**Walnut Creek Mining Company**

**10949 North Tidwell Prairie Rd**

**Bremond, TX 76629**

**October 21, 2015**

**U.S. Department of Transportation**
**Docket Management System**
**1200 New Jersey Ave., SE**
**Washington, DC 20590**

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

**Dear Madam, Sir,**

**Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization an d Reform Act of 2012 (the “Reform Act”)**  **and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, Walnut Creek Mining Company (“WCMC”), an operator of the eBee**  **Unmanned Aircraft System (“eBee”) seeks an exemptio n from the Federal Aviation Regulations**  **(“FARs”) listed below:**

• **14 C.F.R. 21**

• **14 C.F.R. 61.133(a) (b)**

• **14 C.F.R. 91.7(b)**

• **14 C.F.R. 91.119**

• **14 C.F.R. 91.151(a)**

• **14 CFR Subpart E (91.401 - 91.417)**

**The requested exemption would authorize commercial operations using the eBee for mapping,**  **training, agricultural and survey applications. The se operations will be subject to strict operating**  **requirements defined in the eBee user manual (WCMC requests the FAA treat the eBee training**  **program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R. 11.35(b) and does not include this document in the public**  **docket and conditions defined in the paragraph 3.**

**WCMC was incorporated in 1989 with the development of the Calvert Mine, located in Robertson**  **County, Texas. The Calvert Mine produces lignite c oal for power generation at the Twin Oaks**  **Power Plant located adjacent to the mine property. WCMC controls access to 8,668 acres of land**  **within the mine permit area. The active mining are a, where the eBee will be utilized, is 6.7 miles**  **from the nearest town, Bremond Texas. The closest airport, Hearne Municipal Airport**  **(KLHB/LHB) is 28 miles southwest of the mine site. The land area surrounding the Calvert Mine is spars**  **ely populated, with Bremond having a**

**population of 914 residents. Predominant land use around the mine permit is ranching/farming.** 

Figure 1: Google Earth Image of Calvert Mine, mine permit boundary depicted in blue polygon.

**WCMC mine planning engineers specialize in surface lignite extraction. Mine plans generated**  **take into account, clearing and grubbing of pre-min e vegetation, topsoil salvage, mine waste**  **removal, lignite coal extraction, mine land reclama tion including topsoil replacement and post**  **reclamation monitoring. The goal of the mine plann ing staff is to increase safety and cost**  **effectiveness to provide the lowest fuel cost for p ower generation into the Texas electrical grid for**  **public power consumption.**

**Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, and its a ssociated data, is becoming a desirable**  **deliverable with the surface mining industry. Trad itional GPS data collection, available imagery,**  **traditional aircraft flyovers, and surface models l ack resolution and accuracy for elite project**  **planning. UAV collected data allows mine planning engineers to depict the active mining area**  **with great accuracy, resolution, in a timely manner . As importantly, the unmanned aspect reduces**  **the risk of placing employees in perilous environme nts.** 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT

**The eBee is a small (37.8 inches wingspan) and ultr a-light (maximum take-off weight of 1.7**  **pounds) platform made of flexible foam that perform s pre-programmed precision aerial mapping** 

**missions thanks to the on-board GPS and the related flight management software (eMotion) that**  **allows the operator to plan safely and efficiently a mission in 3D, and then monitor it in real-time.**  **Thanks to the embedded camera, protected by a foam envelope, the eBee takes a collection of**  **high-definition still images that are used later to generate maps and contour lines of the surveyed** 

**area.**

**The four main characteristics of the eBee are:**

**a. Very light weight**

**The eBee is so light that the operator can launch i t by hand and let it land on almost any surface**  **without requiring a parachute or landing net (belly land). Its low impact energy (38 J in case of a**  **controlled emergency landing) also significantly re duces the risk of hazardous situations. Finally,**  **the wings of the eBee are detachable and made of fl exible foam with no sharp or hard edges and**  **almost no internal strengthening structure. b. Electric-powered** 

**The eBee is electric powered. A brushless engine te chnology makes it silent and reliable. The**  **propeller is attached with a rubber band to the bod y of the plane so that it can easily flex away in**  **case of contact with any object.**

**c. Semi-automatic flight**

**The artificial intelligence incorporated within the eBee autopilot system continuously analyzes** 

**data from the Inertial Measurement Unit and from th e onboard GPS and takes care of all the**  **aspects of the flight under the supervision of the operator.** 

**d. Option for Manual control**

**Additionally, the eBee provides an override capabil ity that allows the operator to take manual**  **actions during the flight (Go to Home, Go Land, Hol d and Resume the mission) and also suspend**  **automated operations and take manual control of the aircraft should it become necessary to**  **respond emergent circumstances, thanks to the remot e controller provided with the system.** 2. APPLICATIONS

**WCMC intends to utilize the eBee for the purpose of conducting aerial surveys to gather data**  **used for the purpose of creating mine sequence plan s, calculating volumetric of topsoil salvage,**  **mine waste stripping, lignite coal extraction, and land reclamation.** 

**Using the eBee’s sensor technology, WCMC will be ab le to collect time-specific imagery and** 

**elevation information. Once the entire terrain of interest in flown, images collected during the**  **flight will be merged together in a software progra m to make a topographic model. Using**  **specific mathematical equations within the Postflig ht Terra 3D software, project field conditions,**  **terrain characteristics and potential hazard areas can be easily identified.** 

**The eBee will be used to evaluate information, incl uding but not limited to:** 

• **Topographic characteristics**

• **Volumetric estimates**

• **Slope and terrain impediments**

• **Natural and cultural resource identification**

• **As-built feature identification and analysis**

• **Hazard evaluation (ground stability, water impoundm ent inspection)** 

• **Project design evaluations**

**Usually, in order for a surface mine to prepare fil l sequence, soil management or other** 

**operational plans, a flyover by a large aircraft is required, at great cost. As a result, WCMC has** 

**reduced the number of times they conduct traditiona l flyovers, which can negatively impact their** 

**efficient use of time, money and resources.**

3. APPLICABLE LEGAL STANDARD UNDER SECTION 333

**a. Airworthiness assessment of the eBee**

**WCMC notes that the airworthiness of the eBee has a lready been demonstrated for different**  **projects in the United States, involving state/fede ral agencies or universities (among others the**  **New Mexico State University: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/10208/nms**  **u-uas-flight**

**test-center-conducts-ebee-airworthiness-assessment , and the USACE New Orleans, who**  **coordinated with the Department of Army and the FAA to obtain all authorizations required in**  **order to operate the eBee UAS). Moreover the eBee a lready received 15 Exemptions from the** 

**FAA. SenseFly also obtained flight approvals for the eBe**  **e (delivered by national civil aviation**

**authorities) in many countries, among others:**

• **Switzerland (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **Canada (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **Australia (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **France (flight approval for Extended-VLOS operation s)** 

• **Germany (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **United Kingdom (flight approval for VLOS operations )** 

• **Norway (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **Sweden (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

• **Denmark (flight approval for VLOS operations)**

**b. Operating requirements**

**Grant of the exemption to WCMC for the eBee will be subject to the following operating** 

**conditions:**

• **1. Operations authorized by this grant of exemption are limited to the SenseFly eBee when**  **weighing less than 55 pounds including payload. Pro posed operations of any other aircraft**  **will require a new petition or a petition to amend this exemption.** 

• **2. Operations for the purpose of closed-set motion picture and television filming are not**  **permitted.**

• **3. The UA may not be operated at a speed exceeding 87 knots (100 miles per hour). The**  **exemption holder may use either groundspeed or cali brated airspeed to determine**  **compliance with the 87 knot speed restriction. In n o case will the UA be operated at**  **airspeeds greater than the maximum UA operating air speed recommended by the aircraft** 

**manufacturer.**

• **4. The UA must be operated at an altitude of no mor e than 400 feet above ground level**  **(AGL). Altitude must be reported in feet AGL.**

