Engineers ♦ Surveyors ♦ Inspectors ♦ Construction Managers ♦ GIS

Phone: (301) 260

- 0090 17830 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 200, Ashton, MD 20861 Fax : (301) 260

- 0018 www.mercadoeng.com 

# UAS Policies and Procedures Manual

Version: 1.0.1 Updated: 9

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Purpose: This system safety assessment has been developed to satis fy FAA regulatory requirements for use of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for commercial purposes. This document describes the operational scenarios in which the UAS will be operated, the general safety policies and procedures to be used before flight, d uring flight, and after flight completion, the overall UAS design and operation focus of Mercado Consultants, Inc., training procedures for all UAS pilots and visual observers , and regular maintenance procedures.

UAS Description : Mercado Consultants, Inc . will be operating the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+. This
Polies and Procedures Manual is intended to be used with this UAS only, as specific safety system guidelines have been developed with the specific capabilities and control systems
available on the DJI Pha ntom 2 Vision+.

Company Description : Mercado Consultants, Inc. is a multi

- disciplined engineering company providing transportation infrastructure services to a variety of public and private clients throughout the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas . Services related to the use of the UAS include topographical survey and aerial imagery, construction management/observation, and bridge inspection. Please see www.mercadoeng.com for a more detailed list of servic es provided.

1.0 Operational Scenario Description

1.1 Overview

1.1.1 Mercado Consultants, Inc. intends to operate the UAS i n three different operational scenarios detailed in sections 1.2 through 1.4. In all scenarios two criteria are always followed

– the UAS is op erated below a height of 400 feet and the UAS is always within visual sight of the pilot in command (PIC) and visual observer (VO) which shall not exceed a horizontal
distance of 400 feet from the PIC and VO

. 1.2 Scenario 1

– General Site Survey

1.2.1 Description: This scenario is intended to be used with general site imagery for use in aerial survey or construction management observation
tasks. It is not meant to be used wi th detailed site photogrammetry.

1.2.2 Sample Work Tasks: Aerial photographs of vario us stages of a construction project, aerial video or photographs of a general site forPage 2 of 10 general use by engineers during design phase, aerial images of bridge or critical transportation infrastructure after hazardous event (i.e. flood, earthquake, etc.).

1.2.3 Deliverables: High quality photos or videos taken from UAS.

1.2.4 Limitations: This scenario is not meant to provide precise photogrammetry or aerial imagery photos to be scaled, projected, or
dimensioned for precise engineering.

1.3 Scenario 2

– Bridge Inspection

1.3.1 D escription: Bridge girders

, piers , and abutments may be in locations that are difficult to reach for bridge inspections an d often require costly equipment. This scenario uses UAS to inspect portions of bridges that are
difficult to access.

1.3.2 Sample Work Task s: Image of deteriorated girder over 30 feet above a stream crossing, images of concrete deterioration on bridge piers or
abutme nts, emergency inspection of critical bridge component s

. 1.3.3 Deliverable: High quality photos or videos taken from UAS.

1.3.4 Limitations: The UAS is not to be flown over vehicular traffic. This scenario is for inspecting portions of a bridge that are not directly over traffic and typically includes components below the underside of the bridge.

1.4 Scenario 3

– Aerial Mapping

1.4.1 Description: Aerial photogrammetry or precise aerial mapping of site for detailed engineering use. It is expected that any photographs taken from this scenario would be post processed in a way to be used in geographical information system (GIS) or computer automated drafting and design (CADD) environments.

1.4.2 Sample Work Tasks: Aerial photogrammetry of small site for use of design engineers.

1.4.3 Deliverable: High quality photos.

1.4.4 Limitations: This scenario is generally to be used for small sites (several acres) and not intended for large area photogrammetry

.

2.0 General System Safety Information

2.1 Overview

2.1.1 This section provides the general safety policies and procedures for operating the UAS in the scenarios outlined in section 1. Detailed safety operations for specific scenarios that m ay occur during operation of the
UAS are described in more detail in section 4.

