Over!the!City!Photography,!LLC

Attn:!Marcus!Shute,!Jr.,!Esq.!

3143!Bridgepoint!Dr.

Nashville,!TN!37207

(404)!661M7707

overthecityphotography@gmail.com

September!22,!2015

U.S.!Department!of!Transportation

Docket!Management!System

1200!New!Jersey!Ave.,!SE

Washington,!DC!20590

Dear!Sir!or!Madam:

Attached!please!find!Over!the!City!Photography!LLC!(OTC!Photo)!request!for!an!exemption!from!

the!listed!Federal!Aviation!Regulations!to!allow!commercial!operation!of!its!Small!Unmanned!

Aircraft!Systems!("sUAS")!for!aerial!imaging!to!include!video!and!still photography.!This!

exemption!request!is!initially!for!the!use!of!the!Phantom!III!sUAS!manufactured!by!DJI,!an!

established!sUAS!company!and!in!accordance!with!the!sUAS!training!and!certification!program!

as!administered!by!Professional!Aerial!Photographers!Association,!International!(PAPA).

Also! attached! to! this! letter! is! the! equipment! "Over! the! City! Photography Flight! Manual"!

(Manual),!which!outlines!the!operating!requirements,!limitations,!and!technical!specifications!for!

the!DJI!System!as!used!by!OTC!Photo.!OTC!Photo has!reviewed!this!Manual!and!has!found!it!to!be!

acceptable!for!sUAS!operations.!Applicant!submits!this!manual!as!a!Confidential!document!under!

14!CFR!11.35!(b) as!the!entire!Manual!contains!proprietary!information!that!the!applicant!has!not!

and!will! not! share!with! others.!The!Manual! contains! operating! conditions!and! procedures! that!

are!not!available!to!the!public!and!are!protected!from!release!under!the!Freedom!of!Information!

Act!5!USC!552!et.!seq.

Thank!you!for!your!time!and!consideration,!and!please!let!me!know!if!you!have!any!questions.

Sincerely,

Marcus!Shute,!Jr.,!Esq.

Over!The!City Photography LLC

Corporate!Officer
September!22,!2015

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!and!Part!11!of!the!Federal!Aviation!

Regulations!from!14!CFR!61.113!(a)!& (b);!91.1!03(b);!91.119;91.121;!9.15l(a);!91.405!(a)!(1);!

91.409!(a)!(2);!91.417!(a)!& (b).

Dear!Sir!or!Madam:

Pursuant!to!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Modernization!and!Reform!Act!of!2012!(the!Reform!Act)!and!

14!C.F.R.!Part!11,!Focal!Flight,!an!aerial!photography!and!digital!imaging!company,!on!behalf!of!

itself! and! its! related! affiliates! under! common! ownership! and! control,! hereby! applies! for! an!

exemption!from!the!listed!Federal!Aviation!Regulations!("F!ARs!")!to!allow!commercial!operation!

of! its! Small! Unmanned! Aircraft! Systems! ("sUAS")! for! aerial! imaging! for! video! and! still!

photography,!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.

As! detailed!in! this! document!and! the!attached!Flight!Manual,! the! requested!exemption!would!

permit! the! operation! of! sUAS! under! controlled! conditions! in! airspace! that! is! 1)! limited! 2)!

predetermined! 3)! controlled! as! to! access! and! 4) would! provide! safety! enhancements! to! the!

already!best%practices safety!protocols%followed by!OTC%Photo during aerial!photography operations!in!

accordance! with! the! training! and! certification! provided! by! the! Professional! Aerial! Photographers!

Association,! International! (PAPA).! Approval! of! this! exemption! would! thereby! enhance! safety! and!

fulfill! the! Secretary! of! Transportation's! (the! FAA! Administrator's)! responsibilities! to! "...! establish!

requirements!for!the!safe!operation!of!such!aircraft!systems!in!the!National!Airspace!System."!Section!

333(c)!of!the!Reform!Act.