• **5. The UA must be operated within visual line of si ght (VLOS) of the PIC at all times.**  **This requires the PIC to be able to use human visio n unaided by any device other than**  **corrective lenses, as specified on the PIC’s FAA-is sued airman medical certificate or U.S.** 

**driver’s license.**

• **6. All operations must utilize a visual observer (V O). The UA must be operated within the**  **visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC and VO at al l times. The VO may be used to satisfy**  **the VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always main tains VLOS capability. The VO and**  **PIC must be able to communicate verbally at all tim es; electronic messaging or texting is**  **not permitted during flight operations. The PIC mus t be designated before the flight and**  **cannot transfer his or her designation for the dura tion of the flight. The PIC must ensure**  **that the VO can perform the duties required of the VO.** 

• **7. This exemption and all documents needed to opera te the UAS and conduct its**  **operations in accordance with the conditions and li mitations stated in this grant of**  **exemption, are hereinafter referred to as the opera ting documents. The operating** **documents must be accessible during UAS operations and made available to the** 

**Administrator upon request. If a discrepancy exists between the conditions and limitations**  **in this exemption and the procedures outlined in th e operating documents, the conditions**  **and limitations herein take precedence and must be followed. Otherwise, the operator**  **must follow the procedures as outlined in its opera ting documents. The operator may**  **update or revise its operating documents. It is the operator’s responsibility to track such**  **revisions and present updated and revised documents to the Administrator or any law**  **enforcement official upon request. The operator mus t also present updated and revised**  **documents if it petitions for extension or amendmen t to this grant of exemption. If the**  **operator determines that any update or revision wou ld affect the basis upon which the**  **FAA granted this exemption, then the operator must petition for an amendment to its grant**  **of exemption. The FAA’s UAS Integration Office (AFS -80) may be contacted if questions**  **arise regarding updates or revisions to the operati ng documents.** 

• **8. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance or altera tions that affect the UAS operation**  **or flight characteristics, e.g. replacement of a fl ight critical component, must undergo a**  **functional test flight prior to conducting further operations under this exemption.**  **Functional test flights may only be conducted by a PIC with a VO and must remain at**  **least 500 feet from other people. The functional te st flight must be conducted in such a**  **manner so as to not pose an undue hazard to persons and property.** 

• **9. The operator is responsible for maintaining and inspecting the UAS to ensure that it is**  **in a condition for safe operation.**

• **10. Prior to each flight, the PIC must conduct a pr e-flight inspection and determine the**  **UAS is in a condition for safe flight. The pre-flig ht inspection must account for all**  **potential discrepancies, e.g. inoperable components , items, or equipment. If the inspection**  **reveals a condition that affects the safe operation of the UAS, the aircraft is prohibited**  **from operating until the necessary maintenance has been performed and the UAS is found**  **to be in a condition for safe flight.**

• **11. The operator must follow the UAS manufacturer’s maintenance, overhaul,**  **replacement, inspection, and life limit requirement s for the aircraft and aircraft** 

**components.**

• **12. Each UAS operated under this exemption must com ply with all manufacturer safety** 

**bulletins.**

• **13. Under this grant of exemption, a PIC must hold either an airline transport, commercial,**  **private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate. The PIC must also hold a current FAA** 

**airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued by a state, the District of**  **Colombia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, o r the Federal government. The PIC must**  **also meet the flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in**  **which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot certific ate.** 

• **14. The operator may not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates the**  **ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consi stent with how the UAS will be**  **operated under this exemption, including evasive an d emergency maneuvers and**  **maintaining appropriate distances from persons, ves sels, vehicles and structures. PIC**  **qualification flight hours and currency must be log ged in a manner consistent with 14**  **CFR § 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes of trainin g the operator’s PICs and VOs** **(training, proficiency, and experience-building) an d determining the PIC’s ability to safely** 

**operate the UAS in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated under this**  **exemption are permitted under the terms of this exe mption. However, training operations**  **may only be conducted during dedicated training ses sions. During training, proficiency,**  **and experience-building flights, all persons not es sential for flight operations are**  **considered nonparticipants, and the PIC must operat e the UA with appropriate distance**  **from nonparticipants in accordance with 14 CFR § 91 .119.** 