2.2 Pre

- flight Safety Policies and Procedures

2.2.1 System Calibration

2.2.1.1 Compass

2.2.1.1.1 Before each flight, the on

- board compass must be

calibrated before the UAS takes flight. This is particularly important after the UAS has been transported to the site in a motorized vehicle.Page 3 of 10 Successful compass calibration will be evident by a sequence of c olored lights on the bottom of the UAS (see Phantom 2 Vision+ user manual for more information) and by a message on the application

screen.
2.2.1.1.2 If the compass cannot be calibrated due to a

mechanical error or proximity to electrical current (i.e. powerlines), operation of the UAS is to cease immediately and the UAS returned back to the office.

2.2.1.2 Gimb al , battery level, and internal controller

2.2.1.2.1 Before each flight, ensure that there are no mechanical

or software errors in the gimb al , batteries, or internal
controller s. Any errors will be evident by a message on the application screen at startup.

2.2.1.2.2 If mechanical or software errors are present, operation

of the UAS is to cease immediately and the UAS
returned back to the office.

2.2.2 Inclement Weather

2.2.2.1 Due to the lightweight and small nature of the Phantom 2 Vision+, the UAS is only to be operated during the daytime in an area with adequate visibility. The UAS must be visible at all times during operation.

2.2.2.2 The UAS may not be operated during snow or rain or during high
winds.

2.2.3 Right

- of

- way Access

2.2.3.1 The UAS must only be operated in the Right

- of

- way airspace allowed by the FAA. Any owners associated with the airspace that the UAS will be operated in must be contacted and permission must be granted

. 2.2.4 Flight Pla n
2.2.4.1 Prior to commencing any operation of the UAS

, a flight plan must be established for the tasks to be accomplishe d. The flight plan must include the goal of the UAS flight, any potential issues that may arise during flight, and must go over any emergency l anding procedures and areas for the UAS.

2.2.4.2 The location of any nearby airports must also be noted. As part of the GPS system built into the Phantom 2 Vision+, the onboard control system for the UAS will not let the UAS fly into the airspace restricted by an airport. However, an inspection on a map shall be made prior to going to the site to ensure that the flight will not occur in or near restricted airport airspace.

2.2.5 Visual Site Survey

2.2.5.1 Once at the site, prior to operating the UAS, the overall surroundings mu st be inspected before launching. Items to pay particular attention to are overhead branches or obstructions,Page 4 of 10 utility lines, low flying aircraft, and the potential for inclement
weather.

2.3 Flight Safety Policies and Procedures

2.3.1 Pilot in Command and Visual Obs erver 2.3.1.1 The UAS shall always be operated with a team of two individuals. One individual shall be designated the pilot in command (PIC) and shall operate the remote control for the UAS and always have a visual eye on the UAS. The second individual shall be the visu al operator (VO) and shall keep a visual eye on the UAS and the overall surroundings paying particular attention to hazards that
the PIC may not be able to see.

2.3.2 Flight Altitude and Horizontal Limits

2.3.2.1 The UAS shall not be operated over an altitude of 400 fee t above
the ground

. 2.3.2.2 The UAS shall not be operated horizontally beyond a distance of
400 feet of the PIC and VO . At all times the UAS shall be visible by
the PIC and VO

. 2.3.3 GPS

2.3.3.1 GPS shall try to be established prior to liftoff of the UAS. In many

cases that may require waiting 15 to 30 minutes for the GPS signal
to be established.

2.3.3.2 In general, it is easier to obtain a GPS signal from a location without any vertical obstructions such as a parking lot or open
field.

2.3.3.3 If a GPS signal cannot be obtained, the UAS shou ld lift off to an
elevation of 2 00 feet above the ground and stay steady in the same location for several minutes. Typically during this maneuver, a GPS signal can be established.

2.3.4 Establishing a Home Point

2.3.4.1 When GPS signal is available, a home point shall b e established. As a failsafe on the Phantom 2 Vision+, if connectivity is lost with the UAS, the UAS will elevate by 20 meters, hover over the home point, and land.

