# June 30, 2015

Exemption No. 11956 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

– 20 15

– 1411

Mr. Jaroslav Geba Field Supervisor Mission Geospatial Ltd.

3320 8 Street SE. Calgary, Alberta

Canada T2G 5S7

Dear Mr. Geba :

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

By letter dated April 28, 2015 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on

behalf of Mission Geospatial Ltd. ( hereinafter petitioner or operator ) for an exemption . The petitioner requested to operate an unmanned ai rcraft system (UAS) to conduct aerial data

collection

.

See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA des cribing the proposed operations and

the regulations that the petitioner seeks an exemption

.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petitio n in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to the petitioner

.

Airworthiness Certification

The UAS proposed by the petitioner are the Sensefly eBee, Sensefly eBee RTK, and 3D

Robotics X8

- M

.

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The petitioner requested relief from 14 CFR part 21, C ertification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H

— Airworthiness Certificates

. In accordance with the statutory criteria provided in Section 333 of P ublic Law 112

− 95 in reference to 49 U

. S

. C

. § 44704, and in consideration of the size, weight, speed, and limited operating area associated with the

aircraft and its operation, the Secretary of Transportation has determined that this aircraft

meets the cond itions of Section 333. Therefore, the FAA finds that the requested relief from

14 CFR part 21

, C ertification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H

— Airworthiness Certificates , and any associated noise certification and testing requirements of part 3 6, is

not necessary.

The Basis for Our Decision

You have requested to use a UAS for aerial data collection 1



# . The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition.

In Grants of Exemption No s

. 11062 to Astraeus Aerial ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0352), 11109 to Clayco, Inc. ( see Docket No. FAA

− 2014

− 0507), 11112 to VDOS Global, LLC ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0382), and 11213 to Aeryon Lab s , Inc. ( see Docket No. FAA−2014−0642), the FAA f ound that the enhanced safety achieved using an unmanned aircraft (UA) with the specifications described by the petitioner and carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly greater proportions, carrying crew in

addition to flammable fuel, gives the FAA good cause to find that the UAS operation enabled by this exemption is in the public interest.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that

—

 They are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in Grant of Exemption Nos. 11062, 11109, 11112, and 11213 ;

 The reasons stated by the FAA for granting Exemption Nos. 11062, 11109, 11112, and

11213 also apply to the situation you pre sent; and

 A grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a grant of exemption is in the public interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, and 44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, Mission Geospatial Ltd. is granted an exemption from

14 CFR §§ 61.23(a) and ( c ), 61.101(e)(4 ) and (5), 61.113(a), 61.315(a) , 91.7(a), 91.119(c)

, 91.121, 91.151(a)(1), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) and (2), and 91.417(a) and (b), to

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# Aerial data collection includes any remote sensing and measuring by an instrument(s) aboard the UA. Examples include imagery (photography, video, infrared, etc.), electronic measurement (precision surveying, RF analysis, etc.), chemical measurement (part iculate measurement, etc.), or any other gathering of data by

instruments aboard the UA.

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the extent necessary to allow the petitioner to operate a UAS to perform aerial data collection

. This exemption is subject to the conditions and limitations l isted below.

Conditions and Limitations

In this grant of exemption, Mission Geospatial Ltd. is hereafter referred to as the operator.

Failure to comply with any of the conditions and limitations of this grant of exemption will be grounds for the immediate suspension or rescission of this exemption.

1. Operations authorized by this grant of exemption are limited to the Sensefly eBee, Sensefly eBee RTK, and 3D Robotics X8

- M when weighing less than 55 pounds including payload. Proposed 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 exceedin g 87 knots (100 miles per hour). The exemption holder may use either groundspeed or calibrated airspeed to determine compliance with the 87 knot speed restriction. In no case will the UA be operated at airspeeds greater than the maximum UA operating airs peed recommended by the

aircraft manufacturer.

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

5. The UA must be operated within visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC at all times. This requires the PIC to be able to use human vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, as specified on the PIC’s FAA

- issued airman medical certificate or

U.S. driver’s license.

