Joseph McCartney July 15, 2015

2238 E 32nd St

Lorain OH, 44055

(440) 668-2209

Dear Sir or Madam:

This petition is being submitted on my 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, Joseph McCartney, a freelance multimedia producer, 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 Joseph McCartney to pursue his commercial 

interests in providing services

to clients using a small advanced sUAV in the following areas: Real Estate, Marketing, 

Land

Management/Surveying, and Special Events. Joseph McCartney 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 within the UAS’ radius during 

filming and photography

applications.

Joseph McCartney has demonstrated the ability to safely and effectively fly the sUAS 

DJI Phantom which will be

used for all commercial and private purposes. Joseph McCartney complies with local 

ordinances and laws regarding

the operation of sUAS, and adheres to all weather and environmental restrictions or 

limitations in reference to the

operations of sUAS.

All flights will occur in ordinance with any state or local laws regarding privacy.

I, Joseph McCartney, am seeking the exemption because I am committed to complying 

with all of the rules,

guidelines, limitations, and future legislation set forth by the FAA. I agree to operate the 

sUAS in the manner that I

have described, and for the purposes that I have described. Without the exemption 

request granted, I would be

unable to safely and effectively run my business, and it is my intention to comply with 

the FAA and obtain an
exemption of the following regulations.

The following contains my list of regulations from which I am seeking exemption, and a 

complete list of

responsibilities I assume as operator; it also contains information regarding the aircraft, 

public benefit and safety

features, and similar petitions requests granted.

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

I, THE OPERATOR, ASSUME THE FOLLOWING RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operations authorized by this grant of exemption are limited to the DJI Phantom 

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 4 limitations in this 

exemption and the procedures

outlined in the operating documents, the conditions and limitations herein take 

precedence and must be followed.

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. 5

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 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. 6

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 (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.

SIMILAR EXEMPTIONS

They are similar in all/or many material respects to relief previously requested in Grant 

of Exemption Nos. 11062,

11109, 11112, and 11213

Public Benefit and Safety

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.

Joseph McCartney is petitioning for an exemption to operate a DJI Phantom with a builtin 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 Phantom 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 15 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.

- 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,

my operations adhere to the Reform Act's safety requirements.

Best Regards,

Joseph McCartney