2.3.4.2 The location of the home point shall be one without any vertical
obstructions. Particular attention should be paid to assessing the vertical path the UAS would take to get back to the home point if signal is lost and ensuring that there are no obstructions in this path.

2.3.4.3 During the course of operating the UAS, it may become necessary to change t he home point to the UAS’s current location as it gets further away from the location the initial home point was set at. Changing the home point during flight can be accomplished using the controller. At all times, the home point shall be chosen with
the f ailsafe procedure in mind.

2.3.5 Lost Remote Control SignalPage 5 of 10 2.3.5.1 In the event that the remote control signal is lost, the UAS will initiate its failsafe procedure and return to the home point

. 2.3.5.2 The UAS returns to the home point in a very slow manner. Often remote control signal can be reestablished by walking towards the

UAS.

2.3.5.3 Within a horizontal distance of 400 feet from the UAS, losing remote control signal with the UAS is very rare.

2.3.6 Low Batter y 2.3.6.1 In the event of a low battery, the UAS will proceed to fly back to the home point. A battery level indicator will appear on the application screen. Once the low battery message appears, the

PIC must start to move the UAS into a position where it can be
l anded.

2.3.6.2 The UAS shall not take off with a battery that has less than 25% of its full charge.

2.3.7 Emergency Landing Due to Mechanical or Software Failure

2.3.7.1 Prior to operating the UAS, a flight plan shall be established. As part of this plan, an area should be des ignated as an emergency landing area in the event of a mechanical or software failure. The emergency landing area should be in an open area without any overhead obstructions or hazards on the ground.

2.3.7.2 Typical emergency landing areas include a grassy, open a rea or a paved area without any parked cars.

2.4 Post Flight Policies and Procedures

2.4.1 Mechanical Maintenance

2.4.1.1 If the UAS experiences a mechanical or software failure during flight, it shall be returned to the office immediately after the
incident to evaluate the damage to the UAS. The UAS shall never be operated if there is a mechanical or software failure of one of its components.

2.4.1.2 The electrical motors, landing gear, propellers, camera, compass, and other mechanical components of the UAS shall be inspected

at the completion of each flight. If any damage is observed to any of the components, attention shall be brought immediately to the

issue.

2.4.2 Storage

2.4.2.1 The UAS shall be stored in the hard shell case when not in use. During transportation to and from the job site , the UAS shall always be in the hard shell case.

2.4.2.2 During longer periods when the UAS is not in use, the batteries shall be discharged to 50% before storing to prolong their usable life and ability to hold charge.Page 6 of 10

3.0 Design Focus

3.1 Overview

3.1.1 This section des cribes the overall goals in designing and planning the flight plan of the UAS for each work task.

3.2 Safety First

3.2.1 The focus of planning each flight shall always be the safety procedures
outlined in section 2. Attention shall be made to potential site hazards during flight and landing. Since transportation projects are the focus of the use of this UAS, for operational scenarios 1 and 3 (general site survey and aerial mapping), the UAS flight path shall try to be limited as much as possible to areas that are not above live traffic. For operational scenario 2 (bridge inspection) where the UAS will be operated below a bri dge in limited clearance locations, the UAS shall not fly over live traffic.

3.3 Focus on Deliverable Type

3.3.1 Each flight plan shall clearly establish the goal of the flight and the deliverable type

– photographs or video. All flight maneuvers shall be
made to position the UAS to take these photographs/videos.

3.4 Routine Maneuvers

3.4.1 Every effort shall be made to have a flight p ath that has routine maneuvers, such as limited turns, limited changes in elevation, and ample
horizontal and vertical clearance.

3.5 Site Selecti on for Emergency Procedures

3.5.1 In the flight plan, both the home point and emergency landing area shall be designated.

3.5.2 As stated in section 2.3.4, the home point shall be selected as a location where GPS signal can be established. In addition the UAS must b e able to return to the home point during its failsafe procedure if an emergency happens during flight. It is imperative that the area between the UAS and the home point not have any obstructions throughout the operation of
the UAS to allow for the failsaf e procedure.