The!name!and!address!of!the!applicant!is:

Over!the!City!Photography,!LLC

Attn:!Marcus!Shute,!Jr.,!Esq.

3143 Bridgepoint!Dr.

Nashville,!TN!37207

PH:!404M661M7707

Email:!overthecityphotgraphy@gmail.com
Regulations!from!which!the!exemption!is!requested:

14!C.P.R.!Part!21

14!C.P.R. 45.23(b)

14!C.P.R.!61.113!(a)!& (b)

14!C.P.R.!91.7!(a)

14!C.P.R.!91.9!(b)!(2)

14!C.P.R.!91.103

14!C.P.R.!109

14!C.P.R.!119

14!C.P.R.!121

14!C.P.R.!91.151!(a)

14!C.P.R.!91.203!(a)!& (b)

14!C.P.R.!91.405!(a)

14!C.P.R.!407!(a)!(1)

14!C.P.R.!409!(a)!(2)

14!C.P.R.!417!(a)!& (b)

I.%STATUTORY%AUTHORITY%FOR%EXEMPTIONS

The!Federal!Aviation!Act!expressly!grants! the!FAA!authority! to!issue!exemptions.!This!statutory!

authority! includes! exempting! civil! aircraft,! as! the! term! is! defined! under! §40101! of! the! Act,!

including! sUASs,! from! the!requirement! that! all! civil! aircraft!must! have! a! current! airworthiness!

certificate.

The!Administrator!may!grant!an!exemption!from!a!requirement!of!a!regulation!prescribed!under!

subsection!(a)!or!(b)!of!this!section!or!any!sections!44702M44716!of!this!title if!the!Administrator!

finds!the!exemption!in!the!public!interest.!49!U.S.C.!§44701(±)!See!also!49!USC!§44711(a);!49!USC!

§44704;!14!CPR!§91.203(a)!(1).

Section!333(b)!of!the!Reform!Act!assists.!the!Secretary!in determining!whether!sUAS!may!operate!

in! the!National! Airspace! System! (NAS)! without! creating! a! hazard! to! the! user,! the! public,! or! a!

threat!to!national!security.!In!making!this!determination,!the!Secretary!must!consider:

• The!sUAS's!size,!weight,!speed,!and!operational!capability;!

• Whether!the!sUAS!operates!within!the!visual!line!of!sight!of!the!operator!

• Whether! the! sUAS! operates! outside! of! highly! populated! areas! and! away! from! close!

proximity!to!airports!

Reform!Act!§333(a).!If!the!Secretary!determines!that!a!sUAS!"may!operate!safely!in!the!national!

airspace!system,!the!Secretary!shall!establish!requirements!for!the!safe!operation!of!such!aircraft!

in!the!national!airspace!system."!Id. §333(c)

OTC! Photo’s sUAS! are! multiMrotor! vehicles,! weighing! 20! or! fewer! lbs.! including! payload.! They!

operate!under!normal!conditions!at!a!speed!of!no!more!than!70!knots!and!have!the!capability!to!
hover,!and!move!in!the!vertical!and!horizontal!plane!simultaneously.!The!sUAS!will!operate!only!

in!the!Pilot's!visual!line!of!sight!at!all!times!and!will!operate!only!within!the!controlled!"Area!of!

Operations"!described!in!the!Confidential!OTC!Photo!Flight Manual!(Manual),!attached!as!Exhibit!

1!(hereinafter!"Manual").!Such!operations!will!ensure!that!the!sUAS!will!"not!create!a!hazard!to!

users!of!the!National!Airspace!System!or!the!public."!Reform!Act!Section!333!(b).

Given!the!small!size!of!the!sUAS!involved!and!the!restricted!and!controlled!environment!within!

which! they!will! operate, our!application! falls! squarely!within! the! zone! of! safety! (an!equivalent!

level!of!safety)!in!which!Congress!envisioned!that!the!FAA!must,!by!exemption,!allow!commercial!

operations!of!sUAS!to!commence!immediately.!Also,!due!to!the!small!size!of!the!sUAS,!altitudes,!

and! controlled! areas! in! which! the! sUAS! will! operate,! approval! of! the! application! presents! no!

national!security!issue.