• **15. UAS operations may not be conducted during nigh t, as defined in 14 CFR § 1.1. All**  **operations must be conducted under visual meteorolo gical conditions (VMC). Flights**  **under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are not au thorized.** 

• **16. The UA may not operate within 5 nautical miles of an airport reference point (ARP) as**  **denoted in the current FAA Airport/Facility Directo ry (AFD) or for airports not denoted**  **with an ARP, the center of the airport symbol as de noted on the current FAA- published**  **aeronautical chart, unless a letter of agreement wi th that airport’s management is obtained**  **or otherwise permitted by a COA issued to the exemp tion holder. The letter of agreement**  **with the airport management must be made available to the Administrator or any law**  **enforcement official upon request.**

• **17. The UA may not be operated less than 500 feet b elow or less than 2,000 feet**  **horizontally from a cloud or when visibility is les s than 3 statute miles from the PIC.** 

• **18. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GP S signal, the UA must return to a pre**  **determined location within the private or controlle d-access property.** 

• **19. The PIC must abort the flight in the event of u npredicted obstacles or emergencies.** 

• **20. The PIC is prohibited from beginning a flight u nless (considering wind and forecast**  **weather conditions) there is enough available power for the UA to conduct the intended**  **operation and to operate after that for at least fi ve minutes or with the reserve power**  **recommended by the manufacturer if greater.**

• **21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate of W aiver or Authorization (COA). All**  **operations shall be conducted in accordance with an ATO-issued COA. The exemption**  **holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it int ends to conduct operations that** 

**cannot be conducted under the terms of the attached COA.** 

• **22. All aircraft operated in accordance with this e xemption must be identified by serial**  **number, registered in accordance with 14 CFR part 4 7, and have identification (N**  **Number) markings in accordance with 14 CFR part 45, Subpart C. Markings must be as**  **large as practicable.**

•

• **23. Documents used by the operator to ensure the sa fe operation and flight of the UAS and**  **any documents required under 14 CFR §§ 91.9 and 91. 203 must be available to the PIC at**  **the Ground Control Station of the UAS any time the aircraft is operating. These** 

**documents must be made available to the Administrat or or any law enforcement official** 

**upon request.**

• **24. The UA must remain clear and give way to all ma nned aviation operations and** 

**activities at all times.**• **25. The UAS may not be operated by the PIC from any moving device or vehicle.** 

• **26. All Flight operations must be conducted at leas t 500 feet from all nonparticipating**  **persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless:**

• **a. Barriers or structures are present that sufficie ntly protect nonparticipating persons from** 

**the UA and/or debris in the event of an accident. T he operator must ensure that**  **nonparticipating persons remain under such protecti on. If a situation arises where**  **nonparticipating persons leave such protection and are within 500 feet of the UA, flight**  **operations must cease immediately in a manner ensur ing the safety of nonparticipating**  **persons; and**

• **b. The owner/controller of any vessels, vehicles or structures has granted permission for**  **operating closer to those objects and the PIC has m ade a safety assessment of the risk of**  **operating closer to those objects and determined th at it does not present an undue hazard.** 

**The PIC, VO, operator trainees or essential persons are not considered nonparticipating**  **persons under this exemption.**

• **27. All operations shall be conducted over private or controlled-access property with**  **permission from the property owner/controller or au thorized representative. Permission**  **from property owner/controller or authorized repres entative will be obtained for each**  **flight to be conducted.**

• **28. Any incident, accident, or flight operation tha t transgresses the lateral or vertical**  **boundaries of the operational area as defined by th e applicable COA must be reported to**  **the FAA's UAS Integration Office (AFS-80) within 24 hours. Accidents must be reported**  **to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) per instructions contained on the** 

**NTSB Web site: www.ntsb.gov** 

**.**

3. CONCLUSION

**Overall, UAV technology offers a more efficient, co st-effective data collection method to the** 
**mining, construction and agricultural industries. U tilizing the eBee will allow WCMC to gather** 
**data for mine planning that will save money and inc rease workflow efficiency. Furthermore, the** 
**unmanned aspect decreases the risk of placing emplo yees in hazardous conditions often required** 
**by traditional data collection devices.**

