DronEye Imaging, LLC

5127 S 200 W

Trafalgar, IN 46181

UAS Integration Office

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20591

March 2, 2016

Re: Re: Docket FAA-2015-1401, Petition for Amendment to Exemption No. 11957

Dear Madam, Sir:

DronEye Imaging, LLC received FAA Exemption No. 11957 on 6/30/2015 authorizing DronEye 

Imaging under section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to operate one or 

several unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”) for various commercial purposes. In this present 

petition for an amendment to Exemption No. 11957, DronEye Imaging seeks to add the Tarot 680 

Pro UAS for the same purposes. 

The Tarot 680 Pro is a multirotor (hexacopter) raircraft weighing up to a max of 10 pounds, 

including payload (camera and battery). It has the ability to operate under normal conditions at a 

speed of no more than 50 mph and has the capability to hover and move in the vertical and 

horizontal plane simultaneously. The sUAS will operate only in the pilot’s or observer’s visual line 

of sight at all times. It is controlled by a Pixhawk flight controller.

The 680 Pro can be operated up to a wind threshold of 35 miles per hour (mph), with gusts up to 

55. Additionally, it is equipped with GPS and ground station equipment, which allows the operator 

to pre-program designated flight paths, respecting defined no fly zones, legal flight ranges and 

altitude ceilings so the system cannot enter areas deemed unsafe or unnecessary to flyover. 

The 680 Pro maintains the ability to take full manual control at any time during semi or 

autonomous flight. If communication is lost with the control transmitter, regardless of semi or 

autonomous flight modes, the on board flight controller will immediately start a return-to-home 

procedure and arrive at the original source point of lift off. The same return to home feature is also 

configured for low battery levels and wind thresholds that exceed limits during the planned flight. 

Should battery become critically low during flight, the sUAS will begin a self landing procedure, 

while its GPS will remain online to transmit telemetry data for recovery. 

All flight operations are global positioning system (GPS) controlled, making the system easy to 

navigate. At any point if the operator is not explicitly commanding the system to move, the system 

automatically holds its GPS position. The flight control system employs, not only GPS positioning, 
but a variety of sensors including sonar, barometric pressure, temperature, wind speed and others

to ensure stability so long as wind thresholds are not exceeded. Also a flight termination link – to 

prevent a “fly away” or other potentially dangerous situation – is available to the operator. 

Preflight checks of the UAS will be exactly the same as the other approved UAS on DronEye 

Imaging’s section 333 Exemption and operations of the UAS will be done in the exact same 

manner as the other existing UAS on our Exemption.

DronEye Imaging, LLC, will comply with all of the conditions and limitations imposed in 

Exemption 11957 except that condition number 1 should be revised to include the Tarot 680 Pro

UAS. Other than these revisions, there will be no change in the conditions and reasons relative to 

public safety that were the basis for the initial grant of exemption.

Because the requested amendment would not set any precedent or otherwise raise any novel issue

(the Tarot 680 Pro has been approved on other Exemptions and Amendments), and because 

DronEye Imaging seeks to begin these operations without delay, DronEye Imaging respectfully 

requests the FAA to determine that good cause exists to dispense with publication of the summary 

of this petition in the Federal Register and grant the requested amendment as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your consideration of this petition.

Sincerely,

Brian A. Pfaehler

Co-owner

DronEye Imaging LLC

bpfaeh@gmail.com

317-443-7013