Given!the!clear!direction!in!Section!333!of!the!Reform!Act,!the!authority!contained!in!the!Federal!

Aviation! Act,! as! amended;! the! strong! equivalent! level! of! safety! surrounding! the! proposed!

operations,! and! the! significant! public! benefit,! including! enhanced! safety,! the! grant! of! the!

requested!exemptions!is!in!the!public!interest.!Accordingly,!OTC!Photo respectfully!requests!that!

the!FAA!grant!the!requested!exemption!without!delay.

II.%PUBLIC%INTEREST

This! exemption! application! is! expressly! submitted! to! fulfill! Congress'! goal! in! passing! Section!

333(a)!through!(c)!of!the!Reform!Act.!This!law!directs!the!Secretary!of!Transportation!to!consider!

whether!certain!unmanned!aircraft!systems!may!operate!safely!in!the!NAS!before!completion!of!

the!rulemaking!required!under!Section!332!of!the!Reform!Act.!By!granting!an!exemption!the!FAA!

will!fulfill!Congress's!intent!of!allowing!UAS!to!operate!with!significant!safety!precautions!in!low!

risk!environments.

The! use! of! sUAS! on! aerial! photography! operations! can! significantly! reduce! the! risk! to!

photographers!and!participants.!sUAS!can!inspect,!photograph,!and!collect!data!on!hard!to!get!to!

areas!that!otherwise!would!require!direct!access!or!manned!aircraft.

Additionally,!sUAS!could!replace!the!use!of!helicopters!and!small!aircraft!to!produce!imagery!for!

various! purposes.!The! sUAS!we! propose! to! fly! in! this!application!are! less! than! 20! pounds, and!

carry!no!combustible!material!on!board,!as!opposed!to!the!much!larger!conventionally!powered!

small!aircraft.!Shifting! to!sUAS! from manned!aircraft!presents!a!marked!safety!increase! for!our!

workers!and!the!public.

Lastly,! sUAS! reduce! the! environmental! impact! by! dramatically! decreasing! the! energy! used! for!

aerial!imaging!and!data!collection.!The! sUAS!used!by!OTC!Photo uses! rechargeable lithium!ion!

batteries,!as!opposed!to!fossil!fuels!burned!in!operation!of!small!aircraft!that!are!many!hundreds!

of times!heavier.
III.%EQUIVALENT%LEVEL%OF%SAFETY%AND%SECURITY

OTC! Photo proposes! that! the! exemption! requested! herein! apply! to! sUAS! that! have! the!

characteristics!and!that!operate!with!the!limitations!listed!herein.!These!limitations!provide! for!

at!least!an!equivalent!or!even!higher!level!of!safety!to!operations!under!the!current!regulatory!

structure!because!the!proposed!operations!represent!a!safety!enhancement!to!the!already!safe!

protocols! followed! on! imaging! and! photography! operations! conducted! with! conventional!

aircraft.

OTC!Photo will!be!bound!by!the!following!limitations!when!conducting!its!sUAS!operations!under!

an!FAA!issued!exemption:

1. The!sUAS!will!be!less!than!20!pounds.!

2. Flights!will!be!operated!within!visual!line!of!sight!of!a!pilot.!

3. Maximum!total!flight!time!for!each!operational!flight!will!be!20!minutes.!The!operator!

calculates!battery!reserve,!and!will!return!the!sUAS!to!the!"Designated!Safety!Zone"!

with!at!least!20% battery!power!reserve!should!that!occur!prior!to!the!20 minute!limit.!

The!battery!lasts!for!29!minutes!on!average.

4. Flights! will normally! be! operated! at! an! altitude! of! not! more! than! 500! feet! AGL,! but!

never in!controlled!airspace!without!prior!coordination!and!approval!of!ATC.!

