual corrections

. Information in this manual is subject to change

without notice in line with product upgrades and updates.

In usi ng this product, you hereby agree to this disclaimer and signify that you have understoo d all points completely

. When assembling this product, follow all instructions carefully. The manufacturer and seller assume no liability for

any damage or injury arising from the use of this product.

DJI is a registered trademark of DJI Innovations. Names of product, brand, etc., appearing in this manual are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owner companies. This product and manual are copyrighted
by DJI Innovations with all rights reserved. No part of this product or manual shall be reproduced in any form
without the prior written consent or authorization of DJI Innovations. No patent liability is assumed with respect to

the use of the product or information contained herein.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 3 

# About

The S1000 is designed for professional aerial photog raph y and cinematography. It is user friendly, safe

, stabilized

and easy to fly while its integrated design make s assembly and configuration simple and fast

. Retractable landing

gear , vibration dampers

, small frame arm incline and minimal ized gimbal mount allows for a clear 360 degree view

from the camera. An i ntegrated power hub with patented c oaxial connector s, built

- in high

- speed ESCs and motors

with high efficien cy propellers ensure dynamic stability and maximized power efficiency. Used with a professio nal

DJI multi

- rotor autopilot system , the S 1000 can hover and fly reliably making it ideal for photography and

cinematography.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 4 

# Contents

Disclaimer

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 2

About

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 3

Contents

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 4

Caution

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 5

In The Box

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 6
Tools Required

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6
Mounting Landing Gear

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7
Mounting Frame Arms

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 8
Mounting Electronics and Wiring

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 11
Connecting XT60 Ports on Center Frame

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 16
Installing Battery

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 16
Setting Landing Gear

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 18
Mounting the Gimbal

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 20
Appendix

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 22

ESC Sound

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 22

ESC LED

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 22
Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 23

FAQ

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 24
Soldering the ESC

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 24
Remounting the Propeller

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 24
Propeller Precautions

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 24
Using Propeller Holder

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 25
Assembling Motor Vibration Absorbers

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 25
Remounting Landing Gear Servo

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 25
Recalibrating Servo Travel

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 26© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 5 

# Caution

When flying, fast rotating propellers may cause serious damage and injury

. P lease fly safe at all times.



## Assembly Cautions
(1) Mount the GPS m odule with a bracket, to avoid interference with the power board on the center frame.
(2) Ensure the IMU is mounted with the arrow pointing toward the front

. (3) If using a receiver, attach it under the bottom board of the center frame with the end of the antenna

facing downwards away from obstructions to avoid loss of control due to signal loss.
(4) Ensure frame arms are mounted cor rectly.
a) Motor mounts with CCW marks should be mounted to the corresponding c enter frame positions

with the following marks: M1

, M3

, M5

, and M7

. b) Motor mounts with CW marks should be mounted to the corresponding center frame positions with

the following mark s: M2

, M4

, M6

, and M8

. (5) Do not remove any glued

- in screws. (6) Tighten screws appropriately

. S crew s marked with blue glue can be used without thread locker once. On

other occasions, apply appropriate thread locker.
(7) S1000 should be raised above the ground when test ing landing gear or recalibrat ing servo travel.
(8) Notice that matching the indicators is very important

. Please pay attention to them. 

## Flight Cautions
(1) ESCs are not water

- proof, do not fly in rain or snow.
(2) Ensure all parts are in good condition before each flight. Do not fly with worn or broken parts.
(3) Ensure propellers and motors are installed correctly and propellers are unfolded before flying.
(4) Ensure ESC signal connectors and power cable connectors are tight and reliable before every flight.
(5) When flyi ng, stay away a safe distance from people, buildings, high

- voltage lines, tall trees, water and

other hazards.
(6) Use only 6S LiPo batteries for the power supply

. (7) Ensure all output signals from M1 to M8 are in proper working order when using the DJI A2 flight control

system to avoid damage or injury.
(8) Do not overload the system.
(9) Do not get close to or touch motors or propellers when they are spinning as this can cause serious injury.
(10) Disconnect battery and remove camera during breaks and transportation to avoi d damage or injury.
(11) We strongly recommend us ing as many DJI parts as possible. 

