Jesse Lasky

155 Exchange Street

Albany, New York 12205

(Phone) 518-598-2849

jesseclasky@gmail.com

May 1, 2015

U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Management System

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

RE: Request for Exemption Per PL 112-95 §333 from 14 CFR 61.113(a) and (b), 14 CFR 91.103, 14 

CFR 91.109, 14 CFR 91.119, 14 CFR 91.121, 14 CFR 91.151(a), 14 CFR 91.405(a), 14 CFR 

91.407(a)(1), 14 CFR 91.409(a)(2), 14 CFR 91.417(a) and (b)

The following documents have been included in order to provide supplemental information for this 

petition’s request for exemption:

1. Inspire_1_Safety_Guidelines

2. Inspire_1_User_Manual_v1.2

3. Inspire_1_Maintenance_ManualV1.0

Dear Sir or Madam,

This letter will serve as a request for an exemption of the above sections of title 14 CFR for myself, Jesse 

Lasky, henceforth referred to as the petitioner, for the purpose of conducting commercial “aerial 

photography, videography, and survey operations” using a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in 

FAA controlled airspace. As described herein, Jesse Lasky, is an experienced user of multicopter sUAS 

for hobby operations, flying multicopters of varying sizes under 55 pounds using both Visual Line Of 

Sight (VLOS) and on board camera controls. The following petition provides all necessary information to 

justify an exemption from the above listed Federal Aviation Regulations.

The Unmanned Aircraft System

The petitioner will be flying a DJI Inspire 1 that is equipped with 4 propellers, onboard camera, and 

onboard flight control systems that utilize both GPS and ground movement to stabilize the aircraft. The 

Inspire 1 is operated via remote control in the 2.4ghz spectrum.

The sUAS has built in functionality that can limit the height it flies above the ground, limit the distance 

between the aircraft and PIC, and restrict the sUAS from flying in class B, C, and D airspace. The aircraft 

also comes preinstalled with the ability to automatically return to the PIC and land if any of the previous 

restrictions are violated, or if the connection to the wireless controller is lost.

The sUAS weighs 2935 grams (just under 6 pounds) while carrying all necessary batteries and cameras. It 

also has a max speed of 22 meters per second (just under 43 knots) that can be limited prior to takeoff.
The aircraft is powered via a lithium polymer battery which supplies electricity to the 4 brushless onboard 

motors.

(For more specifications, please refer to the attached owner’s manual [Inspire_1_User_Manual_v1.2].

Pre-flight and post-flight inspections will be consistent with the attached Safety Guidelines and 

Maintenance Manual [Inspire_1_Safety_Guidelines] [Inspire_1_Maintenance_ManualV1.0])

The Unmanned Aircraft PIC

Jesse Lasky, the PIC of the DJI Inspire 1 is an experienced sUAS pilot, especially piloting multi-rotor 

aircraft. The petitioner has been a hobbyist sUAS pilot for over 5 years, and has piloted this particular 

aircraft on numerous occasions without incident. To improve safety and comply with the FAA’s requests, 

a trained observer will be present at all times during the flight. The petitioner is also experienced with

maintaining a controlled area of operations, ensuring the safety of all nearby persons and property.

sUAS Operation Overview

The sUAS will be operated to provide aerial photography, videography, and survey services to the public 

sector, particularly for the purposes of real estate, weddings, events, and property surveys.

Prior to the operation, flight restrictions will be programmed into to sUAS to prevent it from flying 400 

feet above ground level or 1500 away from the PIC. Before takeoff, the operator and observer will review 

the pre-flight checklist (found in Inspire_1_Safety_Guidelines) and survey the area to determine if 

weather/cloud conditions are suitable for flight and what the emergency landing sites would be. All 

nearby persons in the operations area will be made aware of the flight in progress. Flights will not take 

place over densely populated areas or private property without the owner‘s permission. Once the 

operation is complete, the sUAS will be inspected to determine if any maintenance will be needed before 

the next operation.

Compared to traditional flights using manned aircraft, flights using sUAS are much less dangerous and 

therefor would not adversely affect safety:

 The nature of these flights will restrict the use of the sUAS to a small area where all nearby 

persons can be aware of the ongoing flight. 

 The sUAS carries no explosive materials or combustible liquid fuel.

 The light weight of the sUAS would cause minimal damage in the event of an airborne failure, 

especially when compared to traditional manned aircraft with airworthiness certificates.

 The small size of the sUAS would allow for all operations to be conducted within a clearly 

defined area, including takeoffs and landings.

All flights by the PIC will begin and remain outside of a 5 mile radius of any airport. The sUAS has a 

mandatory, built-in functionality to restrict the aircraft from flying within this radius and will 

automatically land if it inadvertently violates this restriction. Any and all precautions will be taken by the 

PIC and the accompanying Observer to prevent midair collisions with objects and other aircraft, even 

outside the 5km radius of airports. 
All planned operations utilizing the sUAS will be completed safely. With the combination of the preflight 

safety risk assessments previously discussed and the inherently reduced risk of flying a sUAS compared 

to a traditional manned aircraft, the PIC will be able to provide a level of safety greater than the 

traditional method of performing aerial based photography, videography, and survey operations.

Benefit to Public Interest

The services provided by the petitioner would be a great benefit to the public as a whole. Granting this 

exemption would reduce the need for traditional forms of aerial photography, videography, and surveys

which, as previously discussed, are much more dangerous than operations performed by sUAS. The cost 

of sUAS operations is also significantly lower than traditional aerial photography flights, making these 

services available to smaller businesses or individuals that otherwise may not be able to afford them. This 

in turn allows businesses to better serve their clients, increasing the public benefit as a whole.

Conclusion

All commercial sUAS flights by the petitioner shall satisfy the criteria provided in Section 333 of the 

Reform Act of 2012, including: size, weight, speed, flight within VLOS, distance from PIC, distance from 

airports, operation capabilities, maintaining safety, and the benefit to the public. In accordance with the 

FAA’s announcement on March 23rd, 2015, the petitioner will apply for a Certificate of Waiver or 

Authorization for all flights over 200 feet above the ground. These qualifications more than justify 

granting the petitioner, Jesse Lasky, with an exemption to the stated sections of title 14 CFR.

The requests of this petition are similar to those of Marcus D. Melhus, Ralph J. Apel, and Saratoga Aerial 

and Video, all of whom have received Section 333 exemptions for use of comparable aircraft for similar 

operations. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jesse C. Lasky

Petitioner