June 9, 2015

Exemption No. 11795 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

– 2015

- 0440

Mr. Adam Winkle

20361 Estero Gardens Circle , U nit 204 Estero, Florida 33928

Dear Mr. Winkle :

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 Fe bruary 23, 2015 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for an exemption . The petitioner requested to operate an
unmanned ai rcraft system (UAS) to conduct aerial photography

.

See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA des cribing 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 Phantom 2 Vision +.

The petitioner requested relief from 14 CFR part 21, C ertification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H

— Airworthiness Certificates . In accordance with the statutory criteria provided in Section 333 of P ublic Law 112

− 95 in reference to 49 U

. S

. C

. § 44704, and in consideration of the size, weight, speed, and limited operating area associated with the2

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 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 collection 1

. The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Grants of Exemption No s

. 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 Lab s , 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 pe titioner 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 granti ng 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.

Th erefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, and 44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, Adam Winkle 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 lis ted below.

Conditions and Limitations

In this grant of exemption, Adam Winkle is hereafter referred to as the operator.

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 (p articulate measurement, etc.), or any other gathering of data by

instruments aboard the UA.3

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 Phantom 2

Vision + when weighing less than 55 pounds including payload. Proposed operations of any other aircraft will require a new petition or a p etition 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 grou ndspeed 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 P IC 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 ;

e lectronic messaging or texting is not permitted during fli ght 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 m ade 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 fol lowed. 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 revised4

docu ments 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 rev ision 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 FA A’s UAS Integration Office (AFS− 80) may be contacted if questions arise regarding updates or revision s 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 furthe r 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 pe rsons 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 opera ting 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 Col u mbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC must also meet the flight revi ew re quirements 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 operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining approp riate distances from persons, vessels, vehicles and structures. PIC qualification flight hours and currency must be logged in a manner consistent with5

14 CFR § 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes of training the operator’s PICs and VOs (traini ng, proficie ncy, 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

traini ng, 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 (S VFR) 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 symbo l 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 avail able 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 c ommunications or loses its GPS sign al, the UA must return to a

pre

- determined location within the pr ivate 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 manuf acturer if greater.

21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA). All operations shall be cond ucted in accordance with an ATO

- issued COA. The exemption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct

ope rations 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 (N− Number) markings in accordance with 14 CFR part 45, Subpart C. Markings must be as large as practicable.6

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

PI C 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 nonpartici pating 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 r emain 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 control led

- 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 op eration that transgresses the lateral or vertical boundaries of the operational area as defined by the applicable COA must be reported

to the FA A'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 a dditional conditions and limitations apply.

29. The operator must have a motion picture and television operations manual (MPTOM) as documented in this grant of exemption.7

30. At least 3 days before aerial filming, the operator of the UAS affected by this exempti on must submit a written Plan of Activities to the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) with jurisdiction over the a rea of proposed filming. The 3

- day notification may be waived with the concurrence of the FSDO. The plan of activities

must inclu de 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 th e person responsible for the on

- scene operation of the UAS;

d. Mak e, 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.

This exemption terminates on June 30, 2017 , unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service

EnclosuresA dam Winkle - Exemption/Rulemaking

This Other document was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

For related information, Open Docket Folder

Content

Adam Winkle

20361 Estero Gardens Circle unit 204 Estero, Florida 33928

Phone Number

239-313-8163

website/other contact http://www.skybrothermedia.com/

Petition for Part 21; and 45.23(b); 61.113(a) & (b); 91.7(a); 91.9(b)(2); 91.103(b); 91.109; 91.119; 91.121, 91.151(a); 91.203( a) & (b); 91.405(a); 91.407(a)(1); 91.409(a)(2); and 91.417(a) & (b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations

I plan to operate a UAS, the PHANTOM 2 Vision+, which is comprised of an unmanned aircraft (UA or PHANTOM) and a transportable ground station. The PHANTOM is referred to as a quad-copter with a maximum gross weight of about 3 pounds. It is equipped with four rotors that are driven by electric motors powered by batteries. The UA has a maximum airspeed of 20 knots. The UAS will have a small ultra-6 lightweight GoPro 3+ came ra to the UAS and operate the UA over various areas near Fort Myers, Florida to enhance academic community awareness and augm ent photographic areas. The UAS will provide the community with new and picturesque representations of their city and its surroundings. Aerial videography for geographical awareness, real est ate marketing, and personal photography has been around for a long time through manned fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, but for small business owners, its expense has been cost-prohibitive. Granting this exemption would allow me to provide this service at a muc h lower cost. Furthermore, my small UAS will pose no threat to the public given its small size and lack of combustible fuel when compar ed to larger manned aircraft. The operation of his UAS will minimize ecol ogical damage and promote economic growth by providing new opportunities to individuals and businesses in the Fort Myers metro and surrounding areas.

The Pilot, Adam Winkle, will provide the following levels of safety:

I will only operate in reasonably safe environments that are strictly controlled, are away from power lines, elevated lights, airports and actively populated areas; I will conduct extensive preflight inspections and protocols, during which safety carries primary importance. I will operate the UAS below 300 feet and within a radius distance of 1000 feet from the controller to both aid in direct line of sight visual observation; I will operate the UAS for 5-15 minutes per flight; I will land his UAS prior to the manufacturers recommended minimum level of battery

power; I will operate his UAS only within visual line of sight (VLOS); I will use the UAS global position ing system (GPS) flight safety feature whereb y it hovers and then slowly lands if communication with the remote control pilot is lost; I will conduct all operations under his own person al and flight safety protocols (including posting a warning sign reading: Attention Aerial Photography in Progress Remain Back 150 feet) contained in the operating documents and will actively analyze flight data and other sources of information to constantly update and enhance the safety protocols; I will contact respective airports if operations will be within 5 miles to advise them of my estimated flight time, flight duration, elevation of flight and other pertinent information; I will always obtain all necessary permissions prior to operation; I will have procedures in place to abort flights in the event of safety breaches or potential danger. Comment Period Close d

ID: FAA-2015-0440-0001

Document Informatio n

Date Posted:
Feb 23, 2015

Show More Details

Submitter Informatio n

Submitter Name:

A dam Winkle

Mailing Address:

20361 Estero Gardens Circle

City:

Estero

Country:

United States

State or Province:

FL

ZIP/Postal Code:

33928

Comments

0

Docket Information

This document is contained in

FAA-2015-0440

Related Dockets:

None

Related RINs:

None

Related Documents:

None

This count refers to the total
comment/submissions received

this document , as of 11:59 PM yesterday. Note: Agencies revi e submissions, however some agencies may choose to redact withhold, certain submissions ( o portions thereof) such as those containing private or proprietar y information, inappropriate lang u or duplicate/near duplicate examples of a mass-mail camp a This can result in discrepancies

between this count and those displayed when conducting
searches on the Public Submis s document type. For specific information about an agency’s p submission policy, refer to its website or the Federal Register

document.

Comments Receive d

* Pa g e 1 of 1 Re g ulations. g ov - Other Document

2/24/2015 htt p ://www.re g ulations. g ov /