## Others

(1) If you have any problem you cannot re solve, contact your dealer or DJI customer service.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 6 

# In The Box

Center Frame × 1 Frame Arm × 8

Landing Skid Tube ×2 (with Silico ne Rubber Damper ) Landing Gear Leg ×2

GPS Collapsible Mount ×1 Spring × 2

Connector Set ×1 3

- PIN Servo Cable × 1

Screw Package ×1 Accessories package 

### ×1

For frame arms mount: M4x35
For landing gear mount: M3x8

, M2.5x6.7 H eat

- shrinkable tube ( diam eter of 10mm)



# Tools Required

Tools Usage

2. 0 mm Hex Wrench, 2.5 mm Hex Wrench M ounting screws.

Thread Locker F astening screws.

Nylon Cable Tie

B inding devices and wires. Scissors

Cutting Pliers /Dykes

Foam Double Sided Adhesive Tape Mounting receive r, controller and other modules.

Hot Air Gun Fixing power cable connectors.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 7 

# Mount ing Landing Gear

Instructions

1. Slide landing gear leg into landing skid tube then affix the joints with M2.5x6.7 screws. Ensure s ilicone

r ubber d amper s are a ttach ed.

2. Insert t he landing gear leg into connect ion point on the center frame

. Affix in place with M3x8 screws

.
3. Connect springs to both parts to ensure safety.

4. Complete

. Spring length is 58.5mm unstretched and 70mm stretched

.



### 70mm© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 8 

# Mounting Frame Arms

Instructions

1. Chec k arms.
(1) Check propellers for cracks, then install and screw propeller cover on tightly.

(2) Ensure motors are mounted firmly and rotate freely.
(3) Mount arms with red propeller cover s to M1 and M2 to indicate the nose of the S1000

. (4) Distinguish marks CW and CCW o n the arms

. Mount the arms with mark CCW to the M1

, M3

, M5 , and M7

positions of the center frame

. T he arms mark ed CW should be mounted to the M2

, M4

, M6 , and M8

positions of the center frame.

C o v e r

L E D * S c r e w M o u n t

C W o r C C W M a r k

* L E D i s o n a f t e r m o t o r s t a r t e d

. E S C S i g n a l C a b l e
P o w e r C a b l e

M o t o r

E S C S c r e w P r o p e l l e r

2. Insert frame arm vertically into the mounting area on the center frame.

3. Adjust screw mounts of frame arm and center frame.

4. Insert the M4x35 screw from the right of the frame arm as the thread is located on the left of the screw

mount. Tighten screw appropriately

. O ver tightening may lea d to connector abrasion

.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 9 5. Gently lift frame arm

.
6. Twist knob to lock in place. Be sure there is an audible click sound to ensure a proper lock. Check the

arm for movement. To store, un twist the knob and lower frame arm.

7. Plug ESC signal cable into cent er frame.

8. Plug power cable into center frame. Heat

- shrinkable tube s can be used to stop the connector from

coming off.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 10 9. Ensure all ESC signal cables (red) and power cables (blue) are connected to the center frame correctly

.
Power cables can be fix ed to center frame pillar s to tidy them away

. Make sure to use heat

- shrinkable
tubes correctly (orange).

10. Double c heck all frame arms

. Arms M1 and M2 are the forward facing (nose) , arms M 5 and M 6 are the tail.

See n from the top, motors on arms M1

, M3

, M5 a nd M7 rotate counter clockwise while those on arms M 2,

M 4, M 6 and M 8 rotate clockwise.



## M 1 M 3

M 5 M 7 M 2

M 4

M 6 M 8© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 11 

# Mounting Electronics and Wiring

Eight positions are reserved for mounting a flight control system, wireless video transmission module

, r eceiver

, and

other items. T he DJI A2 flight control system has been used here as an example. If using an A2

, follow mounting and

wiring instructions found in the A2 flight control system user manual. If using the DJI WK

- M flight control system,

please refe r to the WK

- M user manual for connections. Also be sure your firmware on your DJI flight controller has

been updated to the latest version.



### Instructions

1. Attach IMU module to the IMU area of the center frame. Ensure that it points toward the nose and does

n ot touch any other components as vibration can cause it to malfunction.

2. Attach the PMU module to the center frame.

R e s e r v e d
p o s i t i o n R e s e r v e d
p o s i t i o n M

1 M

2

M 3

M 4

M 5 M 6 M 7 M 8

3. Mount the main controller in the reserved position near the PMU module

.

