Unmanned Aerial System Operations Manual or 

Flight Operations and Procedures Manual (the 

“FOPM”)

Preface

The following procedures are intended to promote safe, efficient and lawful operation of 

the SHARK&MINNOW INC.'s unmanned aerial system (UAS). Safety, above all else, is 

the primary concern in each and every operation, regardless of the nature of the 

mission.

Protection of Rights and Privacy

All flights will occur over private or controlled access areas with the property owner’s 

prior consent and knowledge. Filming will be only of people who have given their 

consent or otherwise have agreed to be in the area where filming will take place.

Satisfaction of the criteria provided in Section 333 of the Reform Act of 2012 (size, 

weight, speed, operating capabilities, proximity to airports and populated areas and 

operation within visual line of sight and national security) provide more than adequate 

justification to grant shark&minnow inc.'s requested exemption, allowing for 

shark&minnow inc.'s UAS commercial operations for the Marketing Projects pursuant to 

the FOPM included herewith.

Definitions

COA (Certificate of Authorization) - Given by the FAA, which grants permission to fly 

within specific boundaries and perimeters. Training flights cannot take place without a

valid T &E (training & evaluation) COA and missions cannot take place without a valid 

operational I emergency COA.

Operations Manual

1. The policies and procedures contained in this manual are issued by authority of 

the Chief Strategy Officer. As such it is an official document of the 

SHARK&MINNOW INC.

2. This manual is not intended to be all-inclusive, but as a supplement to other 

department guidelines, Federal Aviation Administration regulations, aircraft 

manufacturers' approved flight manual, etc.

3. Manual has been written to address UAS operations as they existed when it was 

drafted. Equipment, personnel, environment (internal and external), etc., change 

over time. The management of change involves a systematic approach to 

monitoring organizational change and is a critical part of the risk management 

process. Given this, it is essential that this manual be continually updated as 

necessary. The entire manual will be reviewed, at a minimum, annually to assure 

it is up to date. Any changes to the manual will be communicated as currently 

dictated by department policy. A copy of the manual (electronic and/or paper) will 

be issued to every person having UAS responsibilities.

Organization
1. The UAS unit shall be comprised of those personnel approved by the 

SHARK&MINNOW INC. Leadership Team and includes operators, observers 

and others deemed necessary such as IT personnel, and an have assignment as 

part of the UAS unit.

2. The UAS unit will be comprised of officers who are on-duty during core business 

hours.

3. Assignment to the UAS unit is voluntary. Primary UAS Operators understand that 

no stand-by is paid. 

Personnel

1. The Chief Strategy Officer is responsible for the overall direction and will exercise 

command and control

2. The Arson/Bomb/CBRNE Unit commander is responsible for the day-to-day

supervision and command of the UAS unit.

3. UAS Coordinator: Responsibilities: 1) maintaining all training, flight and 

maintenance records for each operator and observer as well as individual 

airframes, 2) maintain contact with the FAA and regulations as they change, 3) 

evaluate airframes based on mission needs. 4) The UAS Coordinator must 

maintain a current class II flight physical and proficiency on all UAS operated by 

the unit.

4. Operators: To be considered for selection as an operator, applicants are not 

required to already possess a Class II FAA certification (private pilots) or a Class 

II FAA physical examination. Applicants must meet the requirements for and 

successfully pass a class II flight physical in order to be accepted into the UAS 

unit. Operators must have an understanding of, and comply with FAA and Military 

Regulations applicable to the airspace where the UAS will operate. Operators 

must have in their possession a current second class (or higher) airman medical 

certificate. An operator's primary duty is the safe and effective operation of 

SHARK&MINNOW INC.'s UAS in accordance with the manufacturers' approved 

flight manual, FAA regulations and agency policy and procedures. Operators 

must remain knowledgeable of all FAA regulations; UAS manufacturer's flight 

manual and bulletins and SHARK&MINNOW INC. policy and procedures.

Operators may be temporarily removed from flight status at any time by the UAS

5. Observers: To be considered for selection as an observer, applicants are not 

required to already possess a Class II FAA certification (private pilots) or a Class 

II FAA physical examination. Observers must have been provided with sufficient 

training to communicate clearly to the operator any turning instructions required 

to stay clear of conflicting traffic. Observers will receive training on rules and 

responsibilities. Observers must have in their possession a current second class 

(or higher) airman medical certificate. An observer's primary duty is to operate 

the UAS's equipment including cameras, radio communications with patrol units 

as well as be an observer for anything that may affect the operator's primary duty 

(see and avoid).

Facilities

1. UAS operations will be housed and maintained at a facility designated by the 

Chief Strategy Officer

2. Personnel will not leave the designated facility without making sure the UAS 

equipment is secured.
3. All personnel are equally responsible for maintaining the facility in a neat, clean 

and orderly fashion.