5. Flights! will! not be! conducted! within! the! surface! area! of! controlled! airport! airspace!

without!prior!coordination!and!approval!of!ATC.!

6. Flights! will!not be! conducted! within!5 miles! of! any! uncontrolled! airport! without! prior!

coordination!and!approval!of!the!airport!authority.!

7. Crew!for!each!operation!will!consist!of!the!sUAS!Operator!who!will!keep!the!sUAS!within!

his!visual!line!of!sight!at!all!times!and!a!qualified!Observer.!

8. The!sUAS!operator!will!be!trained!in!flight,!operations,!and!safety!procedures!as!detailed!

in!the!Flight!Manual.!

9. The!sUAS!will!only!operate!within!a!confined!"Area!of!Operations"!as!defined!in!the!

Manual,!including!but!not!limited!to!evaluation!of!the!airspace!by!reference!to!a!current!

1:!500_,!000!scale!FAA!Sectional!Aeronautical!Chart.!The!Manual!also!requires!the!

establishment!of!a!"Designated!Safety!Zone"!for!the!flight!operations!area.!

10. A!briefing!will!be!conducted!regarding!the!planned!sUAS!operations!prior!to!each!day's!

production!activities.!It will!be!mandatory!that!all!personnel!who!will!be!performing!

duties!within!the!boundaries!of!the!Designated!Safety!Zone!be!present!for!this!briefing.!

11. All!onsite!personnel!will!consent!to!the!UAS!flyover!on!site!by!waiver,!and!the!Operator!

will!

obtain!additional!verbal!or!written!consent!of!all!persons!who!will!be!allowed!within!100!

feet!of!the!flight!operation.!

12. Operator!will!have!been!trained!in!operation!of UAS!generally!and!will!have!received!upM

toMdate!information!on!the!particular!sUAS!to!be!operated!as!required!by!the!OTC!Photo

Manual.!

13. Necessary! written! and/or! oral! permission! from! the! relevant! property! holders! will! be!

obtained.!
14. All!required!permissions!and!permits!will!be!obtained!from!territorial,!state,!country,!or!

city!jurisdictions,!including!local!law!enforcement,!fire,!or!other!appropriate!government!

agencies.!

15. If!the!sUAS!loses!communications!or!loses!its!GPS!signal,!it!will!have!the!capability!to!

enter!"loiter!mode"!and!hover,!reestablish!satellite!connection,!and!return!to!a!

predetermined!location!within!the!"Designated!Safety!Zone"!and!land.!

16. OTC! Photo personnel! will! be! easily! identified! by! law! enforcement! personnel! and! the!

Public!through!wearing!a!green!fluorescent!or!blaze!orange!vest!with!Section!333!Grant!

and! necessary credentials! prominently! displayed! within! a! weatherproof! container! on!

the!persons!back.!

IV.%DESCRIPTION%OF%SPECIFIC%REGULATIONS

14%CFR%61.113%(a) & (b):%Private%pilot%privileges%and%limitations:%Pilot%in%command

Sections! 61.113! (a)!& (b)! limit! private! pilots! to! nonMcommercial! operations.! Because! the! sUAS!

will!not!carry!a!pilot!or!passengers,!the!proposed!operations!can!achieve!the!equivalent!level!of!

safety!of!current!operations!by!requiring!the!Operator!operating!the!aircraft!to!have completed!a!

sUAS! flight! training! course! of! 25! hours! before! flying! a! sUAS! (See! the! OTC! Photo Manual! for!

details)! or! meeting! any! FAA pilot! licensing! requirement.! Unlike! a! conventional! aircraft! that!

carries!the!pilot!and!passengers,!the!sUAS!is!remotely!controlled!with!no!living!thing!or!cargo!on!

board.! The! area! of! operation! is! controlled! and! restricted! per! prior! planning! and! necessary!

coordination! with! the! local! FSDO! if! applicable,! and! all! flights! are! planned! and! coordinated! in!

advance!as!set!forth!in!the!OTC!Photo Manual.

