Electronic*Submission

October!14,!2015

U.S.!Department!of!Transportation,!Docket!Operations! West!Building!Ground!Floor,!Room!W12

E 140!1200 New!Jersey!Avenue!SE! Washington,!DC!20590!

Dear!Sir!or!Madam:!

Pursuant!to!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Modernization!and! Reform!Act!of!2012!(herein! referred!to!as!FMRA)!and!14!CFR!Part!11,! AriAscend!Corporation (herein!referred!to!

as! AriAscend )!hereby!applies!for!an!exemption!from!the!listed!Federal!Aviation! Regulations!(FARs)!to!allow!commercial!operation!of!UAS for!the!acquisition!of! aerial!data,!so!long!as!such!operations!are!conducted!within!and!under!the! conditions!outlined!herein!or!as!may!be!established!by!the!FAA.!

As!detailed!in!this!document!and!the!attached!Appendix!of!UAS,!the!requested! exemption!would permit!the!operation!of!UAS!platforms!previously!approved!by!the! FAA!for!commercial!operations!in!the!United!States.!Approval!of!this!exemption! would!thereby!enhance!safety!and!fulfill!the!Secretary!of!Transportation’s! responsibilities!to!“...establish!re quirements!for!the!safe!operation!of!such!aircraft! systems!in!the!national!airspace!system.”!Section!333(c)!Reform!Act.!

The!name!and!address!of!the!applicant!is:!

AriAscend!Corporation Thomas!Sugahara
CEO!&!Co

E Founder
PO!Box!5046 Salem,!OR!97304
Tel:!503

E 302

E 4935 Email:!kenji@ariascend.com!

Regulations!from!which!the!exemption!is!requested:!

14!CFR!Part!21! 14!CFR!45.23(b)! 14!CFR!61.113(a)!&!(b)! 14!CFR!91.7(a)! 14!CFR!91.9(b)(2)!
14!CFR!91.103!
14!CFR!91.109!
14!CFR!91.119!
14!CFR!91.121! 14!CFR!91.151(a )!14!CFR!91.203(a)!&!(b)! 14!CFR!91.405(a)! 14!CFR!407(a)(1)! 14!CFR!409(a)(2)! 14!CFR!417(a)!&!(b)!

AUTHORITY*FOR*EXEMPTIONS*

The!Federal!Aviation!Act!expressly!grants!the!FAA!authority!to!issue!exemptions.! This!statutory!authority!includes!exempting!civ il!aircraft,!as!the!term!is!defined! under!§40101!of!the!Act,!including!UAS,!from!the!requirement!that!all!civil!aircraft!
must!have!a!current!airworthiness!certificate.!

The!Administrator!may!grant!an!exemption!from!a!requirement!of!a!regulation! prescribed! under!subsection!(a)!or!(b)!of!this!section!or!any!sections!§44702

E 44716! of!this!title!if!the!Administrator!finds!the!exemption!in!the!public!interest.!49!USC! §44701(f).!See!also!49!USC!§44711(a);!49!USC!§44704;!14!CFR!91.203(a)(1).!

Section!333(b)!of!the! Reform!Act!assists!the!Secretary!in!determining!whether!UAS! may!operate!in!the!national!airspace!system!without!creating!a!hazard!to!the!user,! the!public,!or!a!threat!to!national!security.!In!making!this!determination,!the! Secretary!must!consider:!

• The!U AS’!size,!weight,!speed!and!operational!capability;!

• Whether!the!UAS!operates!within!the!visual!line!of!sight!of!the!operator;!

• Whether!the!UAS!operates!outside!of!highly!populated!areas!and!away!from! close!proximity!to!airports.!

Reform!Act!333(a).!If the!Secretary!determines!that!a!UAS!“may!operate!safely!in!the! national!airspace!system,!the!Secretary!shall!establish!requirements!for!the!safe! operation!of!such!aircraft!in!the!national!airspace!system.”!Id.!333(c).!

BACKGROUND*ON* ARIASCEND

AriAscend!is! one!of!the!world’s!leading!vertically!integrated!drone!services!provider.! AriAscend!provides!turnkey!solutions!utilizing!UAS!to!deliver!specific,!low!risk,!and! cost!effective!actionable!data!to!clients.!AriAscend!was!founded!specifically!to!help!
clients!av oid!the!capital!expense!and!operating!risks!of!establishing!their!own!drone! programs!and!to!purchase!drone!support!in!a!way!which!better!fits!their!operations! and!cost!profiles.!

AriAscend!believes!in!a!risk

E based!and!technology!agnostic!approach!to!operat ions! in!the!national!airspace.!Approval!for!any!operation!should!be!based!on!an!analysis! of!the!specific!risks!associated!with!the!fully!integrated!solution,!rather!than!the! individual!components.!The!AriAscend!business!model!is!predicated!on!identifying! requirements,! developing!the!business!case,!and!demonstrating!the!Return!on!Investment!(ROI)! from!UAS!for!enterprise!clients!in!agriculture and!other!industries

.!

UAS*AND*OPERATIONAL*DESCRIPTION*

AriAscend!seeks!to!commercially!operate!a!variety!of!UAS!weighing!less!than!55!

po unds!including!payload!in!the!United!States!for!the!purpose!of!acquiring!aerial! data.!The!Appendix!attached!to!this!exemption!petition!lists!the!aircraft!that! AriAscend!contemplates!operating.!In!prior,!similar!exemptions!the!Secretary!has! approved!every!U AS!platform!included!in!the!Appendix.!

As!the!operator!of!these!aircraft,!AriAscend!is!committed!to!the!following!conditions! and!limitations!on!its!operations.!AriAscend!understands!that!failure!to!comply!will! be!grounds!for!the!immediate!suspension!or!res cission!any!exemption!granted.!

1.!Operations!are!limited!to!the!UAS!listed!in!the!Appendix!when!weighing!less!than! 55!pounds!including!payload.!

2.!Operations!for!the!purpose!of!closed

E set!motion!picture!and!television!filming!are! not!contemplated.!

3.!Th e!aircraft!will!not!be!operated!at!a!speed!exceeding!87!knots!(100!miles!per! hour).!In!no!case!will!the!aircraft!be!operated!at!airspeeds!greater!than!the! maximum!aircraft!operating!airspeed!recommended!by!the!aircraft!manufacturer.!

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

5.!The!aircraft!will!be!operated!within!visual!line!of!sight!(VLOS)!of!the!Pilot!in! Command!(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!U.S.!
driver’s!license.!

6.!All!operations!will!utilize!a!visual!observer!(VO).!The!aircraft!will!be!operated! within!the!visual!line!of!sight!(VLOS)!of!t he!PIC!and!VO!at!all!times.!

7.!All!operating!documents!needed!to!operate!the!UAS!and!will!be!accessible!during! UAS!operations!and!made!available!to!the!Administrator!upon!request.!The!operator! will!also!present!updated!and!revised!documents!if!it!petition s!for!extension!or!
amendment.!

8.!Any!UAS!that!has!undergone!maintenance!or!alterations!that!affect!the!UAS! operation!or!flight!characteristics,!e.g.!replacement!of!a!flight!critical!component,! will!undergo!a!functional!test!flight!prior!to!conducting!furt her!operations.!

9.! AriAscend 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!will!conduct!a!pre

E flight!inspection!and!determine!
the!UAS!is!in!a!condition!for!sa fe!flight.!

11.!AriAscend!will!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!will!comply!with!all!manufacturer safety!bulletins.!

13.!The!PIC!will!hold!a!UAS!flight!training!certificate,!in!some!cases!training!directly! from!the!aircraft!manufacturer,!and!a!valid!U.S.!driver’s!license!issued!by!a!state,!the! District!of!Columbia,!Puerto!Rico,!a!territory,!a!possessi on,!or!the!Federal! government.!

14.!AriAscend!will!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!to!acquire!aerial!data,!including!evasive!and!emerge ncy!maneuvers!and! maintaining!appropriate!distances!from!persons,!vessels,!vehicles!and!structures.! PIC!qualification!flight!hours!and!currency!will!be!logged!in!a!manner!consistent! with!14!CFR!§!61.51(b).! AriAscend will!operate!flights!for!the!purposes!of!t raining!
AriAsce nd PICs!and!VOs!(training,!proficiency,!and!experience

E building)!and! determining!the!PIC’s!ability!to!safely!operate!the!UAS.!

15.!UAS!operations!will!not!be!conducted!during!night,!as!defined!in!14!CFR!§!1.1.!All! operations!will!be!conducted! under!visual!meteorological!conditions!(VMC).!

16.!The!aircraft!will!not!operate!within!5!nautical!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!symbol!as!denoted!on!the!current!
FAA

E published!aeronautical!chart,!unless!a!letter!of!agreement!with!that!airport’s! management!is!obtained!or!otherwise!permitted!by!a!COA.!