Scheduling

1. To facilitate the broad use of the UAS, it shall be made available to all patrol and 

all investigations bureau personal,

2. To maintain a level of proficiency with the UAS, operators will be required, as 

part of their acceptance into the UAS unit, to attend training every two months. 

Training will be coordinated through the UAS Unit and announced in advance for 

scheduling purposes.

Safety Policy

1. SHARK&MINNOW INC. is committed to having a safe and healthy workplace, 

including:

a. The ongoing pursuit of an accident free workplace, including no harm to 

people, no damage to equipment, the environment and property.

b. A culture of open reporting of all safety hazards in which management will 

not initiate disciplinary action against any personnel who, in good faith, 

disclose a hazard or safety occurrence due to unintentional conduct.

c. Support for safety training and awareness programs.

d. Conducting regular audits of safety policies, procedures and practices.

e. Monitoring the UAS community to ensure best safety practices are 

incorporated into the organization.

2. It is the duty of every member within the UAS unit to contribute to the goal of 

continued safe operations. This contribution may come in many forms and 

includes always operating in the safest manner practicable and 11ever taking 

unnecessary risks. Any safety hazard, whether procedural, operational or 

maintenance related should be identified as soon as possible after, if not before, 

an incident occurs, Any suggestions in the interest of safety should be made to 

the UAS unit Chain of Command.

3. If any member observes, or has knowledge, of an unsafe or dangerous act 

committed by another member, the Chief Strategy Officer is to be notified 

immediately so that corrective action may be taken.

Personal Equipment

1. Operators/Observers shall wear eye protection at all times while the UAS is in 

flight.

2. Although there is no specific uniform for the UAS unit or required for proper 

operation of the UAS, the operator/observer should take necessary measures to 

deploy in a professional matter and take into consideration that all deployments 

are subject to PDR's and may be media present.

3. Operators/Observers will take into consideration the current weather conditions 

when planning to deploy, and wear appropriate clothing to deploy comfortably.

4. There are no documented issues with the use of the radio or cellular phones 

during the deployment of the UAS, but the operator/observer should at all time 

take into consideration safe operation of the UAS when using the radio or 

another device. (Use of the radio or other device is strictly prohibited by the 

operator during flight per the COA.)
5. Operators/Observers shall wear clothing that easily identifies them as 

SHARK&MINNOW INC. Officers.

Occurrences

1. Occurrences are unplanned safety related events, including accidents and 

incidents that could impact safety. A hazard is something that has the potential to 

cause harm. The systematic identification and control of all major hazards is 

foundational to safety.

2. The OHOR concept provides a mechanism to report hazards and occurrences, 

real and perceived, to those responsible for UAS operations.

3. There is no specific format for the OHOR as the information provided is what is 

important, not the format and should be used without hesitation to report any 

anticipated, current, or experienced safety hazard, or occurrence. Further, the 

OHOR can be submitted anonymously, and to whatever level in the chain of 

command, to get the matter proper attention, without fear of reprisal.

4. Written memorandums fully explaining the problem will be given to the Chief 

Strategy Officer for investigation.

5. Every hazard and/or occurrence will be investigated, with the results and 

corrective action taken communicated to all members. The investigation will be 

conducted by a supervisor, under the direction of the Chief Strategy Officer, or 

any other member of the department who has the technical skill necessary to do 

it. The services of an independent subject matter expert may be necessary in 

some cases to assure a thorough and complete investigation.

6. Hazards requiring immediate attention will be brought to the attention of the Chief 

Strategy Officer. The UAS unit chain of command will be notified immediately in 

such situations.

Safety Officer

1. In regards to safety, all members of the UAS unit are responsible for the 

following:

a) Ensuring all flight operations personnel understand applicable 

regulatory requirements, standards and organizational safety policies 

and procedures.

b) Observe and control safety systems by monitoring all operations.

c) Review standards and the practices of department personnel as they 

impact operational safety.

d) Communicate all reported safety related problems and the corrective 

action taken.

2. If there were any in-flight problems (or learned experiences), the proper 

procedures for handling that problem should be discussed.

a) Copy and circulate pertinent safety information.

b) Copy and circulate emergency safety bulletins.

c) Place any electronic copies of safety information or bulletins on the 

service for members to access.

d) It is emphasized again that safety is the responsibility of ALL 

members of the UAS unit.

Safety Training
1. All members shall receive training in the following subjects prior to operating the 

UAS:

a. Agency commitment to safety

b. Agency policy

c. UAS member's role in safety

d. Emergency safety procedures

2. All members shall review the department safety policy and procedures on an 

annual basis and that review shall be noted in their training history.

