De cember !1 0 ,!2015!

U.S.!Department!of!Transportation!
Federal!Aviation!Administration! 800!Independence!Avenue,!SW! Washington,!DC!20591!

Re:!Exemption!Request!Pursuant!to!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Reform!Act!and!Part!11!of!the! Federal!Aviation!Regulations! from:!14!CFR!61.113{a)!&!(b);!91.7!(a);!91.103;!91.119{c);!91.121;! 91.151{a);!91.405{a);!91.407(a)(1);!91.409!(a)(1)!and!{2};!91.417{a)!&!(b).!

Dear!Sir!or!Madam:!

Pursuant!to!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Modernization!and!Reform!Act,! I,! Eric Elliott ,!opera tor!of!an! Unmanned!Aircraft!System!(UAS),!hereby! apply,!on!behalf!of VIP Marketing & Advertising and Craft
Creative

, !fo r!an!exemption!from!the!listed!Federal!Aviation!Regulations!(“FARs”)!to!allow!commercial! operation!of!its!UAS,!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!Se ction!333.!!

I!would!like!to!formally!submit!for !a n!exemption!from!part!21,!subpart!H;!and!Sections!45.23(b),! 91.7(a),!91.9(b)(2), !9 1.119,!91.121,!91.151(a),!91.203(a)!and!(b),!91.405(a),!91.407(a)(1),! 91.409(a)(2),!and !9 1.417(a)!and!(b)!of!Title!14,!Code! of!Federal!Regulations!(14!CFR).!This! proposed! exemption !wo uld!allow! the !op eration!of!unmanned!aircraft!systems!(UAS)!for!the!purpose!
of!aerial! videography !an d!photography !re al!estate!purposes , com mercials and events

.!!

Applicant:! Eric Elliott

Owner! VIP Marketing & Advertising, LLC Craft Creative, LLC

8761 Dorchester Rd Suite 210 North Charleston, SC 29420 eric@veryimportantplacement.com (843) 760-0707 ext 1

Commercial!operation!of!an!UAS,!as!described!herein,!w hich!are!equipped!with!camera !a nd!sensors,! would!operate!in!the!following!manner:!!

• Aerial!photography!and/or!video!for!public!and/or!pri vate!use!including!real!estate! and other related!professional!activities.

• Aerial!video!and/or!photography!for!public!and/or!private!use!includin g!p ublic!and!private

events

. As!described!fully!below,!the!requested!exemption!would!permit!the!operation!of!a!UAS!under controlled!conditions!in!the!NAS!that!would!be!a)!limited ,!b )!controlled ,!c )!predetermined ,!a nd!d)!will!provide!safety!enhancements! to!the!already!safe!operations!in!the!industry!presently!using! conventional!aircraft.!Approval!of!this!exemption!would!thereby!enhance!safety!and!fulfill!the! Secretary!of!Transporta tion responsibilities!to!“....establish!requirements!for!the!safe!operation of! such!aircraft!systems!in!the!national!airspace!system.”

As!found!in!Exemption!No.!11138!(Trudeau),!the!FAA!recently!approved!similar!use!of!a
PHANTOM!2!UAS. We!will! operate!a!UAS,!the!DJI! Phantom !3! Professional

,! Model!W323, which!is! comprised!of!an!un manned!aircraft (UA!or! Phantom ),!an!attached 4K camera!and!a!transportable ground!station.
The!PHANTOM!3 is!a!quad

d copter! with!a gross!weight!of! 2.8!pounds .!It is!equipped!with!four!rotors! that!are!driven!by!electric!motors!powered!by!batteries.!The UA!has a!maximum!airspeed!of 16!m/s.!

It! will! be! operate d! over!various!metropolitan areas,!primarily!around! Charleston,!SC ,!to!aug ment!real! estate!listing!videos,!capture!event!areal!video!and!photography,!and!related!business!operations.

UAS$Operating$Parameter s$ We!will!abide!by!the!following!additional!operating!conditions!under!this!exemption, which!ensures! a!level!of!safety!at!least!equal!to!existing!rules:

• oper ate!UAS!below!300!feet!and!within!a!radius!distance!of!1000!feet!from!the!controller to aid!in! direct!line!of!sight!visual!observation;

• obtain! permission!from!the!owner/controller!of!any!vessels,!vehicles!and!structures when operations!may!be!conducted!closer!than!500!feet!to!any!such!vessels,!vehicles or!structures; we!will!conduct!a!safety!assess ment!of!the!risk!of!operating!closer!to those!objects!and determine!that!it!does!not!present!an!undue!hazard;

• operate!the!UAS!for!5

d 10!minutes!per!flight;

• land!UAS!prior!to!the!manufacturer’s!recommended!minimum!level!of!battery!power;

• operate!UAS!during daylight!hours!only!within!visual!line!of!sight!(VLOS);