The! sUAS! to! be! operated! hereunder!is!less! than! 20!lbs.! fully!loaded,! carries! neither!a! pilot! nor!

passenger,! carries! no! explosive! materials! or! flammable! liquid! fuels,! and! operates! exclusively!

within! a! controlled! Area! of! Operation! as! set! out in! the! Focal! Flight! Manual.! Like! other! civil!

aircraft,! operations! under! this! exemption! will! be! tightly! controlled! and! monitored! by! the!

Operator,!pursuant!to!the!Focal!Flight!Manual!requirements,!and!under!the!requirements!and!in!

compliance!with!local!public!safety!requirements,!to!provide!security!for!the!Area!of!Operation!as!

is! currently! done! on! aerial! photography! operations.! The! FAA! will! have! advance! notice! of! all!

operations!as!required.

The! risks!associated!with! the!operation!of! the! sUAS!are! therefore!diminished! from! the!level!of!

risk!associated!with!commercial!operations!contemplated!by!Part!61!when!drafted,!and!allowing!

operations!of!the!sUAS!as!requested,!with!an!operator!who!has!met!the!minimum!requirements!

stated!in!the!Photographic!Solutions!Manual,!achieves!the!level!of!safety!contemplated!by!14!C.F!

.R.!§61.113!(a)!& (b).

14%C.F.R.%91.103:%Preflight%Action

This!regulation!requires!that!each!Operator!in!Command!take!certain!actions!before!flight!to!

ensure!the!safety!of!flight.!An!exemption!is!needed!from!this!requirement!as!the!Pilot!will!take

separate!preflight!actions,!including!checking!for!weather!conditions,!checking!flight!battery!

requirements,!checking!takeoff!and!landing!distances,!and!all!other!actions!in!the!Preflight!
Checklist!in!the!OTC!Photo!Flight Manual.!These!actions!will!provide!an!equivalent!level!of!safety.

14%C.F.%R.%91.119:%Minimum/%Maximum%Safe%Altitudes

Section!91.119!establishes!safe!altitudes!for!operation!of!civil!aircraft.!Section!91.119!(d)!allows!

helicopters!to!be!operated!at!less!than!the!minimums!prescribed,!provided!the!person!operating!

the!helicopter!complies!with!any! route!or!altitudes!prescribed! for!helicopters!by! the!FAA.!This!

exemption!is! for!a!multiMrotor!craft! that! flies!similarly! to!a!helicopter,!with!vertical! takeoff!and!

vertical!landing,!which!will!typically!operate!at!altitudes!of!less!than!400!AGL,!so!an!exemption!

may!be!needed! to!allow!such!operations.!The!sUAS!will!never!operate!at!altitudes!higher! than!

the!base!of!controlled!airspace!without!prior!approval!and!coordination!with!ATC!and!will!be!in!a!

Controlled! Area! with! a! "Designated! Safety! Zone",! where! buildings! and! people! will! not! be!

exposed!to!operations!without!the!specified!preMobtained!consent.! (See!OTC!Photo!Manual! for!

detailed!procedures.)

The!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!achieved!given!the!size,!weight,!speed!of!the!sUAS!as!well!as!

the!location!where!it!is!operated.!No!flight!will!be!taken!without!the!required!permission!of!the!

property!owner!or!local!officials.!Because!of!the!advance!notice!to!the!property!owner!and!any!

onsite!personnel,!as!outlined!in!the!OTC!Photo Manual,!all!affected!individuals!will!be!aware!of!

the! planned! flight! operations.! Unlike! flight! operations! with! aircraft! or! rotorcraft! weighing! far!

more! than! the! maximum! 20! lbs.! proposed! herein,! our! sUAS! will! not! carry! flammable! fuel.! In!

addition,! the! lowMaltitude! operations! of! the! sUAS! will! ensure! separation! between! sUAS!

operations!and!the!operations!of!conventional!aircraft!that!must!comply!with!Section!91.119.

