August 4, 2015

Exemption No. 12299

Regulatory Docket No. FAA–2015–0849

Mr. Matthew Sloane

Atlanta Drone Consultants, LLC 

332 West Benson Street 

Decatur, GA 30030

Dear Mr. Sloane:

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 posted March 30, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

on behalf of Atlanta Drone Consultants, LLC (hereinafter petitioner or operator) for an 

exemption. The petitioner requested to operate an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to 

conduct closed set filming for the motion picture and television industry.

See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA describing 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 petition 

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 is a DJI Inspire 1.

The petitioner requested relief from 14 CFR part 21, Certification procedures for products 

and parts, Subpart H—Airworthiness Certificates. In accordance with the statutory criteria 
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provided in Section 333 of Public 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 conditions of Section 333. Therefore, the FAA finds that the requested relief from 

14 CFR part 21, Certification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H—Airworthiness 

Certificates, and any associated noise certification and testing requirements of part 36, is 

not necessary.

The Basis for Our Decision

You have requested to use a UAS for aerial data collection1and closed set motion picture and 

filming. The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material 

respects to those presented in your petition. In Grants of Exemption Nos. 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 Labs, Inc. (see Docket No. FAA−2014−0642), the FAA found 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 present; 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, Atlanta Drone Consultants, LLC 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 the extent necessary to allow the petitioner to operate a UAS to perform 

aerial data collection and closed set motion picture and filming. This exemption is subject to 

the conditions and limitations listed below.

 

1 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 (particulate measurement, etc.), or any other gathering of data by 

instruments aboard the UA.
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Conditions and Limitations

In this grant of exemption, Atlanta Drone Consultants, LLC 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 DJI Inspire 1 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 

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 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 airspeed 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; 

electronic 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 the 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 

documents must be accessible during UAS operations and made available to the 

Administrator upon request. If a discrepancy exists between the conditions and 
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limitations in this exemption and the procedures outlined in the operating documents, 

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 responsibility 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 this 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 FAA’s 

UAS Integration Office (AFS−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 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 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 conduct 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 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 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 Columbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or 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 certificate.
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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 

(training, proficiency, and experience-building) and 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 exemption. However, 

training operations may only be conducted during dedicated training sessions. During 

training, 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 operations 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 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-published aeronautical chart, unless a letter 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 signal, the UA must return to a 

pre-determined location within the private 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 of Waiver 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 intends to conduct 

operations that cannot be conducted under the terms of the attached COA.
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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 nonparticipating 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 

the 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 controlled-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 flight 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 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.
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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 aerial 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 area of proposed filming. The 3-day 

notification may be waived with the 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 the 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 owners 

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, including 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 August 31, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosures
Matthew Sloane

Atlanta Drone Consultants, LLC

332 West Benson St.

Decatur, GA 30030

(404) 723-5621

Info@AtlantaDroneConsultants.com

Petition for Exemption

Federal Aviation Administration

Re: Unmanned Aircraft System use in NAS for compensation

Petitioner, Atlanta Drone Consultants, hereby petitions the Federal Aviation 

Administration (“FAA”) for an exemption from Part 21; §§ 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);

91.407(a)(1); 91.409(a)(2); and 91.417(a) and (b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 

CFR). The proposed exemption, if granted, would allow operation of unmanned aircraft systems 

(UAS) for the purpose of closed-set filming for the motion picture and television industry.

The terms and conditions of Grant of Exemption No. 11062 (Petition of Astraeus Aerial, 

Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2014-0352) are hereby incorporated by this reference as if fully set 

for herein with the exception of the mandatory Class 3 medical certificate.

Petitioner hereby proposes the following terms and conditions for the grant of the 

exemption requested herein:

The UAS proposed by the petitioner, the Inspire 1 is an unmanned four-rotor, four-motor 

“quadcopter” manufactured by DJI. The UAS is under 45pounds, will be flown at all times 

under 300 feet AGL as measured by the UAS’ on-board GPS system, will be kept within line of 

sight of the Pilot in Command (“PIC”), will have a separate safety Visual Observer (“VO”) at all 

times in communication with and within 5 feet of the PIC, will be flown at all times at speeds of 

40 miles per hour or less, will be flown at all times during daylight hours, always using Visual 

Flight Rules (“VFR”) and within visual line of sight (“VLOS”), and never using first person 

view by the PIC. The PIC will be able to use human vision unaided by any device other than 

corrective lenses as specified by a current state-issued driver’s license. The PIC will provide the 

local Flight Standards District Office (“FSDO”) with notice of all of flight operations no less 

than 72 hours in advance of any intended flight. Each PIC will have over 400 hours of logged 

flight experience in the same UAS type or model, including 10 take offs and landings within the 

prior 30 days. The PIC will conduct a full and complete inspection of aircraft prior to the initial 

takeoff of each flight.