17.!The!aircraft!will!not!be!operated!less!than!500!feet!below!or!le ss!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!signal,!the!aircraft!will!return!to!

a!pre

E determined!location.!

19.!The!PIC!will!abort!the!flig ht!in!the!event!of!unpredicted!obstacles!or!emergencies.!

20.!The!PIC!will!be!prohibited!from!beginning!a!flight!unless!(considering!wind!and! forecast!weather!conditions)!there!is!enough!available!power!or!fuel!for!the!aircraft! to!conduct!the!intended!oper ation!and!to!operate!after!that!for!at!least!five!minutes! or!with!the!reserve!power!or!fuel!recommended!by!the!manufacturer!if!greater.!

21.!All!operations!shall!be!conducted!in!accordance!with!an!ATO

E issued!COA!if!the!
blanket!COA!does!not!cover!the!intend ed!operation.!22.!All!aircraft!operated!will!be!identifie d!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!will!be!as!large!as!practicable.!

23.!Documents!used!by!AriAscend!to!ensure!the!safe!operati on!and!flight!of!the!UAS! and!any!documents!required!under!14!CFR!§§!91.9!and!91.203!will!be!available!to! the!PIC!at!the!Ground!Control!Station!of!the!UAS!any!time!the!aircraft!is!operating.!

24.!The!aircraft!will!remain!clear!and!give!way!to!all!manned!avi ation!operations! and!activities!at!all!times.!

25.!The!UAS!may!be!operated!by!the!PIC!from!a!moving!device!or!vehicle;!however,! specific!requests!will!be!made!via!subsequent!COA.!

26.!All!flight!operations!will!be!conducted!at!least!500!feet!from!all!nonpa rticipating! persons,!vessels,!vehicles,!and!structures!unless:!

a.!Barriers!or!structures!are!present!that!sufficiently!protect!nonparticipating! persons!from!the!aircraft!or!debris!in!the!event!of!an!accident;!or!

b.!The!owner/controller/operator!of!any!ve ssels,!vehicles!or!structures!has!granted! permission!for!operating!closer!to!those!objects!and!the!PIC!has!made!an! assessment!of!the!risk!of!operating!closer!to!those!objects!and!determined!that!it! does!not!present!an!undue!hazard.!

27.!The!PIC,!VO,!operat or!trainees!or!essential!persons!will!not!be!considered! nonparticipating!persons!under!this!exemption.!

28.!All!operations!conducted!over!private!or!controlled

E access!property!will!be! conducted!with!the!permission!from!the!property!owner/controller!or!auth orized! representative.!Permission!from!property!owner/controller!or!authorized! representative!will!be!obtained!for!each!flight!to!be!conducted.!

29.!Any!incident,!accident,!or!flight!operation!that!transgresses!the!lateral!or!vertical! boundaries!of!the!ope rational!area!as!defined!by!the!applicable!COA!will!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.!

DESCRIPTION*OF*SPECIFIC*REGULATIONS*

14!CFR!Part!21,!Subpart!H:!Airworthiness!certificates!

Subpart!H,!establishes!the!procedural!requirements!for!the!issuance!of! airworthiness!certificates!as!required!by!FAR!§91.203(a)(1).!Given!the!size!and!
l imited!operating!area!associated!with!the!aircraft!to!be!utilized!by!AriAscend,!an! exemption!from!Part!21!Subpart!H!meets!the!requirements!of!an!equivalent!level!of! safety!under!Part!11!and!Section!333!of!the!Reform!Act.!The!Federal!Aviation!Act!(49!USC!§4 4701(f))!and!Section!333!of!the!Reform!Act!both!authorize!the!FAA!to! exempt!aircraft!from!the!requirement!for!an!airworthiness!certificate,!upon! consideration!of!the!size,!weight,!speed,!operational!capability!and!proximity!to! airports!and!populated!areas! of!the!particular!UAS.!In!all!cases,!an!analysis!of!these! criteria!demonstrates!that!the!UAS!operated!without!an!airworthiness!certificate,!in! the!restricted!environment!and!under!the!conditions!proposed,!will!be!at!least!as! safe,!or!safer,!than!a!conventi onal!aircraft!operating!with!an!airworthiness! certificate!without!the!restrictions!and!conditions!proposed.!

14!CFR!45.23(b):!Marking!of!the!aircraft!