14%C.F.R.%91.121:%Altimeter%Settings

This! regulation! requires! each! person! operating! an! aircraft! to! maintain! cruising! altitude! by!

reference! to! an! altimeter! that! is! set! "...! to! the! elevation! of! the! departure! airport! or! an!

appropriate! altimeter! setting! available! before! departure."! As! the! sUAS! may! not! have! a!

barometric! altimeter,! but! instead! a! GPS! altitude! read! out,! an! exemption! may! be! needed.! An!

equivalent!level!of! safety!will!be!achieved!by! the!operator,!pursuant! to! the!OTC!Photo!Manual!

and! Safety! Check! list,! confirming the! altitude! of! the! launch! site! shown! on! the! GPS! altitude!

indicator!before!flight.

14%CFR%91.151%(a):%Fuel%requirements%for%flight%in%VFR%conditions

Section!91.151!(a)!outlines!fuel!requirements!for!beginning!a!flight!in!VFR!conditions.!Our!sUAS!is!

limited!to!operations!in!controlled!environments!as!outlined!in!the!OTC!Photo Manual,!and!has!a!

limited!range!and!flight!time!which!require!an!exemption!from!14!CFR!91.151!(a)

The!battery!powering! the! sUAS!provides!approximately 29 minutes!of!powered! flight.!To!meet!

the!30!minute!reserve!requirement!in!14!CFR!§91.151,!sUAS!flights!would!necessarily!be!limited!

to!approximately! 5!minutes!in!length.!Given! the!limitations! on! the! sUAS's! proposed flight!area!

and!the!location!of!its!proposed!operations!within!a!predetermined!area,!a!longer!time!frame!for!

flight!in!daylight!VFR!conditions!is!reasonable.

OTC! Photo believes! that! an! exemption! from! 14! CFR! §91.151(a)! falls! within! the! scope! of! prior!

exemptions.! See! Exemption! 10673! (allowing! Lockheed!Martin! Corporation! to! operate! without!
compliance! with! FAR! 91.151(a)).! Operating! the! small! sUAS,! in! a! controlled! area! where! only!

people!and!property!owners!or!official!representatives!who!have!signed!waivers!will!be!allowed,!

with! less! than! 30! minutes! of! reserve! fuel,! does! not! engender! the! type! of! risks! that! Section!

91.151(a)! was! intended! to! alleviate! given! the! size! and! speed! of! the! small! UAS.! Additionally,!

limiting!sUAS!flights!to!20!minutes!would!greatly!reduce!the!utility!for!which!the!exemption!will!

be!granted.

An!equivalent!level!of!safety!can!be!achieved!by!limiting!flights!to!20!minutes,!or!enough!battery!

reserve!to!ensure!that!the!sUAS!lands!at!the!ground!station!with!at!least!20%!of!battery!power!

(as!determined!by! the!onboard!monitoring!system!and! the!operator),!whichever!happens! first.!

This! restriction! would! be!more! than! adequate! to! return! the! sUAS! to! its! planned! landing! zone!

from!anywhere!in!its!limited!operating!area.

Similar!exemptions!have!been!granted!to!other!operations,!including!Exemptions!2689F,!5745,!

10673,!and!10808.

14%CFR%91.405%(a); 407%(a)(1);%409%(a)(2); 417%(a) & (b):%Maintenance%inspections

These!regulations!require!that!an!aircraft!operator!or!owner!"shall!have!that!aircraft!inspected!as!

prescribed! in! the! subpart! E! of! this! part! and! shall! between! required! inspections,! except! as!

provided!in!paragraph!(c)!of!this!section,!have!discrepancies!repaired!as!prescribed!in!part!43!of!

this!chapter...!,"!and!others!shall!inspect!or!maintain!the!aircraft!in!compliance!with!Part!43.