**WCMC, in association with SenseFly, who has experie nce with safe integration of unmanned** 
**aircraft in the National airspace, has hopefully pr ovided an adequate justification for the grant of** 
**the exemption allowing use of the eBee for data col lection and customer training.** 

**Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have an y questions.** 

**Yours sincerely,**

**Jason Buenemann, PE WY 11556 Engineering Manager, Walnut Creek Mine** ANNEX A: EXEMPTION REQUEST AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY

SHOWINGS UNDER APPLICABLE RULES SUBJECT TO EXEMPTIO N

**WCMC requests an exemption from the following regul ations as well as any additional**  **regulations that may technically apply to the opera tion of the eBee:** 

14 C.F.R. Part 21, Subpart H: Airworthiness Certif icates
14 CFR § 91.203(a)(1)

**Section 91.203 requires all civil aircraft to have a certificate of airworthiness. Part 21, Subpart H,**  **entitled Airworthiness Certificates, establishes th e procedural requirements for the issuance of**  **airworthiness certificates as required by FAR § 91. 203(a). Given the size of the eBee, its very**  **light weight (the maximum take-off weight is 1.7 po unds) and the limited operating area**  **associated with its utilization, it is unnecessary to go through the certificate of airworthiness**  **process under Part 21 Subpart H in order to achieve or exceed current safety levels.** 

**Such an exemption meets the requirements of an equi valent level of safety under Part 11 and** 

**Section 333 of the Reform Act. The Federal Aviation Act and Section 333 of the Reform Act both**  **authorize the FAA to exempt aircraft from the requi rement for an airworthiness certificate, upon**  **consideration of the size, weight, speed, operation al capability, and proximity to airports and**  **populated areas of the UAS involved. An analysis of these different criteria demonstrates that the**  **eBee operated without an airworthiness certificate, under the conditions proposed in that**  **exemption, will be at least as safe, or safer, than a conventional aircraft with an airworthiness**  **certificate. A proprietary risk assessment for oper ations with the eBee, which demonstrates that**  **assertion, is also being submitted to the FAA as pa rt of this application. WCMC requests the FAA**  **treat the eBee risk assessment as proprietary under 14 C.F.R. 11.35(b) and not include this**  **document in the public docket.**

14 C.F.R. § 61.3: Requirements for certificates, ra tings and authorizations
14 C.F.R. § 61.113(a) & (b); 61.133(a): Private Pi lot Privileges and Limitations; Pilot in
Command; Commercial Pilot Privileges and Limitation s

**The regulation provides that no person may serve as a required pilot flight crewmember of a civil**  **aircraft of the United States, unless that person:**

**(1) Has a pilot certificate or special purpose pilo t authorization issued under this part in that**  **person's physical possession or readily accessible in the aircraft when exercising the privileges of**  **that pilot certificate or authorization. However, w hen the aircraft is operated within a foreign**  **country, a pilot license issued by that country may be used.** 

**The regulation provides also that no person that ho lds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in**  **command of an aircraft for compensation or hire. S ubparagraph (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;**  **(2) The aircraft does not carry passengers or prope rty for compensation or hire.** 

**Given the safety features of the eBee and the fact that the missions are pre-programmed and**  **monitored in real-time with a specific flight manag ement software (eMotion), SenseFly proposes**  **that operators of the eBee should not be required t o hold a commercial pilot certification. Instead,** **operators should be required to:**

• **Possess a sport pilot certificate**

• **Possess a valid state driver’s license**

• **Successfully passed a manufacturer’s training progr am for the eBee; WCMC request the**  **FAA treat the eBee training program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R 11.35(b) and does not**  **include this document in the public docket.**

14 C.F.R. § 91.7(a): Civil aircraft airworthiness

**This regulation requires that no person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in airworthy**  **condition. Should the exemption be granted allowin g commercial operation of the eBee without**  **an airworthiness certificate, no standard will exis t for airworthiness of the eBee. Given the size of**  **the aircraft and the previous airworthiness assessm ents given to the eBee, among others:** 

