Seth McDaniel November 13, 2015 

11624 Teddington Ct

Bentonville, AR 72712

Cell (501) 951-7707 

Email: sethmcd@gmail.com 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Docket Management System 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

RE: Exemption Request Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act of 2012 

Attachments: 1) Phantom 3 Professional User Manual V1.6 

2) Phantom 3 Professional Quick Start Guide V1.2 

3) Phantom Safety Guidelines Disclaimer

4) Phantom 3 Intelligent Flight Battery Safety Guidelines V1.0

References: 1) FAA Exemption No. 11138, Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2014-0481 in 

the matter of the petition of DOUGLAS TRUDEAU 

2) FAA Exemption No. 11136, Regulatory Docket No. FAA–2014–0508 

in the matter of the petition of ADVANCED AVIATION SOLUTIONS LLC 

3) FAA Exemption No. 11080 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2014-0355 in 

the matter of the petition of FLYING CAM INC 

Dear Sir or Madam,

In accordance with the FAA’s Guidelines for Submitting a Petition for Exemption 

under section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, I Seth McDaniel, 

referred to hereafter as the petitioner, request exemption from the following sections of 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations §§ 

61.113(a); 61.113(b); 91.119(c); 91.121; 91.151(a); 91.405(a); 91.407(a)(1); 91.409 

(a)(1); 91.409(a)(2); 91.417(a) & (b);

In order to operate small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) commercially in airspace 

regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the purposes of aerial 

photography, cinematography, videography, mapping, crop surveying, inspections and 
other flight operations that could be performed safely and more cost effectively with the 

use of small UAS at low altitude within the U.S. national airspace system as compared 

to a manned aircraft. Operations will be performed only at the request of and with the 

authorization and permission of clients or their authorized agents in order to facilitate 

commerce and raise awareness of the beneficial uses of small unmanned air systems. 

So long as such operations are conducted within and under the conditions outlined 

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

identified and proposed by the petitioner are drawn from references 1-3.

The FARs 

The petitioner seeks exemption from the above mentioned FARs for the following 

reasons; 

61.113(a) & (b); The petitioner requests relief in order to facilitate the 

utilization of pilots, who hold a PRIVATE PILOT (or greater) certificate. Any pilots 

operating under this exemption would be required to comply with any conditions as set 

forth and in a similar fashion to the previously granted exemptions. 

91. 119(c) As discussed in Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU), 

operations conducted closer than 500 feet to the ground may require that the UA be 

operated closer than 500 feet to essential persons, or objects that would not be possible 

without additional relief. The petitioner requests modification, waiver or exemption and 

clarification concerning the terms “congested areas” and “densely populated”. The 

petitioner requests waiver for this condition to allow reasonable and responsible 

operations in areas of subdivisions and neighborhoods if required. 

91.121 As discussed in Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU) is 

inapplicable since the UAS does not have an altimeter and instead utilizes electronic 

GPS with a barometric sensor for altitude information. 

91.151(a) As discussed in Exemption 11136 (ADVANCED AVIATION 

SOLUTIONS LLC) prior relief has been granted for manned aircraft to operate at less 

than the prescribed minimums, including Exemption Nos. 2689, 5745, and 10650. In 

addition, similar UAS-specific relief has been granted in Exemption Nos. 8811, 10808, 

and 10673 for daytime, VFR conditions. The UAS provides battery power remaining in 

percent to the PIC. The UA batteries provide approximately 25 minutes of powered 

flight. Information provided in the operating documents discusses procedures regarding 
remaining battery power management. Those documents contain a condition in which 

the PIC will initiate a landing procedure when battery remaining reaches a specified 

level. Given the limitations on proposed operations and the location of those proposed 

operations, The FAA found that a reduced minimum power reserve for flight in daytime 

VFR conditions was reasonable. 

91.405(a); 91.407(a)(1); 91.409 (a)(1) & (2); 91.417(a) & (b) As discussed in 

Exemption 11138 (DOUGLAS TRUDEAU), The petitioner proposes to inspect and 

ensure that the UAS is in a condition for safe flight in accordance with the operating 

documents. The FAA found that adherence to the petitioner’s operating documents and 

the conditions and limitations specified, describing the requirements for maintenance, 

inspection, and recordkeeping, were sufficient to ensure that safety would not be 

adversely affected. 

