11582 Colony Row, Broomfield, Colorado 80021

Phone: 720-259-0965

Fax: 720-259-1519

March!27,!2015

Docket!Operations,!M730

U.S.!Department!of!Transportation

1200!New!Jersey!Avenue,!SE.,!Room!W127140

West!Building!Ground!Floor

Washington,!DC 2059070001

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

Electronic!Submittal!– 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, unmanned!aircraft!system!(small!

UAS)!in!the!National!Airspace!System!(NAS).!!This!petition!has!been!prepared!and!filed!in!

accordance!with 14!CFR!§ 11.81.

Operation*of*the*Unmanned*Aircraft

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

engineering!consulting!firm,!for!the!propose!of!conducting site!reconnaissance!for!both!public!and!

private!civil!construction!projects,!including!bridge!inspections.!!The!UAS!will!be!used!to!gather!

aerial still!photography,!and!videos!for!use!in!engineering!studies!pertaining!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!historical!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,!the!proposed!UAS!operation!will!minimize!risk!to!the!NAS,!and!to!persons!

and!property!on!the!ground. The!UAS!will!be!operated!in!Class!G!airspace!only,!and!flights!will!not!

exceed!200!feet!in!elevation!above!ground!level.

Operations!will!be!limited!to!daylight7only in!Class!G!airspace,!using!visual!line7of7sight!(VLOS),!in!

sparsely!populated!areas.!!Operations!will!also!remain:

• 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!an!operational!tower;!or

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

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

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!intelligent!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*Command*(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!fixed7wing!single7engine!aircraft.!!She!holds!no!current!medical!certificate.!!As!pilot!in!

command,!she!will!assume the!final!authority!and!responsibility!for!the!operation!and!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!Safety!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!maintenance!record!will!be!recorded!

in!a!repair!logbook. This!will!ensure!that!the!UAS!is!in!a!safe!condition!for!flight. The!Maintenance!

Manual!for!the!Inspire!1!will!be!used!as!a!reference,!and!has!been!included!in!this!submittal.!!The!

UAS!will!also!be!registered!in!accordance!with!Part!47!of!the!49!UCS!§ 44711.

Rules 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!for!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,!part!91!§ 91.1037 Preflight*Action

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!

factor!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,!part!91!§ 91.1097 Flight*Instruction
Section!333!Petition!for!Exemption!14!CFR!!§"11.81 Wohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc.

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,!part!91!§ 91.1197 Minimum*Safe*Altitudes

i. This!section!pertains!to!minimum altitudes 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,!part!91!§ 91.1217 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!minimum!altitude!

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

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

107!of!the!NPRM.

6) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.1517 Fuel*Requirements*for*VFR*Conditions

i. This!section!pertains!to!fuel!requirements!in!VFR!conditions!when!flying!an!aircraft!

to!the!first!point!of!intended!landing.!!The!small!UAS!will!be!flown!on!battery!power,!

and!will!remain!within!a!visual!line7of7sight!(VLOS)!at!all!times. This!rule!would!not!

be!applicable!to!Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM.

7) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.203(a)(1)7 Civil*Aircraft*Certifications

i. This!section!pertains!to!airworthiness!certificates!originally!designed!for!manned!

aircraft. It!is!not!practically!feasible!for!small!UAS!manufacturers!to!complete!the!

certification!process required!of!manned!aircraft.!!Proposed!Part!107!of!the!NPRM!

has!accommodated!non7recreational!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!process.

8) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.4057 Maintenance*Required

i. This!section!pertains!to!the!maintenance!of!manned!aircraft.!!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.

9) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.4077 Operation*After*Maintenance,*Preventative*Maintenance

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

alterations!for!manned!aircraft.!!The!small!UAS!will!not!carry!persons,!and!will!not!

be!altered!to!change!flight!characteristics.

10) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.4097 Inspections

i. This!section!pertains!to!manned!aircraft!inspections.!!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.

11) 14!CFR,!part!91!§ 91.4177 Maintenance*Records

i. This!section!pertains!to!maintenance!records!for!manned!aircraft for!the 1007hour,!

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

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

UAS!will!be!kept!as!required.
Section!333!Petition!for!Exemption!14!CFR!!§"11.81 Wohnrade!Civil!Engineers,!Inc.

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:!parts!21 and!91.!!Specifically including!sections: part!21,!Subpart!H,!§ 91.103,

§ 91.109, § 91.119,!§ 91.121,!§ 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!

operations which!include,!but!are!not!limited!to:!aerial!acquisition!and!research!in!support!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, small7unmanned aircraft generally!pose!a!significantly!lower!risk!to!

people!and!property!on!the!ground,!as!compared!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!

adversely!affect!safety,!and!would!be!in!the!public!interest.

The!UAS!will!be!registered!with!the!FAA,!and!upon!receiving!a!grant!of!exemption a!“blanket”!2007

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