R e s e r v e d P o s i t i o n© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 12 4. Attach the GPS collapsible mount to the center frame using M2.5 x 6.7 screw s

. Washer for GPS

collapsible mount is pre

- installed on the center frame. To install GPS collapsible mount, remove the screw

from the washer then follow the below instructions:

(1) Remove screw 1 from the center frame.
(2) Position GPS collapsible mount then return the screw to its original position and tighten.

(3) Remove remaining screw 2 from center frame.
(4) Position GPS collapsible mount then return screw to its original position and tighten.

5. M ount a GPS m odule to the GPS mount with a bracket. Ensure the arrow point s to ward the nose and

avoid catching fingers in the b racket when folding for transportation

.



## 1 2 1 2

M 1

M 2

6. The other reserved positions are indicated in the diagram below and can be u sed for mounting a receiver,
LED flight indicator, iOSD module and wireless video transmission module

.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 13 7. Check that every anti

- drop system has been firmly installed in the reserved positions. Thread locker is

recommended.
(1) Remove anti

- drop to add appropri ate thread locker.
(2) Replace and tighten

.



## Notes
(1) Only mount the IMU in the IMU position of the center frame.
(2) Mount the GPS with a bracket to avoid interference from the center frame power board.
(3) Use glue to install the GPS bracket . Ensure it is firm and re liable before every flight.
(4) Always test motors using the Assistant S oftware after installation. Refer to the “ Flight control system user

manual ” for details.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 14 Connect ing main controller to center frame

1. Finish flight control system connection according to the A2 flight control system user manual.

2. Link connector set (blue) to ESC signal outlet on the center frame then l ink connector set (blue) to main

controller as shown below.
(1) Yellow 4

- pin cables are for M1~ M 4 connections

. Y ellow cable should be connected to M1.

(2) Brown 4

- pin cables are for M 5 ~ M 8 connections

. B rown cable should be connected to M 5

. (3) Black 4

- pin cables are for four continuous ground pins connection s

. M1~M4 are connected as the

following diagram show s

.

M1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 M M M M M M M M1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 M M M M M M M



## Notes

If usi ng a DJI WK

- M flight controller, you must use the wires that came with the WK

- M. M1 through M 6
correspond to each motor number. M7 corresponds to F1 and M8 corresponds to F2 on the WK

- M.

M1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 M M M M M M M M1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 M M M M M M M© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 15 Connecting main controller and landing gear

1. C onnect left servo cable near M4 to the “ RLG ” port near M4 o n the center frame, then ensure the “ RLG ”

port near M3 is connected to the “ L ” port of the landing gear control board.

2. C onnect right servo cable near M7 to the “ R ” port of the landing gear c ontrol board using a servo cable.

3. For the A2 flight control system, connect the F1 port of the main controller to “ IN ” port of the landing gear

control board. O ther flight control systems connect a 2

- position channel receiver to the “ IN ” port.

M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8

R L G R L G M 1

M 2

M

3 M 5 M 6 M 7 M 8

Cable of left servo M 4

Cable of right servo



## Notes
(1) If right and left servo cables are reversed, landing gear will not be function

. (2) W ire neatly to avoid cables being damaged by frame edges

.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 16 

# Connecting XT60 Ports o n Center Frame

T he bottom board is a power distribution board with three XT60 connectors for ba ttery power.



### Instructions

1. Connect PMU power cable to XT60 connector on top of the bottom board.

2. Connect landing gear control board cable to XT60 connector on the bottom of the bottom board.

3. Other connector s can supply power for other DJI devices if require d.



# Installing Battery

Soldering battery connectors

AS150 anti spark connectors are used

. T hey must be soldered to battery power cables.

1. Remove original battery connector. Avoid cut ting power and ground cables at the same time as this can

cause a short circuit

. We recommend wrapping unsoldered cable with insulating tape to prevent

accidental connection.

2. Pass the black ground wire through the black housing. After passing the wire through, solder the female
bullet connector to the ground wire. Wait for th e soldered connection to cool, then pull the housing back

over the bullet connector

.
3. Screw and p ass the red power wire through the red housing. After passing the wire through, solder the
male bullet connector to the power wire. Wait for the soldered connec tion to cool, and then screw and

pull the housing back over the bullet connector.

Connector s soldering diagram© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 17 Connectors are soldered



### Install ing and connecting battery

1. Attach batter y to battery tray. Do not use an oversize d battery

. Maximum install ation dimension is 80mm

X 120mm X 200mm.

2. I nsert black connector 1 then red connector 2 to power on

. P ull out red connector 2 the n black

connector 1 to power off.