• **New Mexico State University: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/10208/nms**  **u uas-flight-test-center-conducts-ebee-airworthiness-**  **assessment**

• **USACE New Orleans, who coordinated with the Departm ent of Army and the FAA to**  **obtain all authorizations required in order to oper ate the eBee UAS for levee system**  **monitoring, documentation of construction progress, and extensive oblique photography** 

**of USACE structures & activities**

**An equivalent level of safety will be achieved by i nsuring compliance with the SenseFly manuals**  **prior to each flight.**

14 CFR § 91.119: Minimum Safe Altitudes

**The regulation provides that over sparsely populate d areas the aircraft cannot be operated closer**  **than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or st ructure. Since the aircraft will be operating at a**  **maximum of 400 feet AGL, the eBee cannot comply wit h this requirement.** 

**The equivalent level of safety will be achieved bec ause the eBee will only fly over private mine**  **property. The operator will define before every fli ght a working area radius and a flight area**  **ceiling, preventing the eBee to go beyond the fligh t area. The landowner and the persons who**  **may be on the ground in the flight area will be bri efed of the expected route of flight and the**  **associated risks to persons and property on the gro und. Due to the small size of the eBee and the**  **material with which the eBee is built, the hazard t o persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures is not**  **comparable to manned aircraft and should be conside red in granting the exemption.** 

**Moreover, the aircraft will not be operated over co ngested areas nor over any open-air assembly**  **of persons. The aircraft will be operated at an alt itude allowing, if a power unit fails, an**  **emergency landing without undue hazard to persons o r property on the surface.** 

14 C.F.R. § 91.151(a): 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 th e first point of intended landing and to fly after** 

**that for at least 30 minutes. Given the area of operation for the eBee, WCMC beli**  **eves that an equivalent level of safety is**

**already achieved with the specific procedure preven ting the eBee to accept a take-off order is the**  **battery level is below a given value. Moreover, Sen seFly has integrated “low” and “critical”**  **battery level warnings and implemented a “return to Home” (and “Go Land”) actions in these** 

**situations.**

14 CFR Subpart E (91.401 - 91.417) - Maintenance, P reventive Maintenance, and

Alterations

**The regulation provides that the operator is primar ily responsible for maintaining the aircraft in an**  **airworthy condition, including compliance with Part s 39 and 43. Paragraphs 91.407 and 91.409**  **require that the aircraft be "approved for return t o service by a person authorized under 43.7" after**  **maintenance and inspection. Section 91.409(a)(2) re quires an annual inspection for the issuance**  **of an airworthiness certificate. Section 91.417(a) requires the owner or operator to keep records**  **showing certain maintenance work that has been acco mplished by certificated mechanics, under**  **Part 43, or licensed pilots and records of approval of the aircraft for return to service.** 

**WCMC proposes that the maintenance of the eBee will be accomplished by the owner/operator**  **according to the maintenance manual, provided by Se nseFly. WCMC requests the FAA treat the**  **eBee training program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R . 11.35(b) and not include this document in**  **the public docket.**

**An equivalent level of safety will be achieved beca use the eBee is small in size, it is not a**  **complex mechanical device, it will carry no externa l payload, and it will operate only in restricted**  **predetermined areas. Moreover, the operator is the person most familiar with the aircraft and is** 

**best suited to maintain the aircraft in an airworth y condition and to ensure an equivalent level of**  **safety. Finally, before every flight, the eBee runs automatically a sequence of pre-flight tests to**  **make sure that every sensor and every critical part is running properly. If a problem is detected,** 

**the eBee will not be able to be switched-on and a m essage error is displayed on the main screen of**  **the flight management software. The operator can th en refer to the maintenance manual to**  **troubleshoot this issue. Several parts of the eBee are easily interchangeable (propellers, wings),**  **which allows the operator to make sure the wings an d propulsion system are always airworthy** 

**when a mission is initiated.**