The UAS

The DJI Phantom 3 is a highly proven consumer grade small rotorcraft in the 

quad copter configuration with an advertised weight of less than 46 Ounces (1280g) 

designed primarily to carry aloft a high definition camera. It has an advertised maximum 

speed of less than 30 knots (16m/s) and a maximum climb rate of less than 1200 feet 

per minute (6 m/s). It is powered by four electric motors with a distance between motors 

of less than 14 inches (350mm) It utilizes an internal inertial measuring unit (IMU) with 

integrated barometric sensor augmented with global positioning system (GPS) along 

with visual and ultrasonic sensors to maintain its geospatial orientation and position. It is 

controlled primarily through an FCC certified radio control (RC) unit. Real time video and 

telemetry information is transmitted back to a ground control station allowing the 

operator and/or PIC to monitor battery level, GPS signal strength, altitude (AGL), and 

distance from PIC, camera imagery, and control camera angle. It has failsafe modes of 

operation for either loss of RC or GPS signal. The onboard flight controller can limit 

altitude of the UA. The maximum altitude can be preprogrammed by the PIC. Battery 

life limits flight times to approximately 23 minutes. The onboard flight controller will warn 

the pilot via telemetry and external lighting cues before reaching a low battery state. An 

automatic termination of flight and landing will be initiated when the battery reaches a 

predetermined low state. It is anticipated that flights will usually last less than 10 

minutes. More information is available in attachment 1 or 

http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-3/download
Risk mitigation

The petitioner has reviewed FAA exemptions reference’s 1-3 Conditions and 

Limitations section and believes that the procedures specified therein are reasonable 

and will be utilized in order to manage and mitigate risk and ensure public safety. A 

preflight checklist will be developed and employed to ensure that the UA airworthiness 

will be verified before launch. Airworthiness will be maintained by performance of 

routine inspections before each flight, maintaining flight and maintenance logs to record 

time on failure prone components. 

The petitioner request that in a manner similar to reference 3, he be allowed to 

operate within 5 miles of an airport provided that; 

“The UA may not operate in Class B, C, or D airspace without 

written approval from the FAA. The UA may not operate within 5 nautical 

miles of the geographic center of a nontowered airport as denoted on a 

current FAA-published aeronautical chart unless a letter of agreement with 

that airport’s management is obtained, and the operation is conducted in 

accordance with a NOTAM as required by the operator’s COA. The letter 

of agreement with the airport management must be made available to the 

Administrator upon request.” 

Operations within 5 miles of an airport are not anticipated to be routine but the petitioner 

is requesting a mechanism to facilitate such activities without requesting a new and 

separate exemption(s) should the need arise. Operations within class B airspace are 

not requested due to the lack of mode C transponder. 

Public interest

Use of the UAS in lieu of a manned aircraft would enhance safety and reduce the 

environmental impact as compared to similar operations conducted with manned aircraft 

of greater proportions, carrying a crew and flammable fuel. Additionally, use of the UAS 

in order to facilitate commerce could lead to economic growth. Operations for this 

petition will enable service for property owners or their designees seeking an enhanced 

perspective for characteristics, amenities, and benefits of their desired photographic

subjects that cannot be displayed through ground level videography/photography. Aerial 

photography is a valuable marketing tool that can lead to increased commerce and 

enhance personal photography. Crop surveying applications could lead to decreased 
use of pesticides and fertilizer and conservation of water as well as increased crop 

yields and decreased costs. Aerial surveying and inspections can increase work site 

efficiency, improve volumetric estimations and reduce risks. The petitioner will provide 

clients with photographic data for these purposes on a ‘for hire’ basis acting as an 

independent contractor. A visual observer will be utilized. Liability insurance will be 

obtained commensurate with the granting of this request for exemption. Flight data 

including UA flight time, Control Unit operation time, incident, accident, and details 

concerning any deviations from normal operations will be available to FAA for use in 

collecting data regarding the use of UAS as part of this application. This data may be

submitted to FAA via traditional means, e.g. COA Monthly Reports, or other means as 

required. 

Conclusion

The petitioner is requesting this exemption for the purposes of “aerial 

photography, cinematography, videography, mapping, crop surveying, inspections and 

other flight operations”. The reason for such a general and broad based request is that 

the petitioner wishes to utilize a business strategy of horizontal integration and 

maximize economies of scope in order to capitalize on opportunities as they may arise 

in the future without the long turnaround time associated with additional exemptions. 

The petitioner's business model is based on the idea of offering ad hoc small UAS 

services to individuals or companies who wish to employ these services as a safe, 

effective, and legal option to enhance their business or hobby. The petitioner’s own 

market research shows pent up demand for these services currently exists in the real 

estate market and other markets are just beginning to emerge. The petitioner has 

refrained from engaging in commercial use of the UAS. The primary purpose of seeking 

this exemption is to obtain the capability to offer those services while remaining in 

compliance. The petitioner holds an airman certificate, PRIVATE PILOT (certificate

number 430476911), and has 25 years of experience in the radio control model aircraft 

hobby.

Respectfully submitted, 

Seth McDaniel