Exemption No. 12719

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, DC 20591

 

In the matter of the petition of 

 

MR. THOMAS J. WALTER Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2015-2510

for an exemption from §§ 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)

of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 

 

RESCISSION OF EXEMPTION

On September 2, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Mr. Thomas J. 

Walter Exemption No. 12719. That exemption from §§ 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) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 

CFR), allows Mr. Thomas J. Walter to conduct aerial data collection with a small unmanned 

aircraft system (sUAS). After reviewing this exemption, the FAA is rescinding Exemption 

No. 12719. 

On June 2, 2015, Mr. Walter submitted a petition for exemption to allow commercial 

operations of unmanned aircraft, on behalf of Drone Fleet & Aerospace Management, Inc. Mr. 

Walter was identified in the petition as the CEO of Drone Fleet & Aerospace Management, 

Inc., and as well as the point of contact; however, the email and mailing addresses provided 

for Mr. Simon Nielson. On September 2, 2015 the FAA granted the exemption to Mr. Walter

and emailed its decision to Mr. Nielson at the email address provided in the contact 

information section of the petition. On September 2, 2015, Drone Fleet & Aerospace 

Management, Inc. notified the FAA, stating that Mr. Thomas Walter is not and has not been 

affiliated with Drone Fleet & Aerospace Management, Inc. 
2

A review of Mr. Walter’s petition shows that Mr. Walter submitted, verbatim, the petition 

submitted by Drone Fleet & Aerospace Management, Inc. on October 3, 2014,

1 including the

point of contact information on Page 14. Mr. Walter substituted his name for Drone Fleet & 

Aerospace Management, Inc. in only a few places. 

The FAA granted the exemption to Mr. Walter based on the record he submitted which 

included Drone Fleet & Aerospace Management, Inc.’s mailing address. The FAA learned

after granting the exemption that Mr. Walter was not affiliated with Drone Fleet & Aerospace 

Management, Inc. or the petition. Accordingly, we have determined that the exemption was 

granted based on erroneous information provided by the petitioner, including an incorrect 

mailing address, providing sufficient basis to rescind Exemption No. 12719. 

The FAA’s Decision:

In consideration of the foregoing, I find that Exemption No. 12719 was issued based on 

erroneous information submitted by petitioner and was therefore granted in error. Therefore, 

pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701, delegated to me 

by the Administrator, Exemption No. 12719 is rescinded effective immediately.

Issued in Washington, D.C., on October 20, 2015

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight Standards Services

 

1 Docket No. FAA-2015-2510. The FAA granted Exemption No. 12719 to Mr. Walter on September 2, 2015.