Public Benefit
Regular helicopters are, except as provided in Section 91.119, not allowed to fly less than 

500 feet AGL. UAS on the other hand are best when flown between 50 and 300 feet AGL and in 

fact the best video quality is 50 to 100 feet. A large manned helicopter could also cause very

serious damage to persons or property on the ground and even to pilots and passengers inside a 

manned helicopter. A UAS weighing in at approximately six pounds would not be nearly as 

hazardous. Additionally, a regular helicopter is normally larger than a standard automobile 

whereas the UAS is smaller than a basketball. It is substantially safer for the public to have a 

UAS accomplish the job of aerial photography than a manned helicopter just based on size alone.

In addition, the UAS can be operated for substantially less costs than a regular manned 

helicopter. The public is significantly served by reducing the cost of videography via UAS 

aircraft.

Proposed Operational Parameters

The PIC will follow the manufacturer’s UAS aircraft/component, maintenance, overhaul, 

replacement, inspection, and life limit requirements. When unavailable, aircraft 

maintenance/component/overhaul, replacement, and inspection/maintenance requirements will

be established and identified in the operator’s manual. At a minimum, the following will be 

included in the operator’s manual: 

1. Actuators / Servos 

2. Transmission (single rotor) 

3. Powerplant (motors) 

4. Propellers 

5. Electronic speed controller 

6. Batteries 

7. Mechanical dynamic components (single rotor) 

8. Remote command and control 

9. Ground control station (if used) 

10. Any other components as determined by the operator

Prior to each flight the PIC will inspect the UAS to ensure it is in a condition for safe 

flight. If the inspection reveals a condition that affects the safe operation of the UAS, the aircraft 

will be prohibited from operating until the necessary maintenance has been performed and the 

UAS is found to be in a condition for safe flight. The Ground Control Station, if utilized, will be 

included in the preflight inspection. All maintenance and alterations will be properly documented 

in the aircraft records. 

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 in accordance with the operator’s manual. The PIC who conducts the functional test 

flight will make an entry in the UAS aircraft records of the flight. The requirements and 

procedures for a functional test flight and aircraft record entry must be added to the operator’s 

manual. 
Prior to operations conducted for the purpose of motion picture filming (or similar 

operations), the PIC must have accumulated and logged, in a manner consistent with 14 CFR § 

61.51 (b), a minimum of five hours as a UAS pilot operating the make and model of UAS to be 

utilized for operations under the exemption and three take-offs and three landings in the 

preceding 90 days. Training, proficiency, experience-building, and take-off and landing currency

flights can be conducted under this grant of exemption to accomplish the required flight time and 

90 day currency. During training, proficiency, experience-building, and take-off and landing 

currency flights all persons not essential for flight operations are considered non-participants, 

and the PIC must operate the UA with appropriate distance from non-participants in accordance 

with 14 CFR § 91.119. 

Prior to any flight operations authorized by this grant of exemption, the PIC and VO must 

have successfully completed a qualification process, as outlined in the operator’s manual. As this 

is a requirement stipulated by the operator, the test must be developed and implemented by a 

qualified person designated at the sole discretion of the operator. A record of completion of this 

qualification process must be documented and made available to the Administrator of the FAA

(the “Administrator”) upon request. 

Prior to operations conducted for the purpose of motion picture filming (or similar 

operations), a flight demonstration, administered by an operator-approved and qualified pilot 

must be successfully completed and documented. This documentation must be available for 

review upon request by the Administrator. Because the knowledge and airmanship test 

qualifications have been developed by the operator, and there are no established practical test 

standards that support a jurisdictional FAA FSDO evaluation and approval of company

designated examiners, the petitioner will conduct these tests in accordance with the operator’s 

manual. 

The UAS will not be operated directly over any person, except authorized and consenting 

production personnel, below an altitude that is hazardous to persons or property on the surface in 

the event of a UAS failure or emergency. 

Regarding the distance from participating persons, the operator’s manual has safety 

mitigations for authorized and consenting production personnel. At all times, those persons must 

be essential to the closed-set film operations. Because these procedures are specific to 

participating persons, no further FSDO or Aviation Safety Inspector (“ASI”) approval is 

necessary for reductions to the distances specified in the petitioner’s manuals. This is consistent 

with the manned aircraft procedures described in FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 3, Chapter 8, 

Section 1 Issue a Certificate of Waiver for Motion Picture and Television Filming (the “Order”).