Given! that! these! sections! and! Part! 43! apply! only! to! aircraft! with! an! airworthiness! certificate,!

these! sections!will!not!apply! to!OTC!Photo. Maintenance!will!be!accomplished!by! the!operator!

and! pursuant! to! the! flight! manual! and! operating! handbook! as! referenced! in! the! OTC! Photo

Manual.!An!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!achieved!because!these!small!sUAS!are!very!limited!

in!size!and!will!carry!a!small!payload!and!operate!only!in!controlled!areas!for!limited!periods!of!

time.!If!mechanical!issues!arise,!the!sUAS!can!land!immediately!even!if!operating!at!a!maximum!

of!1200!feet!AGL.!As!provided!in!the!OTC!Photo!Manual,!the!operator!will!ensure!that!the!sUAS!is!

in!working!order!prior! to!initiating! flight,!perform!required!maintenance,!and!keep!a!log!of!any!

maintenance! performed.! Moreover,! the! operator! is! the! person! most! familiar! with! the! aircraft!

and!best!suited!to!maintain!the!aircraft!in!an!airworthy!condition!to!provide!the!equivalent!level!

of!safety.

*******

Pursuant! to! C.F.R.! Part! 11,! the! following! summary! is! provided! for! publication! in! the! Federal!

Register,!should!it!be!determined!that!publication!is!needed:

Applicant! seeks! an! exemption! from! the! following! rules:! 14! C.F.R.! §! 21,! subpart! H;! 14! C.F.R.!

45.23(b);!14!C.F.R.!§§!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)! and! (b);! 91.405! (a);!

91.407! (a)! (1);! 91.409 (a)! (2)! and! 91.417! (a)!& (b)! to! operate! commercially! a! small! unmanned!

vehicle!(55lbs!or!less)!in!aerial!photography!operations.
Approval! of! exemptions! allowing! commercial! operations! of! sUAS! in! the! aerial! photography!

industry!enhances! safety!while! reducing! risk.!Manned!aircraft! still! photography!and!video!may!

create! a! greater! risk! because! the! craft! are! much! larger,! have! combustible! fuel,! and! carry! an!

onboard!human!pilot.!In!contrast,!a!sUAS!weighing!fewer!than!20!lbs.!and!powered!by!batteries!

eliminates!virtually!all!of!that!risk!given!the!reduced!mass!and!lack!of!combustible!fuel!carried!on!

board.!The! sUAS!will! carry! no! passengers! or! crew!and,! therefore,!will! not!expose! them! to! the!

risks!associated!with!manned!aircraft!flights.

The! operation! of! small! sUAS,! weighing! less! than! 20! lbs.,! conducted! in! the! strict! conditions!

outlined!above,!will!provide!an!equivalent!level!of!safety!supporting!the!grant!of!the!exemptions!

requested! herein,! including! exempting! the! applicant! from! the! requirements! of! Part! 21! and!

allowing!commercial!operations.!These!lightweight!aircraft!operate!at!slow!speeds,!close! to! the!

ground,! and! in! a! controlled! environment! and,! as! a! result,! are! far! safer! than! conventional!

operations! conducted! with! manned! aircraft! operating! in! close! proximity! to the! ground! and!

people.

Privacy

All!flights!will!occur!over!private!or!public!property!with!the!property!owner's!prior!consent!and!

knowledge.! Images! taken! will! be! of! individuals! who! have! also! consented! to! being! filmed! or!

otherwise!having!agreed!to!be!in!the!area!where!aerial!photography!will!take!place.

*******

Satisfaction!of!the!criteria!provided!in!Section!333!of!the!Reform!Act!of!2012MMsize,!weight,!speed,!

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

of! sight! and! national! security! M provide! more! than! adequate! justification! for! the! grant! of! the!

requested! exemptions! allowing! commercial! operation! of! applicant's! sUAS! in! construction!

industry!pursuant!to!the!Manual!appended!hereto.

Sincerely,

Marcus!Shute,!Jr.,!Esq.

Over!the!City!Photography

Corporate!Officer