11582 Colony Row , Broomfield

, Colorado 80021
Phone: 720

- 259

- 0965

Fax: 720

- 259

- 1519 March!27 ,!2015

Docket!Operations,!M

7 30 U.S.!Department!of!Transportation 1200!New!Jersey!Avenue,!SE. ,!Room!W12

7 140 West!Building!Ground!Floor Washington,!DC 20590

7 0001

Subject: Section!333! Petition!for! Exemption 14!CFR!! § 11.81

Electronic!Submi ttal!

– Via! FDMS!Website

Dear!Staff:

This!letter!serves!as!a!petition!for!exemption!from!specific rules!contained!in Title!14!of!the!Code!of! Federal!Regulations (14CFR ),!regarding!the!operation!of!a!small

, unman ned!aircraft!system!( small! UAS)!in!the!Natio nal!Airspace!System!(NAS)

.!! This!petition! has!been!prepared!and!filed!in!

accordance!with 14!CFR! § 11.81

.

Operation*of*the*U nmanne d*Aircraft

The!UAS!will!be!used! for!civil!operations by!Wohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc.,!a!professional!civil!

e ngineering!consu lting!firm,!for!the!propose!of!conducting site!reconnaissance!for!both!public!and! private!civil!construction!proj ects,!including!bridge!inspections .!!The!UAS!will!be!used!to!gather!

aerial still! photography ,!and!videos!for!use!in!engineering!studies!pertain ing!to!hydrology!and! floodplain!modeling

.!! These!operations!would!benefit!the!public!as!a!whole!by!enabling!enhanced! acquisition!of!existing!topography!for!use!in!the!preparation!of!detailed!engineering!studies.!! Aerial! photography!would!also!serve!as! a!hi storical!record,!which!is!commonly shared!with!federal,!state,! and!local!agencies.

We!intend!to!implement! all!of! the! Operational+Limitations ,!outlined!in!Proposed!Part!107!of!the! Notice!of!Proposed!Rulemaking!( NPRM ) ,!at!a!minimum.!!These!limitations!will! ensure!the!same! level!of!safety!offered!by!the!rules!for!which!the!exemption!is!sought. By!adhering!to!the! Operational+Limitations ,!th e!proposed!UAS!operation!will! minimize!risk!to!the!NAS,!and!to!persons! and!property!on!the!ground. The!UAS!will!be!opera ted!in!Class!G!airspace!onl y,!and!flights!will!not!

exceed!2 00!feet!in!elevation!above!ground!level.

Operations!will!be!limited!to!daylight

7 only in!Class!G!airspace

,! using!visual!line

7 of

7 sight!(VLOS),!in! sparsely!populated!areas.!! Operations!will!also!rema in:

• 5!nautical!miles!(NM)!from!an!airport!having!an!operational!control!tower;!or

• 3!NM!from!an!airport!with!a!published!instrument!flight!procedure,!but!not!an!operational!tower:!

or

• 2!NM!from!an!airport!without!a!published!instrument!flight!procedure!or!a n!operational!tower;!or

• 2 NM!from!a!heliport!with!a!published!instrument!flight!procedure. 

## Wohnrade Civil Engineers, Inc.Wohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc. Section!333!Petition!for!Exemption!14!CFR!! §" 11.81

March!27 ,!2015 Page! 2

11582 Colony Row , Broomfield

, Colorado 80021
Phone: 720

- 259

- 0965

Fax: 720

- 259

- 1519 Prior!to!each!flight,!the!Pilot!In!Command!(PIC)!will!perform!a!preflight!inspection!of!the!UAS,!and! follow!the!manufacturer’s!preflight!checklist.!!In!addition,!an Airplane!Flight!Manual/Inspire!1!User! Manual!(AFM)!will!also!be!available!for!each!flight.

The!UAS!specifications!can!be!found!in!the!Inspire!1!User!Manual,!which!has!been!included!in!this! submittal.!!The!aircraft!loads!will!include!a!video!camera,!and!i ntelligent!flight!battery,!and!are! included!in!the!total!weight!of!the!aircraft ,!which!is!roughly!6.5!lbs

.!! The!Inspire!1!Safety!Guidelines! also!provide recommendations!for!the!safe!operation!of!the!UAS,!and!potential!hazards.

Unmanned*Aircraft*Pilot*in*C ommand*(PIC)

The!Pilot!in!Command!(PIC) will!be!Mary!B.!Wohnrade,!who!holds!a!private!pilot!license!for!single! engine!land!aircraft,!Certification!Number!332548448.!! Ms.!Wohnrade has!logged!87! hours!of!flight!

time!in!a!fixed

7 wing!single

7 engine!aircraft.!! S he!holds!no!current!medical!certificate.!!As!pilot!in! command,!s he! will!assume the! final!authority!and!responsibility!for!the!operation!a nd!safety!of!the! flight.!!She!will also! be! responsible!for! staying!abreast!of!the!latest!FAA!regulations,!through!the!