Regarding distance from non-participating persons, the operator will ensure that no 

persons are allowed within 500 feet of the area except those consenting to be involved and 

necessary for the filming production. This provision may be reduced to no less than 200 feet if it 

would not adversely affect safety and the Administrator has approved it. For example, an 

equivalent level of safety may be determined by an aviation safety inspector’s evaluation of the 

filming production area to note terrain features, obstructions, buildings, safety barriers, etc. Such 
barriers may protect non-participating persons (e.g. observers, the public, news media) from 

debris in the event of an accident. This is also consistent with the Order. 

If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the UAS must return to a predetermined location within the security perimeter and land or be recovered in accordance with 

the operator’s manual. The proposed UAS, the DJI Inspire 1, is designed to increase altitude 20 

meters or 60 feet upon loss of signal between the ground controller held by the pilot and the 

aircraft itself. Upon reaching the higher altitude (a safety feature to avoid people, trees and 

buildings), the UAS will return to its original take-off point of origin and slowly land. It is 

critically important for the pilot to calibrate the aircraft prior to its flight. The calibration 

procedure sets the compass and lets the aircrafts onboard computer know where it is located on 

Earth. The UAS also has a Flytrex black box system installed which tracks every flight so if a 

loss of link to the aircraft from the controller ever occurs, then the pilot can follow and retrieve 

the UAS when it lands. Additional details concerning lost-link failsafes can be found in the 

Operator’s Manual.

The PIC will abort the flight in the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies in 

accordance with the operator’s manual. 

Each UAS operation must be completed within 30 minutes flight time or with 25% 

battery power remaining, whichever occurs first. 

The PIC will request a Notice to Airmen (“NOTAM”) not more than 72 and not less than 

48 hours prior to the operation.

The operator will develop procedures to document and maintain a record of the UAS 

maintenance, preventative maintenance, alterations, status of replacement/overhaul component 

parts, and the total time in service of the UAS. These procedures will be added to the operator’s 

manual. 

Each UAS operated under this exemption will comply with all manufacturer Safety 

Bulletins. 

The operator must develop UAS technician qualification criteria. These criteria must be 

added to the operator’s manual.

The preflight inspection section in the operator’s manual must be amended to include the 

following requirement: The preflight inspection must account for all discrepancies, i.e. 

inoperable components, items, or equipment, not covered in the relevant preflight inspection 

sections of the operator’s manual. 

Before conducting operations, the radio frequency spectrum used for operation and 

control of the UAS must comply with the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) or 

other appropriate government oversight agency requirements. 
At least three days before scheduled filming, the operator of the UAS affected by this 

exemption must submit a written Plan of Activities to the local FSDO with jurisdiction over the 

area of proposed filming. The 3-day notification may be waived with the 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 filming production conducted under 

this grant of exemption 

c. Name and phone number of the 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 filming production event 

f. A statement that the operator has obtained permission from property owners 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 

The 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. These documents must be 

made available to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request. 

The UAS will remain clear and yield the right of way to all other manned operations and 

activities at all times (including, but not limited to, ultralight vehicles, parachute activities, 

parasailing activities, hang gliders, etc.).

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”). Flights under 

special visual flight rules (“SVFR”) are not authorized. 

The UAS will be operated by the PIC from any moving device or vehicle. 

The UA will 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. 

The UA will not operate in Class B, C, or D airspace without written approval from the 

FAA. The UA will not operate within 5 nautical miles of the geographic center of a non-towered 

airport as denoted on a current FAA-published aeronautical chart unless a letter of agreement 

with that airport’s management is obtained, and the operation is conducted in accordance with a 

NOTAM as required by the operator’s COA. The letter of agreement with the airport 

management must be made available to the Administrator upon request. 
Any 1) incident, 2) accident, or 3) flight operation that transgresses the lateral or vertical 

boundaries of the operational area as defined by the applicable COA must be reported to the 

FAA UAS Integration Office (AFS-80) within 24 hours. Such accidents must be reported to the 

National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) per instructions contained on the NTSB Web 

site: www.ntsb.gov. Further flight operations may not be conducted until the incident, accident, 

or transgression is reviewed by AFS-80 and authorization to resume operations is provided. 

Unless otherwise specified in this grant of exemption, the UAS, PIC, and operator must 

comply with all applicable parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to, parts 45, 47, 61, and 91.

The Federal Aviation Administration by and through its authorized representative is 

requested to approve this petition based on the above terms and conditions for a certificate of 

authority and certificate of exemption to operate within the above parameters for compensation 

or hire within the United States National Air Space.

Respectfully submitted:

Matthew Sloane