Medical

1. Operator and Observers shall only deploy the UAS when rested and emotionally 

prepared for the tasks at hand.

2. Physical illness, exhaustion, emotional problems, etc., can seriously impair 

judgment, memory and alertness. Members are expected to "stand down" when 

these problems could reasonably be expected to affect their ability to perform

flight duties. 

3. A self-assessment of physical condition shall be made by all members during 

pre-flight activities

4. Performance can be seriously hampered by prescription and over· the counter 

drugs. The UAS commander will be advised anytime such drugs are being taken. 

If it is determined that the medication being taken could hamper an operator or 

observer, that member shall be prohibited from the deployment or exercise.

5. No member shall act as an operator or observer within eight hours after 

consumption of any alcoholic beverage, while under the influence of alcohol, or 

while having an alcohol concentration 

Training

The key to continued safe operations is by maintaining a professional level of 

competency. The first step in this process is establishing minimum qualifications for 

selecting members, and the second step involves training those personnel.

Instructors

1. If any members are FAA certified flight instructors, they will be given instructor 

duties. Such duties can include developing training courses; provide training and 

student evaluation and documentation.

2. Duties of instructing new members shall fall upon those who have the most flight 

time and knowledge of UAS operations. Instructors will be designated by those 

within the unit an approved by the UAS Commander.

Training Plans

1. All members will have a training plan on file that outlines training objectives for 

the upcoming year. This training plan will be held in conjunction with the 

member's normal training file per department policy.

2. The approved training plan will be developed jointly by the supervisor, UAS 

members and the department's training unit.

3. All deployments or exercises will be documented and count toward a member's 

training.

4. It is the member's responsibility to verify their training file contains all pertinent 

information
Recurrent Training

1. All member s embers within the unit shall maintain proficiency in their 

operator/observer abilities. Members who do not have any documented training 

or flight time within a span of 90 days will have to show proficiency before being 

an operator/observer during a deployment or exercise.

2. Recurrent training is not limited to actual operating/observer skills but includes 

knowledge of all pertinent DAS/aviation matters.

3. Failure to prove proficiency can result in removal from UAS responsibilities.

Pre-/Post-Flight Actions

1. Operators/Observers are both responsible for a thorough preflight inspection of 

the UAS.

2. Before and after each deployment (whether an incident or training), the operator 

and observer shall conduct a thorough inspection of the UAS in accordance with 

the instructions contained in the manufactures user's manual.

3. Any issues found that will put in jeopardy the safe operation of the UAS shall be 

documented and resolved immediately prior to flight.

4. It has been recognized that the use of a checklist is a significant method to 

combat UAS accidents. A pre-flight and post-flight checklist is contained in the 

Base Station and will be utilized prior to each flight.

5. Any physical equipment that cannot be resolved on-site, and which have an 

impact on safety or the mission, will override the deployment. These issues will 

be resolved before flight.

Weather

1. Before each deployment the operator/observer will ensure that he/she gathers 

enough information to make themselves familiar with the weather situation 

existing throughout the area of deployment. The operator shall utilize FAA 

approved weather resources to obtain the latest and most current weather 

conditions. 

2. An anemometer should be utilized in order to better estimate the wind speed and 

determine if it is within the capabilities of the airframe being flown.

3. Operators/Observers should use the Beaufort scale when making deployment 

decisions in regards to wind conditions. This scale can be located in ·the 

manufacture' s user's manual.

4. The weather conditions reported for the operation shall be recorded in the flight 

log.

5. The operator shall ensure that the flight will occur within FAA VFR weather 

requirements.

Documentation

1. Inspection and weather will be documented prior to flight within the logbook.

2. After each flight, the operator will complete a statement documenting the UAS 

operations.

Planning
1. The operator/observer shall familiarize themselves with all available information 

concerning the deployment including, but not limited to, the weather conditions, 

hazards, description of the incident, deployment goals, etc.

2. Operators will ensure that the location for takeoff and emergency landing is 

adequate for a safe deployment.

a. The takeoff/landing location should be clearly marked and identifiable with 

electric flares and short cones.

b. At least one emergency landing area should be identified per deployment.

3. Operators will ensure that they are aware of their surroundings in the event that 

an emergency landing is necessary. This includes the ability to recover the UAS.

Checklists

1. Operators shall utilize the checklists to ensure the highest level of safety for 

deployment.

2. Prior to flight, the flight log shall be initiated.

Maintenance

Although there are few parts on the UAS that need servicing, it is necessary that the 

manufacturer's maintenance schedule is followed and properly documented.

Any issues that arise during maintenance that cannot be resolved by routine methods 

shall be forwarded to the manufacturer for further technical support.