Harrison Knoll

Aerial Agriculture

710 N. Tucker Blvd

Suite #308, St Louis 

MO 63101

TX 78741

Tel: 314-914-1079

Email: harrison@aerial.ag

ATTN: Harrison Knoll

Aerial Agriculture

710 N. Tucker Blvd

Suite #308, St Louis 

MO 63101

TX 78741

Tel: 314-914-1079

Email: harrison@aerial.ag

Aerial Agriculture Operations Manual

Flight condition

The sUAS will be flown in airspace under 400 feet above ground level (“AGL”) and under controlled 

conditions on restricted, rural, private property. The sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System) will be 

used to monitor two different types of sites, Precision Aerial Surveys and Aerial Agriculture Data 

Collection. The standard pre-flight and operational procedure will be as follows:

Flight Operations

The purpose of every sUAS flight will be to safely, accurately, and efficiently create aerial surveys and 

to collect aerial agriculture data. The sUAS will collect hyperspectral photogrammetric pictures of 

ground control points, and use specialized photogrammetry software and algorithms to process the 

data. The survey output will be 3D surface models and high resolution aerial photographs. 

Every sUAS flight will use at minimum a two man flight crew: The Pilot in Command (PIC) 

will have a private pilots license and both flight crew personnel will have substantial prior experience 

with operating the sUAS, and be experienced in land surveying. 
2. Drive to area to be surveyed.

3. The Pilot in Command begins to ready sUAS for flight.

a. Set up hand held weather station on tripod.

b. Check over airframe, connections, and propellers for any damage during transport in

vehicle. While the airframe has the ability to disassemble easily for transport, the sUAS

will remain fully assembled. The sUAS is transported in the back of an enclosed transport

van which has straps installed to secure the sUAS in place to minimize electrical

connection fatigue.

c. Install and calibrate camera in gimbal.

d. Turn on and ready laptop.

e. Connect communication antennae to laptop.

f. Open Ground Station software and pull up pre-planned photogrammetry flight path.

g. Boot up secondary GPS for tracking and geocoding pictures.

h. Attach secondary GPS to sUAS.

i. Remove main flight Tx1from case and power up, verify voltage and settings.

j. Remove gimbal Tx from case and power up, verify voltage and settings.

k. Remove battery pack for flight, measure current voltage, log in battery manual.

l. Strap batteries securely on to sUAS, do not attached main power.

m. Move sUAS to take off point, approximately 30 feet from van and crew.

n. Attach main power.

o. Listen to power up sequence of beeps for ESC (Electronic Speed Control) and motors.

p. Using Flight Tx cycle through different control modes observing LED lights for good

connection and response.

q. Using Gimbal Tx cycle through all controls making sure the gimbal and camera

respond to commands.

r. Remove secondary GPS and hold in front of camera taking picture to record a time

stamp picture.

s. Reattach secondary GPS.

t. Set up traffic cones around sUAS with approximately a 20 foot radius. This is the

“home” area and the operators are not allowed inside this area while the electrical motor is

running.

u. Walk back to truck with both Tx.

v. Using Flight Tx activate engine power without moving throttle up. This checks that the

automatic throttle kill is working and also records the “home” point.

w. Using laptop Ground Station now select button connecting laptop to sUAS.

x. sUAS should appear on the screen, along with a recorded home point, battery voltage,

current altitude relative to the ground, and current velocity.

y. Upload flight path data to sUAS.

z. Verify good upload and connection.

aa. Verify weather from portable weather station.

bb. Record time and weather in Flight Log.

cc. sUAS is now fully prep and ready to go.

1

 "Tx" represents radio transmitter for command and control. "Rx" represents radio receiver for 

command and control.

The standard pre-flight and operational procedure will be as follows: 

1. Meet at security gate and complete pre-flight security appropriate to each site:
4. Pilot double checks take-off area is clear.

5. Pilot takes off flying to the approximate survey altitude.

6. Pilot instructs secondary crew member to initiate preprogrammed flight path.

7. Secondary Crew verifies that the Ground Station has good connection and is tracking the

sUAS.