### 1 1 2

2© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 18 

# Setting Landing Gear

U sing a 2

- position R/C transmitter switch , landing gear retraction can be carried out remo tely.



## Setting up the transmitter

Select a 2

- position switch (default setting is OK) as the control input for the landing gear . En sure the

corresponding receiver port is connected to the “ IN ” port on control board

. F or the A2 flight control system,

connect the main controller ’s F1 port to “ IN ” port on control board.

Raise : Toggle the switch to this position to raise the landing gear

.

Lower : Toggle the switch to this position to lower the l anding g ear

.



## Note s :
(1) If the transmitter switch has a F a il S afe function, set the F ail S afe value to the [Lower] position . This
ensures that landing gear will lower automatically when the receiver enters FailSafe mode.
(2) To avoid accidental switch triggering, slide lever s or other controls can be used for landing g ear control.



### Us age procedures

1. Ensure transmitter and receiver batteries are fully charged.

2. Toggle switch to [ Lower] position, and then turn on transmitter.

3. En sure [R]

, [L] and [IN] connections are correct.

4. En sure l anding g ear is in the [ Lower] position t hen power on the system. If the green LED on the landing

gear control board is solid, everything is normal. If it flash es green slowly

, re

- calibrate the system according

to instructions in “ Rec alibrati ng Servo Travel ”

.
5. T oggle switch to [ Raise ] position ONL Y AFTER takeoff.

6. T oggle switch to [Lower ] position for landing.



## Tips
(1) S ervo power will shut off within 3 seconds after the landing gear has reached its target position.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 19 (2) When powering on the system, if the t ransmitter switch is in the [ Raise ] position, the LED will flash red

quickly as a warning. Toggle the switch to the [ Lower] position to continue

. (3) If there is an abnormal signal or no signal input into the [IN] port
, the LED will slowly flash red

. C heck

receiver and connections for problems

. (4) If servo powe r consumption is too high, the LED will light up red. If this lasts more than 4 second s,
landing gear wil l lower and the LED will flash green slowly. R e

- calibrat ion is needed before flying

. (5) A2 flight control system users can use the A2 Assistant Software to set intelligent gear on the

“ Advanced ” page. Refer to the “ A2 flight control system user manual ” for details.



## LED Control Board Indicator

System normal

Calibration require d

R ecalibration required

C alibration failed

Enter calibration mode

System ca librating

Motor stall ed
Unsafe startup alert

Input signal abnormal



## Specifi cations

Parameter Range Parameter Range

Working Voltage 3S~6S (LiPo) Input Signal PWM (High

- Pulse Width 800us~2200us)

Working Current Max 1A@6S Output Signal PWM( Mid Position is 1520us) in 90Hz

Working Temperature

- 20~70 o C Output Voltage 6V

Total Wei ght 875g Servo Travel 150 o (Minimum120 o )© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 20 

# Mounting the Gimbal

Before assembling the gimbal, install GCU as shown below. Be sure to install on the side as shown below . A DJI

Z15

- 5D gimbal has been used as an example in the following diagrams.

The con nectors on gimbal should be removed for better performance, then the gimbal can be mounted to the lower

connect ion points

. A DJI Z15

- 5D gimbal has been used as an example in the following diagrams.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 21 Check that the system ’ s center of gravity is at the blu e line as shown in the below diagram.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 22 

# Appendix

ESC Sound

ESC State Sound
Ready ♪ 1234567

-- B

-- B

Throttle stick is not at bottom BBBBBB...
Input signal abnormal B

-------- B

-------- B...
Input voltage abnormal BB

--- BB

--- BB

--- BB...



## ESC LED

ESC State LED

Sta ndby Off
Motor rotating Solid Red or Green On
Motor rotating at full throttle position Solid Yellow On



## Tips:

DJI ESCs are specially designed for multi

- rotors. When use d with DJI autopilot systems parameters and travel

ranges do not have to be calibrate d.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 23 

## Specifications

Frame

Diagonal Wheelbase 1045mm
Frame Arm Length 386mm
Frame Arm Weight
(with Motor, ESC, Propeller ) 325g

Center Frame Diameter 332mm
Center Frame Weight ( with Landing Gear
Mounting Base, Servos ) 1330g

Landing Gear Size 460mm( Length )×511mm( Width )×350mm( Height )
(Top width: 155 mm ) 

