PETITION FOR SECTION 333 EXEMPTION

FOR 

COASTAL AERIAL VIDEO, LLC

8/20/15

Regarding the Unmanned Aircraft System

The aircraft in question is the DJI Phantom 3 Professional and has all of the current state 

of the art equipment. Before flight, the pilot will verify that all pieces of operating equipment will 

have the most recent updates for each of the following: Phantom 3 Professional (“P3” 

hereafter), Zenmuse H3-3D 2.4GHz camera and gimbal system, DJI Intelligent flight batteries, 

DJI 2.4GHz remote controller, and Android piloting app (DJI GO).

The P3 will be equipped with extra, DJI approved accessories to ensure maximum 

safety to all people and objects;

-Propeller Guards. These are plastic ‘halos’ that are fitted to each arm that surround the 

diameter of the propeller and will block the spinning propeller from striking an object.

-Camera Lens Filter. The appropriate filter will be fitted to the camera according to 

weather for the purpose of minimizing glare that could cause the view to be obstructed via the 

First Person View in the app.

In addition to the safety accessories, a preflight and postflight inspection will be 

conducted for every flight. Items up for inspection include but are not limited to;

1. All equipment updated to latest DJI version.

2. All batteries fully charged. (Flight batteries, remote controller, phone)

3. Structural integrity. (Landing gear intact, each propeller clean and intact, motor arms of 

P3 undamaged)

4. Weather conditions. (Rain coming? Heavy wind? Sunset going to get into my eyes?)

5. Assess aerial obstructions. (Frequent helicopter tours, banners being towed, heavy bird 

activity)

6. Assess ground obstructions. (Power lines, tall buildings, kite flying, kite surfing, 

parasailing)

7. Piloting ‘IMSAFE’ checklist. Are any of the things affecting me? (Illness, medication, 

stress, alcohol, fatigue, eating)

8. Have a spotter for a second set of eyes and ears constantly monitoring the situation with 

me during the flight.

9. At 30% battery remaining warning: engage auto return mode, terminate flight to switch 

battery, take a small break before starting a new flight. 30% is recommended from DJI to 

ensure adequate time to land the P3 without running out of power.

10. Postflight by removing propellers, securing the camera and gimbal, and conduct a visual 

inspection to make sure that no new stress cracks or damage have appeared. Count

each piece of equipment to ensure that you have each piece and are not forgetting 

anything for the next flight.

The Pilot in Command
I, Nicholas Engstrom, hold an FAA certificate for Private Pilot - Instrument Airplane. I 

have flown planes in a range of airspaces with over 170 hours of total time logged. I started 

flying in April of 2013 and since have been working on building my hours hoping to become a 

Commercial Pilot in the next year. I’ve also been endorsed to fly high performance and complex 

airplanes. I hold a class III medical in good standing and work hard to keep myself healthy, as I 

aspire to be an Air Traffic Controller for my career. Temporary access to my logbook online will 

be granted upon request.

Operating the Aircraft

I intend to use my P3 commercially with a focus on realty. I will be compiling aerial video 

and photographic presentations to assist realtors with selling real estate. I have determined 

through extensive testing that between 70-100 feet AGL yields the highest quality footage. As 

such; the maximum operating altitude for business purposes is 150 feet AGL. Any operations 

above such an altitude will require a request to, discussion with, and approval from the pilot 

prior to flight day.

Other projects I will be open to are special events such as: outdoor weddings, festivals, 

carnivals, games, and concerts. For an extra level of safety, I will add some additional preflight 

procedures. 

- P3 placed in a safe launch and recover position clear of people

- Warn bystanders of imminent takeoff

- Hover for 30 seconds looking and listening for defects

- Confirm expected stick operation

Locations

Living in the Florida Panhandle, the vast majority of the flights will be occurring at or in 

close proximity to a beach. Thus, the P3 will be easily kept within visual line of sight at all times. 

This is easily achieved as there are no tall skyscrapers or power lines nearby. I will not be flying 

around any airports within class B, C, or D airspace. If I am near an airport within a class E or G 

airspace, I will be monitoring the proper CTAF so I can be on alert for departing or arriving 

traffic.

If an operation occurs that requires coordination with a FSDO, I will be sure to contact 

the appropriate facility ahead of time and request permission for whatever may be needed. Also, 

upon obtaining this exemption, I will begin researching and compiling a request for a COA.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this petition,

Nick Engstrom