This!regulation!requires!that!certain!experimental,!provisionally!certified!aircraft,!or! light

E sport!cate gory!aircraft!to!be!marked!with!letters!between!2!inches!and!6! inches!high!“limited”,!“restricted,”!“light

E sport,”!“experimental,”!or!“provisional,”! near!each!entrance!to!a!cabin,!cockpit!or!pilot!station.!Even!though!the!UAS!will!have!
no!airworthiness!cer tificate,!an!exemption!may!be!needed!as!the!UAS!will!have!no! entrance!to!the!cabin,!cockpit!or!pilot!station!on!which!the!word!“Experimental”!can! be!placed.!Given!the!size!of!the!UAS,!2!inch!lettering!may!be!impossible.!AriAscend! will!mark!the!UAS!as!pract icable.!

14!CFR!61.113(a)!&!(b):!Private!pilot!privileges!and!limitations:!Pilot!in!command!

Sections!61.113(a)!and!(b)!limit!private!pilots!to!non

E commercial!operations.! Because!the!UAS!will!not!carry!a!pilot!or!passengers,!the!proposed!operations!can!
ach ieve!the!equivalent!level!of!safety!of!current!operations!by!requiring!the!pilot! operating!the!aircraft!to!have!completed!a!UAS!flight

E training!course.!Unlike!a! conventional!aircraft!that!carries!the!pilot!and!passengers,!the!UAS!is!remotely!
controlled.!Th e!area!of!operation!is!controlled!and!restricted,!and!all!flights!are! planned!and!coordinated!in!advance.!The!risks!associated!with!the!operation!of!the! UAS!are!so!diminished!from!the!level!of!risk!associated!with!commercial!operations! contemplated!by!Part 61!when!drafted,!that!allowing!operations!of!the!UAS!as! requested!exceeds!the!present!level!of!safety!achieved!by!14!CFR!61.113(a)!and!(b).!

14!CFR!91.7(a):!Civil!aircraft!airworthiness!

The!regulation!requires!that!no!person!may!operate!a!civil!aircraft! unless!it!is!in! airworthy!condition.!As!there!will!be!no!airworthiness!certificate issued!for!the!
aircraft!AriAscend contemplates!operating,!should!this!exemption!be!granted,!no! FAA!regulatory!standard!will!exist!for!determining!airworthiness.!Given!the!size of! the!aircraft!and!the!operational!restrictions!put!on!the!aircraft,!an!equivalent!level!of! safety!will!be!provided.!

14!CFR!91.9(b)(2):!Civil!aircraft!flight!manual,!marking!and!placard!requirements!

The!UAS,!given!its!size!and!configuration!has!no!abil ity!or!place!to!carry!such!a!flight! manual!on!the!aircraft,!not!only!because!there!is!no!pilot!on!board,!but!because! there!is!no!room!or!capacity!to!carry!such!an!item!on!the!aircraft.!The!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!maintained!by!keeping!the!Operat ing!Manuals!at!the!ground! control!point!where!the!pilot!flying!the!UAS!will!have!immediate!access!to!it.!

14!CFR!91.103:!Preflight!action!

This!regulation!requires!each!pilot!in!command!take!certain!actions!before!flight!to! ensure!the!safety!of!flight.!An! exemption!is!needed!from!this!requirement,!as!the! pilot!will!take!separate!preflight!actions,!including!checking!for!weather!conditions,! checking!flight!battery!or!fuel!requirements,!checking!takeoff!and!landing!distances,! and!all!other!actions!in!the!Oper ating!Manual!and!safety!checklists.!These!actions! will!provide!an!equivalent!level!of!safety.!

14!CFR!91.109:!Flight!instruction!

Section!91.103!provides!that!no!person!may!operate!a!civil!aircraft!(except!a! manned!free!balloon)!that!is!being!used!for!flig ht!instruction!unless!that!aircraft!has! fully!functioning!dual!controls.!By!design,!UAS!do!not!have!fully!functional!dual! controls.!Flight!control!is!accomplished!through!the!use!of!a!control!box!that!
communicates!with!the!aircraft!via!radio!communications .!The!equivalent!level!of! safety!is!provided!by!the!fact!that!neither!a!pilot!nor!passengers!will!be!carried!in! the!aircraft,!the!ability!to!control!the!UAS!via!radio!signals!from!the!controller!and! by!the!size!and!speed!of!the!aircraft.!

14!CFR!91.119:!Mi nimum!safe!altitudes!