6. All operations must utilize a visual observer (VO). The UA must be operated within the visual line of sight (VLOS) of the PIC and VO at all times. The VO may be used to satisfy the VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always maintains VLOS capability. The VO and PIC must be able to communicate verbally at all times ;

e lectronic messaging or texting is not permitted during flight operations. The PIC must be designated before the flight and cannot transfer his or her designation for the duration of the flight. The PIC must ensure that the VO can perform th e duties required of the VO.

7. This exemption and all documents needed to operate the UAS and conduct its operations in accordance with the conditions and limitations stated in this grant of exemption, are hereinafter referred to as the operating documents. The operating

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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 the operating document s, the conditions and limitations herein take precedence and must be followed. Otherwise, the operator must follow the procedures as outlined in its operating documents. The operator may update or revise its operating documents. It is the operator’s res ponsibility to track such revisions and present updated and revised documents to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request. The operator must also present updated and revised documents if it petitions for extension

or amendment to thi s grant of exemption. If the operator determines that any update or revision would affect the basis upon which the FAA granted this exemption, then the operator must petition for an amendment to its grant of exemption. The FA A’s UAS Integration Office (A FS− 80) may be contacted if questions arise regarding updates or revisions to the operating documents.

8. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance or alterations that affect the UAS operation or flight characteristics, e.g.

, replacement of a flight critical com ponent, 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 test 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 co nduct a pre

- flight inspection and determine the UAS is in a condition for safe flight. The pre

- flight inspection must account for all potential discrepancies, e.g.

, inoperable components, items, or equipment. If the inspection reveals a condition that af fects 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 requirements for the aircraft and

aircraft components.

12. Each UAS operated under this exemption must comply 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 Col u mbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a pos session, or the Federal

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government. The PIC must also meet the flight revi ew requirements specified in

14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot certificate.

14. The operator may not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates the ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from persons, vessels, vehicles and structures . PIC qualification flight hours and currency must be logged in a manner consistent with

14 CFR § 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes of training the operator’s PICs and VOs (traini ng, proficiency, and experience

- building) and determining the PIC’s abilit y 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 exemption. However, training operations may only be conducted during dedicated training sessions. During

train i ng, proficiency, and experience

- building flights, all persons not essential for flight operations are considered nonparticipants, and the PIC must operate the UA with appropriate distance from nonparticipants in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.119.

15. UAS opera tions may not be conducted during night, as defined in 14 CFR § 1.1. All operations must be conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Flights under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are not authorized.

16. The UA may not operate within 5 naut ical miles of an airport reference point (ARP) as denoted in the current FAA Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) or for airports not denoted with an ARP, the center of the airport symbo l as denoted on the current

FAA

- published aeronautical chart, unless a let ter of agreement with that airport’s management is obtained or otherwise permitted by a COA issued to the exemption 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 below or less than 2,000 feet horizontally from a cloud or when visibility is less than 3 statute miles from the PIC.

18. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS sign al, the UA must return to a

pre

- determined location within the pr ivate or controlled

- access property.

19. The PIC must abort the flight in the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies.

20. The PIC is prohibited from beginning a flight unless (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 five minutes or with the reserve power recommended by the manufacturer if greater.

21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate o f Waiver or Authorization (COA). All operations shall be cond ucted in accordance with an ATO

- issued COA. The

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exemption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct operations that cannot be conducted under the terms of the attached COA

.

22. All aircraft operated in accordance with this exemption must be identified by serial number, registered in accordance with 14 CFR part 47, 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 safe 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 Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request.

24. The UA must remain clear and give way to all manned 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 least 500 feet from all nonparticipating persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless:

a. Barriers or structures are present that sufficiently protect nonparticipatin g persons from the UA and/or debris in the event of an accident. The operator must ensure that nonparticipating persons remain under such protection. If a situation arises where nonparticipating persons leave such protection and are within 500 feet of

th e UA, flight operations must cease immediately in a manner ensuring 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 made a safety assessment of the risk of operating closer to those objects and determined that 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 control led

- access property with permission from the property owner/controller or authorized representative. Permission from property owner/controller or authorized representative will be obtained for each flig ht to be conducted.