## Motor

Stator Size 41×14mm

kV 400rpm/V

Max Power 500W
Weight ( with Cooling Fan) 158 g 

## ESC
Working Current 40A
Working Voltage 6 S LiPo
Signal Frequency 30Hz

~ 450Hz
Drive PWM Frequency 8KHz
Weight (with Radiators) 35g 

## Foldable Propeller (1552/1552R)

Material High strength performance engineered plastics

Size 15×5.2inch
Weight 13g 

## Flight Parameters
Takeoff Weight 6.0K g ~ 11.0K g Total Weight 4.2Kg
Power Battery LiPo (6S

、 10000mAh~20000mAh

、 15C(Min))
Max Power Consumption 4 000 W

Hover ing Power Consumption 15 00 W (@9.5Kg Takeoff Weight)

Hover ing Time 15min (@15000mAh& 9.5Kg Takeoff Weight)
Working Environment Temperature

- 10 o C ~ +40 o C© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 24 

# FAQ

Solder ing the ESC

Be sure to solder the thick wires and fine wires correctly when solder ing an ESC to the frame arm.

Clockwise (CW) and counter clockwise (CCW) motor s should be soldered to the ESC in order of color.

C CW arms CW armsGVGPGVGP F i n e w i r e T h i c k w i r e B l u e B l a c k R e d

T h i c k w i r e F i n e w i r e B l u e S o l d e r p a d

B l a c k R e d



## Remounting the Propeller

Instructions

1. Use two M3x8 screws and four washers to remount propeller.

2. Apply thread locker to the thread of the propeller mount first.

3. Affix screws with 4Kg.cm (0.4N.m) torque

. . Tips: R efer to original screw tensions if un familiar with tor que measurement s

. Applying thread locker to the

propeller mount first avoids getting thread locker into the holes of the plastic propeller.

Notes: Loose screws cannot be securely locked with thread locker.



## P ropeller Precautions

T orque marker s on the s crews and propeller cover s will give you a visual cue to check whether the propellers are

loose. C heck the to rque markers before every flight.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 25 

## Using P ropeller Holder

Instructions

1. Insert blade s to propeller h older

.
2. Attach propeller h older to f rame arm

.



## A ssembling Motor Vibration Absorber s

A soft gasket is part of the vibration absorber . A ssembl y of the soft gasket must be carried out as per the diagram
below. Assembly is the same for CCW and CW propellers.



## Remounting Landing Gear Servo
Remounting serv os is not recommended as they come pre

- installed.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 26 Instructions

1. C onnect left servo cable near M4 to the “ RLG ” port near M4 on the center frame, then connect the

“ RLG ” port near M3 to the “ L ” port of the landing gear control board using a s ervo cable.

2. C onnect the right servo cable near M7 to the “ R ” port of the landing gear control board using a servo

cable.

3. P ressing the SET button using a pin then power on. You will see a yellow LED beside the SET button

flashe s quickly . Wait as servos comp lete position initialization.

4. Make sure the arm connecting to the servo is parallel to the link. (Shown in the following Fig).

5. A ssemble the left and right servos to the left and the right parts of the landing gear. Power off

.

To right servo

To RLG of M3 “ ”
To receiver channel To F1 port if use A2 ( )

SET Button

LED Finished Installation

Servo Connecting

arm Link



## Recalibrating Servo Travel
Landing gear travel has been pre

- calibrated. Mechanical adjustment of gear travel is not recommended.



### Instructions

1. K eep hands away from all mechanism s

.
2. Ensure [R]

, [L] and [IN] connections are correct.

3. Han g S1000 in the air during calibration as landing gear will move.

4. P ress and hold the SET button using a pin while power ing on , then release. An LED will flash yellow

quickly . P ress the SET button again. A uto calibration will begin and the LED will flash yellow slowly. DO

NOT obstruct any moving part s during auto calibration.

5. During calibration, the left side landing gear will raise and lower. Afterwards, the right side will do the

same.

6. After calibration, both left and right parts will be lowered and the LED will be a solid green. This indicates

that the landing gear is work ing properly

.© 201 4 DJI Innovations. All Rights Reserved. 

### 27 

## Notes
(1) If the LED is solid yellow after calibration, a problem has occurred. Carry out Remounting Landing Gear

Servo then try again.
(2) A void obstruction s during calibration . If the landing gear was obstructed, recalibra t ion is required using

the above steps.
(3) If [R] and [L] servo cables are reversed, travel will not be measured correctly. C onnect correctly and

recalibrate the landing gear using the above steps.