Section!91.119!establishes!safe!altitudes!for!operation!of!civil!aircraft.!The!UAS!will! never!operate!at!altitude!higher!than!400!AGL!and!all!operations!will!occur!during! daylight!hours!under!Visual!Meteorological!Conditions!(VMC)!onl y.!

The!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!achieved!given!the!size,!weight!and!speed!of! the!UAS!as!well!as!the!location!where!it!is!operated.!No!flight!will!be!taken!without! the!permission!of!the!property!owner.!Because!advance!notice!to!the!property!

owner and!any!onsite!personnel,!as!well!as!the!precautions!outlined!below,!all! affected!individuals!will!be!aware!of!the!planned!flight!operations.!

Flight!operations!will!be!conducted!at!least!500!feet!from!all!non

E participating! persons!(persons!other!than!the pilot!in!command!(PIC)!or!visual!observer!(VO)),! vessels,!vehicles!and!structures,!unless!operations!do!not!present!an!undue!hazard.!

The!UAS!will!remain!within!visual!line!of!sight!of!the!PIC!or!VO.!Flight!operations!
will!be!conducted!at!least!5!miles!fr om!an!airport.!The!PIC!or!VO!will!provide! notification!to!the!local!Flight!Standards!District!Office!and!airport!controller!of!all! operations!within!5!miles!of!an!airport.!The!FAA!will!have!advance!notice!of!all! operations!through!the!filing!of!notices

E to

E airmen.!

Compared!to!flight!operations!with!aircraft!or!rotorcraft!weighing!far!more!than!the! UAS!proposed!herein,!any!risk!associated!with!our!operations!is!far!less!than!those!presently!presented!with!helicopters!and!other!conventional!aircraft!operating at!or! below!500!feet!AGL.!In!addition,!the!low

E altitude!operations!of!the!UAS!will!ensure! separation!between!these!UAS!operations!and!the!operations!of!conventional! aircraft!that!must!comply!with!Section!91.119.!

14!CFR!91.121:!Altimeter!Settings!

This!re gulation!requires!each!person!operating!the!aircraft!to!maintain!cruising! altitude!by!reference!to!an!altimeter!that!is!set!“...to!the!elevation!of!the!departure! airport!or!an!appropriate!altimeter!setting!available!before!departure.”!As!the!UAS! may!not!ha ve!a!barometric!altimeter,!but!instead!a!GPS!altitude!read!out,!an! exemption!may!be!needed.!An!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!achieved!by!the!PIC! confirming!the!altitude!of!the!launch!site!shown!on!the!GPS!altitude!indicator!before! flight.!

14!CFR!91.1 51(a):!Fuel!requirements!for!flight!in!VFR!conditions!

Section!91.151(a)!outlines!fuel!requirements!for!beginning!a!flight!in!VFR!conditions.! Relief!from!Section!91.151(a)(1)!is!requested!to!the!extent!required!to!allow!flights! of!a!variety!of!UAS!during!d aylight!hours!in!visual!flight!rules!(VFR)!conditions!to! continue!until!30!percent!of!remaining!battery power!or!fuel!reserves!remain.!
AriAscend! seeks!the!requested!relief!because!without!an!exemption!from!Section! 91.151(a)(1),!the!flight!time!duration!of!th e!selected!aircraft!will!be!reduced!and! severely!constrain!the!practicality!of!any!aerial!acquisition!of!data!that!AriAscend! proposes!to!conduct!pursuant!to!this!Petition.!

The!technical!specifications!of!the!proposed!UAS,!their!Operations!Manuals,!and!
Ari Ascend’s!proposed!operating!limitations,!ensure!that!AriAscend!will!safely! operate!the!selected!aircraft!during!daylight!hours!in!VFR!conditions!until!30! percent!of!remaining!battery!power!or!fuel!reserves!remain.!

14!CFR!91.203(a)!&!(b):!Carrying!civil!ai rcraft!certification!and!registration!

The!UAS!has!no!cabin,!cockpit!or!pilot!station!and!is!operated!without!an!onboard! pilot.!Therefore,!there!is!no!ability!or!place!to!carry!certification!and!registration! documents!or!to!display!them!on!the!UAS.!An!equi valent!level!of!safety!will!be! achieved!by!keeping!these!documents!at!the!ground!control!point!where!the!pilot! flying!the!UAS!will!have!immediate!access!to!them,!to!the!extent!they!are!applicable!
to!the!UAS.!

14!CFR!91.405(a);!407(a)(1);!409(a)(2);!417(a)! &!(b):!Maintenance!inspections!

These!regulations!require!that!an!aircraft!operator!or!owner!“shall!have!that!aircraft! inspected!as!prescribed!in!subpart!E!of!this!part!and!shall!between!required! inspections,!except!as!provided!in!paragraph!(c)!of!this!sec tion,!have!discrepancies! repaired!as!prescribed!in!part!43!of!this!chapter...,”!and!others!shall!inspect!or! maintain!the!aircraft!in!compliance!with!Part!43.!Given!that!these!sections!and!Part!43!apply!only!to!aircraft!with!an!airworthiness! certificate,!t hese!sections!will!not!apply!to! AriAscend .!Maintenance!will!be! accomplished!pursuant!to!the!User!Guide!or!Operating!Manual.!An!equivalent!level! of!safety!will!be!achieved!because!these!UASs!are!limited!in!size!and!will!carry!a! small!payload!and!operate!only! in!restricted!areas!for!limited!periods!of!time.!If! mechanical!issues!arise,!the!UAS!can!land!immediately!and!will!be!operating!from! no!higher!than!400!feet!AGL.!The!PIC!will!ensure!that!the!UAS!is!in!working!order! prior!to!initiating!flight,!perform!requi red!maintenance!and!keep!a!log!of!any! maintenance!performed.!Moreover,!the!PIC!is!the!person!most!familiar!with!the! aircraft!and!best!suited!to!maintain!the!aircraft!in!an!airworthy!condition!to!provide! the!equivalent!level!of!safety.!

PUBLIC*INTEREST*

App roval!of!exemptions!allowing!commercial!operations!of!UASs!for!aerial! acquisition!of!data!enhances!safety!while!reducing!risk.!Manned!aircraft!in!certain! application!such!as!pipeline!monitoring!create!a!greater!risk!because!the!aircraft!are! much!larger!and carry!an!onboard!human!pilot.!In!contrast,!a!UAS!weighing!55! pounds!or!less!will!carry!no!passengers!or!crew!and,!therefore,!will!not!expose!them! to!the!risks!associated!with!manned!aircraft!flights.!In!addition,!additional!streams!
of!aerial!data!will!all ow!large!commercial!entities!to!make!decisions!about!how!to! best!deploy!ground!resources!and!ensure!the!safety!and!cost

E effectiveness!of!their! operations.!

EQUIVALENT*LEVEL*OF*SAFETY*

AriAscend proposes!that!the!exemption!requested!herein!apply!to!civil!ai rcraft!that! have!the!characteristics!and!that!operate!within!the!limitations!listed!herein.!These! limitations!provide!for!at!least!an!equivalent!or!even!higher!level!of!safety!to! operations!under!the!current!and!proposed!regulatory!structure.!

PRIVACY*

All flights!will!occur!over!private!or!controlled!access!property!with!the!property! owner’s!prior!consent!and!knowledge.!Images!or!video!taken!of!individuals!will! have!consented!to!being!filmed!or!otherwise!they!will!be!made!anonymous.!

NATIONAL*SECURITY*

Giv en!the!small!size!of!the!UAS!involved!and!the!restricted!environment!within! which!they!will!operate,!our!petition!presents!no!national!security!issue.!

FEDERAL*REGISTER*SUMMARY*

Docket!No.:!No.!FAA

E 2015

E

____! Petitioner:! AriAscend!Corporation Part!21!and!§§!45.23(b),!61.113(a)!and!(b),!91.7(a),!91.9(b)(2),!91.103,!91.109,!91.119,!91.121,!91.151(a),!91.203(a)!and!(b),!91.405(a),!407(a)(1),!409(a)(2),! 417(a)!and!(b)!of! Title!14,!Code!of!the!Federal!Regulations!(14!CFR).! Description!of!Relief!Sought:! AriAscend is!seeking!an!exemption!to!conduct! commercial!acquisition!of!aerial!data!using!unmanned!aircraft!systems.!

Based!upon!the!foregoing,! AriAscend requests!that!the!FAA!gra nt!it!the!necessary! exemptions!under!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Reform!Act!as!requested!herein!to!allow! for!commercial!operations!of!UAS!within!the!United!States.!

Sincerely,!

Thomas!Sugahara
CEO!&!Co

E Founder AriAscend!Corporation
PO!Box!5046 Salem,!OR!97304