• use!the!UAS’!global!positioning!system!(GPS)!flight!safety!feature!whereby!it!hovers and!then slowly!lands!if!communication!with!the!remote!control!pilot!is!lost;

• conduct!all!operations!under!the!fli ght!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!upd ate!and!enhance!safety!protocols;

• contact!respective!airports!if!operations!will!be!within!5!miles!to!advise!them!of!hi s estimated flig h t!time,!flight!duration,!elevation!of!flight!and!other!pertinent!information;

• always!obtain!all!necessary!permissions!pr ior!to!operation; have!procedures!in!place!to abort!flights!in!the!event!of!safety!breaches!or!potential da n ger;

• only!operate!in!safe!environments!that!are!strictly!controlled,!are!away!from!power lines, elevated!lights,!airports!and!densely!populated!area s!(defined!by!areas!depicted in!“yellow” on!VFR!charts!and!through!obtaining!information!regarding!congested!areas from!the!local Flight!Standards!District!Office!(FSDO);

• co n duct!extensive!preflight!inspections!and!protocols,!during!which!safety!carries!pr imary importance!(reference!PHANTOM!Flying!Flow!Chart!and!User!Manual).

Regarding!UAS!operational!training,!we!have!flown!numerous!practice!flights!in!remote areas!as! hobbyists!simulating!flights!for!future!commercial!use!to!gain! familiarization with!the!characteristics! of!the!UAS’!performance!under!different!temperature!and weather!conditions.Any!PIC!operating!our!UAS!will!have!accumulated!and!logged,!in!a!manner!consistent with!14!CFR! 61.51(b),!25!hours!of!total!time!as!a!UAS! rotorcraft!pilot!including!at!least 10!hours!logged!as!a!UAS! pilot!with!a!multi

d rotor!UAS.!The!PIC!will!also!have! accumulate d! and!logged!a!minimum!of!5!hours!as! a!UAS!pilot!operating!the!same!make!and model!of!UAS!to!be!used!for!operations.!In!addition!to! the! hour!requirements,!the!PIC!will!accomplish!3!take

d offs!and!landings!in!the!preceding!90!days!(for! currency!purposes) prior!to!any!flight.

Specific$Exemptions$Requested Given!the!size,!weight,!speed,!and!limited!operating!area!associated!with!the!UA,!w e! feel!an! exemption!from!14!CFR!part!21,!Subpart!H!(Airworthiness!Certificates)!and!§ 91.203(a)!and!(b)!(Certifications!required),!subject!to!certain!conditions!and!limitations, is!warranted!and!meets!the!requirements!for!an!equivalent!level!of!safety!unde r!14!CFR part!11!and!
Section!333!of!P.L.!112

d 95!(Section!333).

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!45.23!Marking!of!the!aircraft!because!the!UA!will!not have!a!cabin,! cockpit!or!pilot!station!on!which!to!mark!certain!words!or!phrases.!Further, the!two

d inch!let tering!is! difficult!to!place!on!such!a!small!aircraft!with!dimensions!smaller than!the!minimal!lettering! requirement.!Regardless!of!this,!we!can!mark!the!UAS!in!the largest!possible!lettering!by!placing!the! word!“Experimental”!on!its!fuselage!as!required !b y!§!45.29(f)!so!that!anyone!will!see!the!markings.

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!91.7(a)!which!prohibits!the!operation!of!an!aircraft without!an! airworthiness!certificate,!since!there!is!currently!no!certificate!applicable!to our!operation,!this! regulati on!is!inapplicable.

We!request!an!exemption!from!§§!91.405(a),!91.407(a)(1),!91.409(a)(2)!and!91.417(a) and!(b)! Maintenance!inspections!since!they!only!apply!to!aircraft!with!an!airworthiness certificate.!However,! as!a!safety!precaution!we!will!perform!a! preflight!inspection!of!the UAS!before!each!flight!as!outlined! in!the!attached!operating!documents.

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!91.9(b)(2)!which!requires!an!aircraft!flight!manual!in the!aircraft,! however!since!there!are!no!pilots!or!passengers!on!board!the!aircraft!and given!its!size,!this! regulation!is!inapplicable.!We!believe!an!equivalent!level!of!safety will!be!achieved!by!maintaining!a! safety/flight!manual!with!the!UAS!ground!station.

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!91.119!which!prescribes!safe!al titudes!for!the!operation of!civil! aircraft,!but!it!allows!helicopters!to!be!operated!at!lower!altitudes!in!certain conditions.!We!will!not! operate!our!UAS!above!the!altitude!of!300!feet!above!ground level!(AGL)!and!will!also!only!operate!in!
safe!areas!awa y!from!the!public!and!traffic, thus!“providing!a!level!of!safety!at!least!equivalent!to!or!
below!those!in!relation!to!minimum safe!altitudes.”!Given!the!size,!weight,!maneuverability,!and! speed!of!the!UAS,!an equivalent!or!higher!level!of!safety!will!be!achieved.!