3.5.2.1 Several home points may need to be specified during a flight to ensure that the UAS can return back safely to the home point location if the fail safe procedure is activated.

3.5.3 As stated in section 2.3.7, an emergency landing area shall be desig nated
in case of a critical mechanical or software failure where the fail safe procedure cannot be activated. In this case the PIC should use any control means necessary to get the UAS to the emergency landing location.

3.5.4 It is essential that at all times du ring operation, the PIC and VO can visually see the UAS. The UAS should not be operated in sites that are heavily wooded and have large visual obstructions.Page 7 of 10

4.0 Operation Focus

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 The section describes the overall goals when operating the UAS. In

p articular, details of each of the operational scenarios in section 1.

4.2 Scenario 1

– General Site Survey

4.2.1 Vertical Clearance over Obstructions

4.2.1.1 Scenario 1 will be used to give general site imagery of a specific site. Typically projects will be in the transportation field and may include locations such as construction sites, bridge sites, and stormwater management ponds. Since the goal is general site imagery, the UAS should be operated higher than any vertical obstruction (such as a tree or structure) provided that it does not exceed 400 feet above the ground.

4.2.2 Lateral Clearance from Obstructions

4.2.2.1 The UAS should try to be maintained a preferred dis tance of 50 feet from any lateral obstruction. The UAS should not be operated
within 10 feet of an y lateral obstruction.

4.2.3 Level of Accuracy of Photos of Videos

4.2.3.1 The goal of the overall deliverable, general aerial site photographs
and video s , means that preci se imagery is not required. Photos or videos at angles to the ground (not facing directly downward) may be taken and are encouraged to give a sense of the overall site. It is anticipated that video will be the main deliverable type of this operational scen ario. As such, the UAS should be operated a low speeds with as little turning as possible to ensure quality video.
See section 3.4 for more information.

4.3 Scenario 2

– Bridge Inspection

4.3.1 Lateral Clearance to Bridge Components

4.3.1.1 As part of operational scenario 2 , the UAS will be used to inspect critical elements of a bridge that are not easily accessible. During this inspection it is anticipated that the UAS will need to get close to the element being inspected to take high quality photos of any
defects. The hor izontal clearance may be as small as 5 feet. Due to this small distance, it is important that the PIC and VO always
have a visual eye on the UAS when it is close to the structural element. In addition lateral protection shields should be used to
prevent an y contact with the bridge elements, see section 4. 3 .2.

4.3.2 Lateral Protection Shields

4.3.2.1 When the UAS will be within 5 feet of any structural element of a bridge, lateral protection shields should be used. These lateral protection shields are essentially a shield around the propellers that would contact the structural element before the propeller. Since the shields and propellers are made of plastic and the UAS only weighs several pounds, any contact would not impact or harm the bridge. Furthermore the lateral pro tection shields wouldPage 8 of 10 protect the propellers from getting damaged by any contact and ensure the UAS remains in flight.

4.3.3 GPS Limitations

4.3.3.1 In t he area below a bridge , the UAS typically cannot reliably obtain GPS signal. As a result , the control algorithms in t he UAS are not as effective as when it has GPS signals. During bridge inspection, the PIC and VO shall be as close as possible to the UAS

a nd shall always have a visual eye on the UAS.

4.3.4 Operating over Bridge

4.3.4.1 The UAS shall not operate over traffic that is crossing the bridge. The only time the UAS will be at an altitude above the top surface of the bridge would be to take an overall site photo or video of the bridge. This can be accomplished without having to be over
live traffic and taking a photo or video at an oblique angle

. 4.3.5 Operating above Live Traffic

4.3.5.1 The UAS will never be operated over live traffic. This include s both traffic that may be over the bridge or passing under the bridge.

