AFS

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- 340

- E June 07, 2013

Exemption No. 1079 3
Regulatory Docket No. FAA

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- 0382

Mr. James Hill

AirCover
3710 Flight Avenue
Redding, CA 96002

Dear Mr. Hill:

This letter is to inform y ou 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.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated April 19, 2013 , you p etitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on

behalf of Aircover for an exemption from §§ 91.9(b) and 91.203(a) and (b) of Title 14, Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to allow AirCover to operate its

unmanned aircraft sy stem (UAS)

, the AirCover 425 , in domestic operations consisting of
research and development, and crew training without carrying a flight manual on board or
displaying an experimental certificate, but allow the flight manual an d experimental certificate

to reside with the ground control station operator. In addition, it would allow AirCover to continue operation of the AirCover 425 temporarily following the incidental loss or mutilation
of that aircraft’s experimental certificate or registration certificate or both.

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 AirCov er

.

The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to
those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption Nos. 8607 (cop y enclosed), the FAA2

found that it is unnecessary to carry and display the experimental

, certification and registration
documents in UASs for the operation described by the petitioner. The original intent of the
subject regulations was to display the experimental and registration documents so they would
be easily available to the FAA inspect ors and passengers

.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that

—

• they are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant
of Exemption Nos. 8607 ;

• the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption Nos. 8607
also apply to the situation you present; and

• a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator
has delegated to m e, I hereby grant AirCover an exemption from 14 CFR §§ 91.9(b) and
91.203(a) and (b) to the extent necessary to allow AirCover to operate its UAS

, AirCover

425 , in domestic operations consisting of research and development, and crew training
without carry ing a flight manual on board or displaying an experimental certificate, but allow

t he flight manual and experimental certificate to reside with the ground control station
operator. In addition, it would allow AirCover to continue operation of its UAS tempo rarily
following the incidental loss or mutilation of that aircraft’s experimental certificate or
registration certificate or both , subj ect to the conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. The documents required under §§ 91.9 and 91.203 must be available to the pilot in
command of the UAS anytime the aircraft is operating.

2. Those documents required under §§ 91.9 and 91.203 must be made available
within 10 days to any FAA, U.S. Department of Defense, or law enforcement

official.

3. Lockheed shall comply with any minimum fuel quantity requirement of an
approved pilot operating manual or approved flight manual.3

4. This exemption applies only to operators of the AirCover 425 when participating

in research and development and crew traini ng

.

This exemption terminates on June 30, 2015 , unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John M. Allen
Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure s