June 9, 2015

Exemption No. 11792

Regulatory Docket No. FAA–2015–1017

Mr. James Baldwin, Jr.

dba SkyVideoCT

14 Crescent Bluff Avenue

Branford, CT 06405

Dear Mr. Baldwin:

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 to the public docket on April 15, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) on behalf of SkyVideoCT (hereinafter petitioner or operator) for an 

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

conduct aerial videography and or photography for real estate, marketing, surveying, 

industrial, and special events.

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 

provided in Section 333 of Public Law 112−95 in reference to 49 U.S.C. § 44704, and in 
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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 collection1. 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, SkyVideoCT 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. 

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, SkyVideoCT 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 

not 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 

limitations in this exemption and the procedures outlined in the operating documents, 

the conditions and limitations herein take precedence and must be followed. 
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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.

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 
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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.

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 
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(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.

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.
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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 June 30, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosures
U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Management System 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590

RE: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act

Dear Sir or Madam:

This petition is being submitted on our behalf without legal counsel or consulting services.

Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform 

Act), and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, James Baldwin, Jr., d/b/a SkyVideoCT, a full service video 

production company, hereby applies for an exemption from the Federal Aviation 

Regulations (FARs) listed below to allow operation of our Small Unmanned Aircraft 

System (sUAS) commercially in airspace regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) so long as such operations are conducted with and under the conditions outlined 

herein or as may be established by the FAA as required by Section 333.

The requested exemption would permit SkyVideoCT to pursue its commercial interests 

in providing services to clients using a small advanced sUAV in the following areas:

 Real Estate

 Marketing

 Surveying

 Industrial

 Special Events

SkyVideoCT states that all sUAS flights will occur over private or controlled access 

property and will do so with the property owner's consent and knowledge and that 

only people who have consented or otherwise have agreed to be in the area where 

aerial videography and or photography will take place.
Regulations from which exemption is requested:

14 C.F.R. Part 21

14 C.F.R. 45.23(b)

14 C.F.R. 61.113(a) & (b)

14 C.F.R. 91.7(a)

14 C.F.R. 91.9(b) (2)

14 C.F.R. 91.109

14 C.F.R. 91.119

14 C.F.R. 91.121

14 C.F.R. 91.151(a)

14 C.F.R. 91.203(a) & (b)

14 C.F.R. 91.205(b)

14 C.F.R. 91.215

14 C.F.R. 91.401 - 91.417

Unmanned Aircraft System

sUAVs are often seen as superior to helicopters as an aerial video 

gathering platform due to the smaller devices cheaper equipment and 

personnel cost, reduced noise and as such, a much smaller 

environmental impact which promotes public safety.

SkyVideoCT is petitioning for an exemption to operate a DJI Inspire 1 with 

a built-in stabilized HD camera and GPS safety features which limit its 

ability to limit the height it flies above ground level (AGL), to limit the 

radius of the distance it flies from the operator and to exclude it from 

operations within designated Class B, C and D airspace including a no-fly 

zone feature. The DJI Inspire 1 also has a failsafe function that is triggered 

in the event communication is lost between the sUAS and the main 

controller transmitter. At that time, the sUAS will return to its point of 

takeoff and land safety. If the connection is restored, the PIC can regain 

control of flight and land manually.

These specifications meet with the Model Aircraft Operating Standards as 

set below:

 The petitioner will only operate its sUAS in line-of-sight of a pilot 

and/or observer and will operate at sites that are `sufficient distance' 

from populated areas within the sterile area described in the FOPM. 

Such operations will ensure that the sUAS will "not create a hazard to 

users of the national airspace system or the public."

 When flying the sUAS within three (3) miles of an airport, airport operators 

will be notified and the operator will give the right-of-way to avoid flying in 
the proximity of full-scale aircraft. Maximum flight time for each operation 

will be 30 minutes.

 Flights will be terminated when battery levels reach 25%, allowing 

sufficient reserve flight time to safely land the sUAS.

 The sUAS will be programmed so it will not be operated at an altitude that 

exceeds 400 feet AGL, and not more than 200 feet above an elevated 

platform from which videography is planned.

 Minimum crew for each operation shall consist of: sUAS pilot, a visual 

sUAS observer, and the camera operator.

 The sUAS PIC will be an FAA licensed airman holding a minimum of a 

Private Pilot certificate and a current FAA medical certificate.

 The sUAS operated by the petitioner weighs less than 25 pounds, 

including all payload (i.e. camera, lens, and stabilized gimbal).

 The sUAS will operate at speeds of no more than 50 knots, can hover, 

and can simultaneously move vertically and horizontally.

 Given the small size of the sUAS and the restricted sterile environment 

within which it will operate, SkyVideoCT’s operations adhere to the 

Reform Act's safety requirements.

The fact the pilot holds an FAA Private Pilot license demonstrates 

SkyVideoCT 's high regard for safe operations with an understanding of 

FARs, preflight inspections, knowledge of operations and differences in 

airspace classifications, maintenance and repair, as well as being trained 

to high safety standards.

Under the requested exemption, SkyVideoCT ensures all operators have 

completed sUAS education and training programs including all applicable 

regulations and guidance documents; including aeronautical background 

information such as charts, NOTAMS and Aircraft Circulars; Radio 

Communications Procedures; Human Factors and Crew Resource 

Management; Basic sUAS Aerodynamics; Weather factors; Airmanship and 

Decision-making and Safe Operations Procedures.

We respectively request exemption under Section 333 to enable SkyVideoCT

to operate efficient, limited, low-risk commercial sUAS operations for the 

activities stated respecting at all times the space and privacy of citizens and 

property while keeping airspace safe.

Sincerely submitted,
EXEMPTION REQUESTS AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY

SkyVideoCT requests an exemption from the following regulations as well as 

any additional regulations that may technically apply to the operation of the 

sUAV System:

14 CFR Part 21, Airworthiness Certificates

This part establishes the procedures for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate. 

While the FAA continues to work to develop airworthiness standards for Unmanned 

Aerial Systems, we request an experimental certificate be issued for the Inspire 1DJI 

Inspire 1 under either, or both, of the following provisions:

21.191 Experimental certificates. Experimental certificates are issued for the 

following purposes:

(a) Research and development. Testing new aircraft design concepts, new aircraft 

equipment, new aircraft installations, new aircraft operating techniques, or new uses 

for aircraft.

(b) Showing compliance with regulations. Conducting flight tests and other 

operations to show compliance with the airworthiness regulations including flights to 

show compliance for issuance of type and supplemental type certificates, flights to 

substantiate major design changes, and flights to show compliance with the function 

and reliability requirements of the regulations. Since the experimental certificate 

can be used for commercial purposes such as market surveys, sales 

demonstrations, and customer crew training, we would expect that an experimental 

certificate would permit our commercial purpose as well. The aircraft will not carry 

persons or property, will not carry fuel, and will only fly under strict operational 

requirements. Combined with the UA's light weight, being constructed primarily of 

carbon fiber and plastic, we propose that the UA will be at least as safe, if not safer, 

than a conventionally certificated aircraft performing the same mission. If an 

experimental airworthiness certificate is not appropriate for this application, then we 

request an exemption of 14 CFR Part 21, Subpart H, and the requirement for an 

airworthiness certificate in general, citing the equivalent level of safety outlined in 

the previous paragraph.

14 CFR 45.23 Display of marks; general and 45.29 Size of marks

These regulations provide that each aircraft must display "N" and the aircraft's 

registration number in letters at least 3 inches high. Additionally, the aircraft must 

display the word "EXPERIMENTAL" in letters at least 2 inches high near the entrance 

to the cabin, cockpit, or pilot station. The sUAV does not have an entrance in which 

the word "EXPERIMENTAL" can be placed, and may not have a registration number 

assigned to it by the FAA. We propose to achieve an equivalent level of safety by 

including the word "EXPERIMENTAL" on the Transmitter, where the PIC will be able 

to see the designation. Additionally, we feel that the permanent placard discussed in 

the previous paragraph will provide the aircraft's registration information at the 

ground station. Finally, we will display at the ground station a high contrast flag or 

banner that contains the words "Unmanned Aircraft Ground Station" in letters 3 

inches high or greater. Since the aircraft will operate within 3/4 NM of the ground 

station, the banner should be visible to anyone that observes the aircraft and 

chooses to investigate its point of origin.
14 CFR 61.113 Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in Command and 

61.133 Commercial pilot privileges and limitations.

The regulation provides that no person who holds a Private Pilot certificate may act as pilot 

in Command of an aircraft for compensation or hire. Subparagraph (b) allows a private pilot 

to act as pilot in command of an aircraft in connection with any business or employment if: 

(1) The flight is only incidental to that business or employment; and (2) The aircraft does 

not carry passengers or property for compensation or hire. Our proposed operations require 

that the PIC must hold at least a Private Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA and since the 

aircraft cannot carry passengers or property, we feel we meet the intent of 61.113 

Subparagraph (b) even though the intent of this application is to conduct a business.

14 CFR 91.7 Prohibits the Operation of an aircraft without an airworthiness 

certificate.

As no such certificate will be applicable in the form contemplated by the FARs, this 

Regulation is inapplicable.