4.3.6 Licensed Professional Engineer

4.3.6.1 A licenses professional engineer must a lways be at the site during this operational scenario.

4.4 Scenario 3

– Aerial Mapping

4.4.1 Altitude

4.4.1.1 Aerial mapping/ photogrammetry involves taking high quality photographs at precise locations. It is anticipated that in order to take these photos, the UAS will need to be near its upper altitude limit of 400 feet above the ground. At all times the UAS shall be operated above any obstruction (tree or building) provided it doe s not go higher than an elevation of 400 feet above the ground.

4.4.2 Quality of Deliverables

4.4.2.1 Aerial mapping requires high quality photographs that will be projected and post processed for use in applications. To ensure the quality of these photographs, the UAS should be operated a slow speed with as little turning as possible. See section 3.4 for
more information.

5.0 Training Focus

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 This section provides training requirements and guidelines for the
individuals operating the UAS in the operational scenarios described in

section 1.0

. 5.2 PIC and VO Requirement s 5.2.1 Pilot in Command (PIC) Requirements

5.2.1.1 The PIC shall meet the requirements of 14 C.F.R. 61.113(a) & (b): Private Pilot Privileges and Limitations: Pilot in Command

. 5.2.2 Visual Observer Requirements (VO)Page 9 of 10 5.2.2.1 The visual observer shall be knowledgeable on the DJI Phanton 2
Vision+ and its limitations. This includes but is not limited to limitations on maneuvers the UAS can perform, typical battery discharge times during flight, GPS control limitations, and ligh t signals on the aircraft. The VO shall understand situations that would be hazardous to the UAS during flight and shall be knowledgeable on all emergency procedures stated in section 3.5.

5.2.2.2 For operational scenario 2 (bridge inspection), the visual observe r shall hold a professional engineering license in the state the bridge inspection is being conducted.

6.0 Maintenance Focus

6.1 Overview

6.1.1 This section describes any maintenance that may be required for the

UAS.

6.2 Motors and Propellers

6.2.1 Prior to beginning each flight and immediately after each flight, the motors and propellers must be examined for any damage or excessive wear that may impact their functionality.

6.2.2 If a propeller is found to have any damage or excessive wear, replace the propeller immediately with a new one.

6.2.3 If the motors have any kind of damage or excessive wear, the UAS must be brought into the office immediately and the manufacturer contacted.

6.3 Gimbal and Camera

6.3.1 If the gimbal or camera has any mechanical errors, a messag e will appear on the application screen. If a message appears indicating mechanical error in either of these two components, the UAS must be brought into the office immediately and the manufacturer contacted.

6.4 Control System Software/Firmware

6.4.1 All control sy stem software and firmware must be kept up to date

. Announcements on software and firmware updates for the UAS are
available on the UAS manufacturer website and must be checked regularly.

6.5 Batteries

6.5.1 UAS Batteries

6.5.1.1 The UAS uses lithium polymer (Lipo) batteri es. These batteries must be checked regularly using the software application from DJS which checks the battery life.

6.5.1.2 If the batteries will be stored for prolonged periods of time, they should be stored at 50% charged capacity.

6.5.2 Range Extender Charge

6.5.2.1 The ra nge extender must be charged before each flight. This is accomplished using a standard USB charger cable.

6.5.3 Remote BatteriesPage 10 of 10 6.5.3.1 The batteries used in the remote control (AA) must be replaced periodically.

6.6 Compass

6.6.1 Prior to beginning each flight and immediately after each flight, the compass must be inspected for any damage. If damage can be visibly seen or a hardware error message appears on the screen during compass calibration before the flight, the UAS must be br ought into the office immediately and the manufacturer contacted.

Additional Information : This document was created by Mercado Consultants, Inc. to provide the system safety assessment required to operate the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ UAS for commercial appli cations. If additional information is required, Mercado Consultants, Inc. can be
contacted at:

Mercado Consultants, Inc. 17830 New Hampshire Ave. Ashton, MD 20861

301

- 260

- 0090