“ Know!Before!You!Fly”!program.

Unmanned*Aircraft*System

The!UAS!will!be!the!Inspire!1,!which!is!manufactured!by!DJI.!!All!manufacturers!recommendations! related!to!safety!guidelines!will!be!referenced!to!ensure!the!safe!operation!of!the!small!UAS!in!the!

NAS

.!! This!includes!all!DJI!instructional!videos,!and! written! S afety!Guidelines for!the!Inspire!1

.

As!PIC,!Ms.!Wohnrade!will!implement!the! Operational+Limitations outlined!in!Proposed!Part!107!of! the!Notice!of!Proposed!Rulemaking!(NPRM),!Volume!80,!No.!35!of the!Federal!Register,!dated! Monday,!February!23,!2015.!! The!small!UAS!will!be!operated!by!dual!controls.!!One!operator!will! control!the!flight!of!the!UAS,!and!the!second!operator!will!control!the!camera!mounted!on!the!UAS.

Maintenance!and!repair!will!be! performed!as!necessary,!and!a!ma intenance!record!will!be!recorde d!

in!a! repair!log book

. This!will!ensure! that!the!UAS!is!i n!a!safe!condition!for!flight. The!Maintenance! Manual!for!the!Inspire!1!will!be! used!as!a!reference ,!and!has!been!included!in!this!sub mittal.!! The! UAS!will!also!be!registered!in!accordance!with!Part!47!of!the!49!UCS! § 44711.

Rule s for which+we+seek+exemption+ are+summarized+below,+and+ include:

1) 14!CFR,!Part!21,!Subpart!H!

7 Airworthiness*Certificates

i. This!section!pertains!to!requirements!f or!the!issue!of!airworthiness!certificates.!! Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM!concluded!that,!requiring!small!UAS!operators!to! conduct!inspection!and!maintenance!of!the!small!UAS!pursuant!to!the!existing! regulations!of!14!CFR!part!43,!or!to!obtain!a!permit!to operate!(PTO),!would!not! result!in!significant!safety!benefits. 2) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.103

7 Preflight*A ction

i. This!section!pertains!to! preflight!actions!for!IFR!flights,!and!reviewing!information! related!to!runway!lengths,!and!takeoff!and!landing!distances.!!The!small!UAS!will! never!be!flown!under!IFR!conditions,!and! takeoff!and!landing!distances!are!not!a!

f actor!on!a!rotorcraft.!! The!small!UAS!will!undergo!a!preflight!assessment,!which!will! include:!(1)!Local!weather!conditions;!(2)!local!airspace!and!flight!restrictions;!(3)! the!location!of!persons!and!property!on!the!ground;!(4)!any!other!ground!hazards.! 3) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.109

7 Flight*InstructionWohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc. Section!333!Petition!for!Exemption!14!CFR!! §" 11.81

March!27 ,!2015 Page! 3

11582 Colony Row , Broomfield

, Colorado 80021
Phone: 720

- 259

- 0965

Fax: 720

- 259

- 1519 i. This!section!pertains!to! aircraft!being!used!for!flight!instruction.!!The!small!UAS!will! not!be!used!for!flight!instruction. 4) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.119

7 Minimum*Safe*Altitudes

i. This!section!pertains!to!minimum alti tudes for!flight ,!which! are!a!minimum!of!500! feet!above!the!surface,!and!greater.!!The!small!UAS!will!be!flow!at a!maximum!
altitude!of!500!feet above!the!surface .!!This!rule!would!not!be!applicable!to! Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM. 5) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.121

7 Altimeter*Settings

i. This!section!pertains!to!cruising!altitudes!and!flight!levels as!referenced!by!altimeter! settings

.!! In!addition,!the!rule!pertains!to!flights!that!are!above a!min imum!a ltitude!

of!500!feet.!! The!small!UAS!does!not!contain!an!altimeter,! and!will!be!flown!at!a!

maximum!altitude!of!500!feet.!!T his!rule!would!not!be!applicable!to! Proposed!Part!

107!of!the!NPRM. 6) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.151

7 Fuel*Requirements*for*VFR*Condition s
i. This!section!pertains!to!fuel!requirements!in!VFR!conditions!when!flyin g!an!aircraft! to!the!first!point!of!intended!landing.!!The!small!UAS!will!be!flown!on!battery!power,!

and!will!remain!within!a!visual!line

7 of

7 sight!(VLOS)!at!all!times. This!rule!would!not! be!applicable!to!Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM.

7) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 9 1.203 (a)(1)

7 Civil*Aircraft*Certification s
i. This!section!pertains!to!air worthiness!certificates! originally!designed!for!manned!

aircraft

. It!is!not!practically!feasible!for!small!UAS!manufacturers!to!complete!the! certification!process required!of!manned!air craft

.!! Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM!

has!accommodated!non

7 recreational!small!UAS!use!through!a!certificate!of! waiver!

or! authorization!(COA)

.!! The!UAS!will!be!registered!with!the!FAA,!and!a COA!would! be!requested!subsequent!to the!Section!333!exemption!pro cess

. 8) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.405

7 Maintenance*Required

i. This!section!pertains!to!the!maintenance!of!manned!aircraft.!! Proposed!Part!107!of! the!NPRM!concluded!that,!r equiring!small!UAS!operators!to!conduct!inspection!and! maintenance!of!the!small!UAS!pursuant!t o!the!existing!regulations!of!14!CFR!part!43,! or!to!obtain!a!permit!to!operate!(PTO),!would!not!result!in!significant!safety!

benefits

. 9) 14!CFR,!p art!91! § 91.407

7 Operation*After*Maintenance

,* Preventative*Maintenance

i. This!section!pertains!to!aircraft!mainten ance,!preventative!maintenance,!and!

al terations!for!manned!aircraft.!! The!small!UAS!will!not!carry!persons,!and!will!not! be!altered!to!change!flight!characteristics.

10) 14!CFR,!part!91! § 91.409

7 Inspections

i. This!section!pertains!to!manned!aircraft!inspections .!!Proposed!Part!107!of!the! NPRM!concluded!that,!r equiring!small!UAS!operators!to! conduct!inspection!and! maintenance!of!the!small!UAS!pursuant!to!the existing!regulations!of!14!CFR!part!43,! or!to!obtain!a!permit!to!operate!(PTO),!would!not!result!in!signif icant!safety!

benefits

. 11) 14!CFR,!part!91! § 91.417

7 Maintenance*Records

i. This!section!pertains!to!maintenance!records!for!manned!aircraft for!the 100

7 hour,! annual,!and!progressive periods

.!! These!rules!are!impractical!for!a!small!UAS,!and!

would!not!result!in!s ignificant!safety!benefits.!! Maintenance!records! for!the!small!

UAS! will!be!kept!as!required

.Wohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc. Section!333!Petition!for!Exemption!14!CFR!! §" 11.81

March!27 ,!2015 Page! 4

11582 Colony Row , Broomfield

, Colorado 80021
Phone: 720

- 259

- 0965

Fax: 720

- 259

- 1519 Summary!of! Rules for!Exemption :

Sections!of!14!CFR:!p arts!21 and!91.!!Specifically including!sections: part!21,!Subpart!H,! § 91.103, § 91.109

, § 91.119,! § 91.1 21,! § 91.151,! § 91.203(a)(1)

,! § 91.405,! § 91.407,! § 91.409,! § 91.417

.

Description!of!Relief!Sought:

Mary!B.!Wohnrade,! a!professional! civil!engineer

, is!seeking!an!exemption!to!commercially!operate!a! small!unmanned!aircraft!system!(sUAS)

, 15!pounds!or!less!including!payload,!to!perform!various! operation s which!include,!but!are!not!limited!to:!aerial!acquisition!and!research!in!suppor t!of!public! and!private!civil!construction!projects

,! aerial!photography!for! utility! and!irrigation! companies, local! infrastructure,!engineering!studies,! flood!studies!and!floodplain!modeling,! mining,!and!surveying.

Conclusion

Due!to!their! light!weight

, small

7 unmanned aircraft generally!pose!a!significantly!lower!risk!to! people!and!property!on!the!ground,!as!comp ared!to!manned!aircraft. The!size,!weight,!speed,!and! capability!of the!Inspire!1 UAS will!not!create!a!hazard!to!the!users!of!the!NAS!or!the!general!public,! nor!will!it!pose!a!threat!to!national!security.!! Granting!this!request!for!exemption!would!not!

ad versely!affect!safety,!and!w ould!be!in!the!public!interest.

The!UAS!will!be!registered!with!the!FAA,!and! upon!receiving!a!grant!of! exemption a! “blanket”!200

7 foot! Certificate!of!Waiver!or Authorization!( COA ) would!be!requested.

Sincerely,

WOHNRADE!CIVIL! ENGINEERS,!INC.

Mary!B.!Wohnrade,!P.E.!

7 Principal Registered!Engineer!

7 CO,!IL,!NV mary@wcecivil.com