14 CFR 91.9 Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements. This 

regulation provides that no person may operate an aircraft unless a current, approved flight 

manual is in the aircraft. We assume that the intent of this requirement is to ensure that 

flight manual information is available to the aircrew while operating the aircraft. We request 

an exemption to this requirement since the aircraft is not only too small to carry 

documentation, the documentation would not be available to the crew during flight 

operations. To obtain an equivalent level of safety and meet the intent of 91.9, we propose 

that a current sUAS Flight Manual must be available to the crew at the ground station 

anytime the aircraft is in, or preparing for, flight.

14 CFR 91.109 Flight Instruction; Simulated instrument flight and certain flight 

tests.

The regulation states "No person may operate a civil aircraft that is being used for flight 

instruction unless that aircraft has fully functioning dual controls." The sUAS System 

ground-based control station consists of a hand-held radio transmitter and while it does not 

offer a second set of "controls", both the student and instructor can, and will, operate the 

single set of controls simultaneously. With both student and instructor having "hands-on" 

the controls during flight, this technique meets the intent 91.109 and provides an equivalent 

level of safety.

91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General.

The regulation states that over sparsely populated areas the aircraft cannot be operated 

closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. Since the typical mission 

of the sUAS would be photography or survey of persons, vessels, vehicles or structures it 

would be necessary to operate closer than 500 feet to the items listed. Operations will only 

be flown over property or persons where permission has been obtained and a careful preplaning has been performed. The aircraft will be operated at a low altitude allowing, if a 

power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the 

surface. Therefore we maintain that due to the small size of the UAS, the hazard to 

persons, vehicles and structures is minimal compared to manned aircraft, which should be 

considered in granting the exemption.

CFR 91.121 Altimeter settings.

The regulation requires that aircraft shall maintain cruising altitudes by reference to an 

altimeter setting available within 100 NM of the aircraft. The sUAS will always fly below 400 

feet AGL and will not need to maintain cruising altitudes in order to prevent conflict with 

other aircraft. An Above Ground Level altimeter measurement above the takeoff point is 
transmitted via radio from the sUAS on-board computer to the display screen held by the 

PIC, providing a constantly updated AGL readout.

14 CFR 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions.

The regulation provides that no person may begin a flight in an airplane under dayvFR 

conditions unless there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and to fly 

after that for at least 30 minutes. We feel the intention of this paragraph is to provide an 

energy reserve as a safety buffer for delays to landing. The sUAV is battery operated and the 

maximum duration of flight from a single battery charge is 18 minutes with a 20% reserve. 

Since the aircraft will never fly more than one (1) NM from the point of intended landing, a 

full battery charge at launch will ensure that we meet the reserve energy requirement of this 

paragraph. We request an exemption to the word "fuel" and ask for an equivalent 

interpretation with the word "energy".

14 CFR 91.203(a) & (b) Civil aircraft: Certifications required.

The regulation provides that an airworthiness certificate, with the registration number 

assigned to the aircraft and a registration certificate must be aboard the aircraft. 

Additionally, subparagraph (b) provides that the airworthiness certificate be "displayed at 

the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew." At a maximum 

gross weight of 6.6 pounds, the sUAS is too small to carry documentation, does not have 

an entrance, and is not capable of carrying passengers or crew. To obtain an equivalent 

level of safety and meet the intent of 91.203, we propose that documents deemed 

appropriate for this aircraft by the FAA will be co-located with the crew at the ground 

control station and available for inspection upon request. In order to identify the aircraft, 

we propose that the information found on airworthiness and registration certificates be 

permanently affixed to the aircraft via placard containing the following information plus the 

word "EXPERIMENTAL" to satisfy the requirement of 14 CFR 45.23.

14 CFR Subpart E 91.401- 91.417 - Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, 

Alterations

The regulation provides that the operator is primarily responsible for maintaining the aircraft 

in an airworthy condition, including compliance with part 39 and 43. Paragraphs 91.407 and 

91.409 require that the aircraft be "approved for return to service by a person authorized 

under 43.7" after maintenance and inspection. It is our intention that the PIC perform 

maintenance and inspection of the aircraft and "be authorized to approve the aircraft for 

return to service." The PIC will ensure that the aircraft is in an airworthy condition prior to 

every flight and in addition conduct detailed inspections after every two hours of flight. 

Maintenance performed by the PIC is limited to repairing small cracks, replacing a propeller, 

checking electrical connections and updating software and firmware for the on-board 

computer. All other maintenance will be performed by the manufacturer or their designated 

repair facility. The PIC will document work performed in accordance with 91.417. We feel 

that due to the size, construction, and simplicity of the aircraft, the PIC can ensure an 

equivalent level of safety.