Gowdy Brothers Aerospace, LLC Page 1

U. S. Department of Transportation March 24, 2016

Docket Management System

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, DC 20590

Re: FAA Docket FAA-2015-0650 Petition

To Whom it May Concern:

Gowdy Brothers Aerospace, LLC, the leading section 333 Consulting Firm in the nation, 

is the Independent Consultant for Hover Check Aerial Productions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assigned Hover Check Aerial Productions

(hereafter “Operator”) an exemption number 12006 (the “Exemption”), a docket 

number FAA-2015-0650 (the “Docket”), pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA 

Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform Act) and 14 C.F.R. Part 11. That 

Exemption when granted will authorize commercial operations by Operator. 

Operator herewith requests that its Exemption be amended, to the extent necessary, to 

make the following changes:

1.) Add the following purposes/missions to the operators’ docket petition:

a. Aerial Data Collection to include the following: (1) bridge Inspections, 

(2) flare stack inspection, (3) utility-power generation system 

inspections and patrolling, (4) aerial inspection, (5) photography and 

(6) videography of residential and (7) commercial real estate, (8) 

weddings, (9) aerial inspection, (10) photography and (11) 

videography of (12) utility infrastructure including but not limited to 

(13) electrical power lines, (14) wind turbines and (15) cell towers, 

(16) pipeline inspection and (17) patrolling, (18) precision agriculture 

with one board sensors, (19) liquid and solid agriculture applications, 

(20) wildlife and forestry monitoring, (21) mosquito and insect 

control, (22) aerial surveying, (23) construction site inspection and 

(24) monitoring, (25) public entity support operations, (26) Aerial 

imaging for safety monitoring and (27) comparing work efforts and 

completion percentages, (28) security of controlled environment of 
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various sites, (29) Aerial Photography and video photography over 

water and marina for boats and Yachts, (30) surface mining, (31) 

special events: including (32) high schools, (33) colleges and 

universities, (34) professional sports, (35) open air events and (36) 

state and county fairs, (37) research, (38) forensic analysis of traffic

patterns (39) Fire and arson inspection, (40) risk management and 

(41) geographical information systems, (42) LIDAR applications, (43) 

aerial assessment, (44) independent contracting and sub-contracting 

activities, (45) disaster and (46) catastrophe events.

b. Search and Rescue Operations (SRO) to include the following: (47) 

SRO independent contracting services, (48) SRO activities under the 

authority and support of local authority officials, (49) SRO first 

responders, including but not limited to Fire, Police, Forestry, County 

Sheriff’s department, private, (50) SRO with aerial video and live 

video feed.

c. Motion Picture, Television and Closed Set Filming to include the 

following: (51) filmmaking, (52) cinematography, and (53) 

videography, (54) aerial video and live video feed, (55) aerial video 

and photography for public and private use including television, 

public events, and (56) cinematography live feed and live 

newsgathering, (57) motion picture, (58) television and (59) closed set 

filming. (GBA-Motion Picture and Television Flight Operations 

Manual) attached as Confidential Information.

d. Training to include the following: (60) training to persons individually 

or (61) belonging to both private and public organizations, (62) 

training to increase awareness and (63) training to improve safety for 

current and future UAS operations within the NAS, (64) educational 

and degree granting programs for colleges and universities, (65) 

training in conjunction with FAA pilots and other sUAV training 

certifications.

2.) Add the following new aircraft to Operator’s UAS operation/mission;

a. See the attached list of 1,120 sUAV’s attached as Confidential 

Information and all subsequent FAA approved sUAV’s.

3.) Add the Motion Picture, Television and Close Set Filming:

a. See the GBA-MPTFOM (GBA-Motion Picture and Television Flight 

Operations Manual) attached as Confidential Information.

This petition indicates that there are no changes in the conditions and reasons relative 

to public interest and safety that are in the original docket number for granting of this 

exemption.

The unmanned aircraft authorized in the original docket are comparable in type, size, 

weight, speed and operations capabilities to those in this amendment petition.
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As this amended Exemption request is identical to exemptions that already have 

granted, this request should qualify for summary processing. The FAA has issued grants 

of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in this 

petition.

This amended exemption application expressly fulfills Congress’ goal in passing Section 

333(a) through (c) of the Reform Act.

AIRCRAFT AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY/NATIONAL SECURITY

Operator states that operating in compliance with the conditions set forth in its Manuals 

will provide an equivalent level of safety for the operation of the its approved aircraft 

type for the purposes requested herein. 

THE REQUESTED AMENDMENT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

The FAA has granted exemptions to the regulations listed above. As discussed in detail 

for each of these regulations, the public interest will be served by an exemption 

because, with respect to each, operation in compliance with the requested conditions 

will ensure an equivalent level of safety. 

*********

Pursuant to 14 C.F.R. Part 11, the following summary is provided for publication in the

Federal Register, should it be determined that publication is needed Gowdy Brothers 

Aerospace, LLC can provide a summary upon request.

Attachments deemed Confidential Information

(The following attached items will be submitted under separate cover as they contain 

proprietary and commercial information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of 

Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 522 et seq., and should be held in a separate file pursuant to 

14 C.F.R. § 11.35(b)). 

1.) Gowdy Brothers Aerospace 1,120 UAV Aircraft List 

2.) GBA-Motion Picture and Television Flight Operations Manual

Sincerely,
Gowdy Brothers Aerospace, LLC Page 4

Stephen Gowdy, Chief Pilot, Gowdy Brothers Aerospace, LLC, as Independent 

Consultants for Operator.

www.GowdyBrothers.com

Info@GowdyBrothers.com

763-463-5885 Office