28. Any incident, accident, or flight operation that transgresses the lateral or vertical boundaries of the operational area as defined by the applicable COA must be reported

to the FA A's UAS Integration Office (AFS− 80) within 24 hours. A ccidents must be

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reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) per instructions

contained on the NTSB Web site: www.ntsb.gov

.

If this exemption permits operations for the purpose of closed

- set motion picture and television filming and production, the following additional conditions and limitations apply.

29. The operator must have a motion picture and television operations manual (MPTOM) as documented in this grant of exemption.

30. At least 3 days before ae rial filming, the operator of the UAS affected by this exemption must submit a written Plan of Activities to the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) with jurisdiction over the a rea of proposed filming. The 3

- day notification may be waived with t he concurrence of the FSDO. The plan of activities must include at least the following:

a. Dates and times for all flights;

b. Name and phone number of the operator for the UAS aerial filming conducted under this grant of exemption;

c. Name and phone number of th e person responsible for the on

- scene operation of the UAS;

d. Make, model, and serial or N− Number of UAS to be used;

e. Name and certificate number of UAS PICs involved in the aerial filming;

f. A statement that the operator has obtained permission from property ow ners and/or local officials to conduct the filming production event; the list of those who gave permission must be made available to the inspector upon request;

g. Signature of exemption holder or representative; and

h. A description of the flight activity, incl uding maps or diagrams of any area, city, town, county, and/or state over which filming will be conducted and the altitudes essential to accomplish the operation.

31. Flight operations may be conducted closer than 500 feet from participating persons consenting to be involved and necessary for the filming production, as specified in the exemption holder’s MPTOM.

Unless otherwise specified in this grant of exemption, the UAS, the UAS PIC, and the UAS operations must comply with all applicable parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to,

parts 45, 47, 61, and 91.

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This exemption terminates on July 31, 2017 , unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service

EnclosuresU.S.DepartmentofTransportation,DocketOperationsWestBuildingGroundFloor,Roomw12-1401200NewJerseyAvenue,S.E.Washington,DC20590ExemptionRequestunderSection333oftheFAAReformActandPart11oftheFederalAviationRegulationstoallowCommercialUseofUnmannedAircraftSystemsPetitioner:MissionGeospatialLtd.JaroslavGeba33208StreetS.E.Calgary,AlbertaCanadaTel:14036684604Email:jgeba@mgeo.caWebsite:www.mgeo.caDearSirorMadam,PursuanttoSection333oftheFAAModernizationandReformActof2012(hereintoasReformAct)and14CFRPart11,MissionGeospatial,aprofessionalandtechnicalservicesfirm,herebyappliesforanexemptionfromthelistedFederalAviationRegulations(FARs)toallowcommercialoperationofsUASforaerialdatacollection.MissionGeospatialhasobtainedablanketSpecialFlightOperatingCertificateinthePrairieNorthRegionofCanadaandhasabidedbyCanadianAviationRegulations(CARs)andhasenoughexperiencetobringbenefittothecitizensofUnitedStatesofAmerica.Thisapp!icationissubstantiallybasedontheFAA'SfindingsinExemptionNo.11329&11351grantedtobizUASCorp&FalkirkMiningCompanyonDecember19th,2014&January2"d,2015,andinrelianceontheanalysisprovidedtherein.1)Sectionsfromwhichexemptionsaresought:Applicationisherebymadeforexemptionfrom:a)FAAModernizationandReformActof2012,PL112-95FEB.14,2012,Section333b)14CFRPart21,subpartHc)14CFR45.23(b)d)14CFRPart61.113(a)and(b)e)14CFTPart91:i)91.103(b)(2)ii)91.105iii)91.109iv) 91.119

v) 91.121

vi) 91.151

vii) 91.203(a)&(b)

viii) 91.405

ix) 91.407

x) 91.409

xi) 91.417

xi i) 91.7(a)