8. Secondary crew then turns on the camera to take pictures at a continuous interval.

9. During entire preprogrammed flight Pilot always has visual line of sight and is prepared to

take over flight operations. Pilot’s Tx has a flight count down timer which is set to a

minimum of 20% battery reserve (Calculated based on prior field experience to safely return

the sUAS to safe landing with ample margin of error). The timer begins from the point the

throttle is moved out of its start position.

10. During flight secondary crew vigilantly monitors the Ground Station data (Voltage, forward

velocity, altitude, and estimated remaining time to complete the mission) and relays any

sudden changes or alerts to the pilot.

11. As the mission completes the Pilot informs the secondary crew he is taking back over control.

12. Secondary crew turns off the camera.

13. Pilot begins to land the sUAS.

14. After safely touching down the Pilot immediately goes and unplugs the main power. He then

checks the pictures to verify if the pictures are good and the mission was successful.

15. Pilot checks battery voltage and records in battery log.

16. Pilot records flight time in Flight Log.

17. Pilot turns off both Tx, secondary GPS, and camera.

18. Pilot looks over airframe to see if any damage or loose connections happened from the flight.

19. Pilot begins to pack all equipment back up for safe transport.

Privacy

There is little concern that the proposed flights will cause invasions of privacy because all

flights will occur over private or controlled access property with the property owner’s prior consent 

and knowledge. In addition, as the overflight areas will be rural, there is little to no chance that 

there will be inhabited houses in the visual area or other people who have not consented to being 

filmed or otherwise agreed to be in the area where filming will take place. No attempt will be made 

to identify any individuals filmed during the flights except in cases where they are trespassing 

upon or damaging customer property, or interfering with the applicant’s or its customers’ 

operations. 

Aircraft and Equivalent Level of Safety

Aerial Agriculture, Inc proposes that the exemption requested herein apply to civil aircraft 

that have the characteristics and that operate with the limitations listed herein. These 

limitations provide for at least an equivalent or higher level of safety to operations under 

the current regulatory structure.

These limitations and conditions to which Aerial Agriculture, Inc agrees to be bound when 

conducting commercial operations under an FAA issued exemption include: 
1. The sUAS will weigh less than 30 lbs.

2. Flights will be operated within line of sight of a pilot and observer.

3. Maximum total flight time for each operational flight will be 60 minutes. Flights will be

terminated at 20% battery power reserve should that occur prior to the 60 minute limit.

4. Flights will be operated at an altitude of no more than 400 feet AGL. Despite this limitation,

the majority of flights are anticipated to operate at no more than 200 feet AGL.

5. Minimum crew for each operation will consist of the sUAS pilot and the visual observer.

6. A safety briefing will be conducted in regard to the planned sUAS operations prior to each

day’s activities. It will be mandatory that all personnel who will be performing duties in

connection with the operations be present for this briefing.

7. The operator will file any necessary paperwork in light of the exemptions with the

appropriate Flight Standards District Office (“FSDO”).

8. The operator will submit a written Plan of Activities to the FSDO at least one day before the

proposed operations begin.

9. Pilot and observer will have been trained in operation of sUAS generally and received upto-date information on the particular sUAS to be operated.

10. Pilot and observer will at all times be able to communicate by voice and/or text.

11. Written and/or oral permission from the relevant property holders will be obtained.

12. All required permissions and permits will be obtained from territorial, state, county or city

jurisdictions, including local law enforcement, fire, or other appropriate governmental

agencies.

13. The sUAS will have the capability to abort a flight in case of unexpected obstacles or

emergencies.

14. If the multirotor and its controller disconnects during flight, the system’s failsafe protection

will come to the rescue and the sUAS will return to home and land automatically, rather

than flying off uncontrollably or landing at an unknown location.

Satisfaction of the criteria provided in Section 333 of the Reform Act of 2012--size, weight, 

speed, operating capabilities, proximity to airports and populated areas and operation within visual 

line of sight and national security – provide more than adequate justification for the grant of the 

requested exemptions allowing commercial operation of applicant’s sUAS in the mining, oil, and 

gas inspection industries pursuant to Aerial Agriculture, Inc rules of operation appended hereto.