2) Relief sought:

a) Mission Geospatial (mGeo) wishes to operate small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for

commercia l purposes for aerial data collection.

b) This exemption will cover use of the following airframes, all of which will weight lesss than 55

pounds including payload and energy sources:

i) Sensefly eBee

ii) Sensefly eBee RTK

iii) 3D Robotics X8-M

iv) Other models to be added by future amendment to this exemption

3) Public benefit:

a) Use of sUAS technology to obtain imagery, information and data curren tly obtained by use of

manned flight or manual methods:

i) Reduces statistica l risk to hum an lif e due to manned aircraft accide nts (e.g., power line

inspections) and due to other dangerous activities that can be avoided (e . g . , scaffolding/

rigging fai lur es during stack or bridge inspections).

ii) Reduces the cost of obtaining suc h information , which benefits co n sumers and the

economy.

iii) Reduces environmenta l impact by eliminat ing sources of hydrocarbon emissions from

manned aircraft.

4) Safety not adversely affected :

a) Aircraft will be regi s tered and marked in accordance with Section 44711 and Part 47 and Part

45, Subpart C.

b) Aircraft will comply with maintenance and inspection requirements of the manufacturer. All

repair and maintenance work will be conducted or approved by qualified personnel such as

those a uthori zed by Robotic Skies (or equiva l ent), and will require a test flight after such work.

Records of all maintenance and repair work be kept in a maintenance lo g fo r each aircraft.

c) All flight operations will be conducted by at l east two individuals (PIC and observer) who will

maintain verbal communication capability with each other at a ll times during the flight and who

will remain stationary on the ground during the f li ght operations :

i) A pilot In Command (PIC) who po s sess the following credentials:

(1) An Airman Cert ifi cate issued under 14 CFR 61 (recreational pilot certificate) screened by

the TSA

(2) A valid driver's license to satisfy the medical requirement

(3) A bi - annua l f li ght review under 14 CFR 61.56(4) At least 5 hours of flight experience and 3 takeoffs and landings in make and model

being flown in the prior 90 days. Such cycles and hours may be gained during flights

under this exemption if a safe distance is maintained from persons in accordance with

14 CFR 91.119.

ii) A Visual Observer.

iii) A Sensor Operator as necessary.

d) All flight operations will be conducted in accordance with valid Certificates of Authorization.

e) All flight operations will comply with the following:

i) The manufacturers ' Aircraft Flight Manuals and Operation Guidelines

ii) mGeo flight operations policies including lost communication and other emergency and

safety procedures .

iii) Conducted in VMC conditions during daylight hour s

iv) PIC and VO will maintain VLOS at all times.

v) Pre -f li g ht inspections (including ground control station, if any) and safety risk assessments

will be conducted prior to each flight.

vi) Flight altitudes will remain below 400 feet above ground level.

vii) Flight ground speeds will not e x ceed 50 knots .

viii) Not intrude into Class B, CorD airspace, or published approach, SID or STAR, or take place

within 5 nautical miles of an airport unles s a letter of agreement with that airport's

management is obtained .

ix) Not be made near per so ns as required in 14 CFR 91.119 and not over persons on the ground

without their prior permission.

x) Ea c h flight will be logged in both the PIC' s logbook and the aircraft logbook .

xi) Not excee d 75 % of the battery or fuel capacity of the aircraft or 30 minute s, whichever

oc c urs first.

xii) Any incidents will be reported to NTSB within 24 hours of occurrence.

xiii) mGeo will maintain liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 issued by a insurance

underwriter.

xiv) Any applicable local FSDO requirements .

xv) All other applicable regulations concerned with the operation of aircraft.

f) Aircraft will use 2 .4 GHz for control of the aircraft, and 5.8 GH z for sending data with welldefined and tested lost link procedures .

g) If the sUAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the sUAS will return to a predetermined location within the private or controlled-access property .

Please advise us of any additional information or changes that may be required .

Sincerely,

**d. ~** 

Field Supervisor , Mission Geospatial

April 28 , 2015