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!91.121!Altimeter!settings!as!it!is!inapplicable!since!the
UAS!utilizes!electronic!GPS!with!a!barometric!sensor.

We!request!an!exemption!from!§!91.151(a)!Fuel!requireme nts!for!flight!in!VFR!conditions. The!UAV!is!100%!electric!and!two!low!battery!alerts!are!issued! d! per!the!operating documents,!the! UAV!will!be!landed!at!the!first!alert.!Also,!our!flights!will!last!only !5d 10!minutes!each,!and!th e!UAS!has!
an!automated!func tion,! which!results!in!immediate landing!when!a!l ow!battery!is!detected.!The!PIC!will!not!begin!a!flight!unless!(considering wind!and!forecast!weather!conditions)!there!is!enough! power!to!fly!to!the!first!point of!intended!landing!and,!assuming!normal!crui sing!speed,!land!the!UA! with!30%!battery power!remaining.

Public$Interest
Aerial! photography!and! videography!for!real!estate and!event s!are!proven!strategies!to!enhance! marketing!efforts!and!increase!business!s uccess.!The!industry!is!not!new.!H owever,!unt il!recently!it! was!conducted!through!the!use!of!costly!manned!aircraft,!a! prohibitive business!activity!for!small! companies .!By!granting!this!exemption! I! would!be!able!to!provide! affordable! service s.

Further,! the small!UAS!will pose!no!threat!to!the! public!given!its!small!size!and!lack!of!combustible! fuel!when!compared to!larger!manned!aircraft.!Additionally,!the!operation!of!our!UAS!will!minimize!
harm!to!the!environment economic!growth!by!providing!information!to!companies and!the!public looking!to!relocate!o r!buil d!in!the!metro!areas!we!service.!Public!and!private!events!serviced!by!our!
business!enhance! vibrancy and!add!culture to the!community and!its!citizens

.

Summary We!will!comply!with!all!of!the!following!conditions!and!l imitations!should!this! exemption be! provided: 1) Operations!will!be!limited!to!the!following!aircraft!described!in!the!operating!documents

,! which!is

a! quad

d rotor!aircraft!weighing! 2.8!pounds :! Phantom 3 Unmanned Aircraft!System. 2) The!UA!will!not!be!flown!at!an!indicated!airspeed!exceeding! 50!knots

. 3) The!UA!will!be!operated!at!an!altitude!of!no!more!than! 400!feet above!ground!level (AGL),!All!altitudes reported!to!ATC!must!be!in!feet!AGL. 4) The!UA!will!be!operated!within!visual!line!of!sight!(VLOS)!of!the!Pilot!In!Command (PIC)!at!all!times. 5) All!operations!will!utilize!a!visual!observer!(VO).!The!UA!will!be!operated!within!the visual!line!of sight!( VLOS)!of!the!VO!at!all!times.!The!VO!and!PIC!will!be!able!to!communicate verbally!at!all!times. The!PIC!will!be!designated!before!the!flight!and!will!not transfer!his!or!her!designation!for!the duration!of!the!flight.!The!PIC!will!ensure!that!the VO!can!pe rform!the!functions!prescribed!in!the operating!documents. 6) The!operating!documents!will!be!accessible!during!UAS!operations!and!made!available to!the Administrator!upon!request.!Any!revisions!to!the!operating!documents!will be!presented!to!the
Administr ator!upon!request. 7) Prior!to!each!flight,!the!PIC!will!inspect!the!UAS!to!ensure!it!is!in!a!condition!for!safe flight.!If!the inspection!reveals!a!condition!that!affects!the!safe!operation!of!the!UAS,!the UAS!will!not!be!operated!until!the!necessary!main tenance!has!been!performed!and!the UAS!is!found!to!be!in!a!condition!for!safe!flight.!The!Ground!Control!Station!will!be!included in!the preflight!inspection.!All!maintenance!and!alterations!will!be!properly!documented in!the!aircraft
records. 8) Any!UAS!m aintenance!or!alterations!that!affect!the!UAS!operation!or!flight!characteristics, e.g.!replacement!of!a!flight!critical!component,!will!undergo!a!functional!test!flight. The!PIC!who!conducts!the!functional!test!flight!will!make!an!entry!in!the!aircraft!re cords. 9) The!pre

d flight!inspection!section!in!the!operating!documents!will!account!for!all!discrepancies, i.e.!inoperable!components,!items,!or!equipment,!not!already!covered!in!the relevant!sections!of!the operating!documents. 10) We!will!follow!the!UAS! manufacturer’s!aircraft/component,!maintenance,!overhaul, replacement, inspection,!and!life!limit!requirements.11) We!will!carry!out!maintenance,!inspections,!and!record!keeping!requirements,!in!accordance with!the!operating!documents.!Maintenance,!inspec tion,!and!alterations!will!be noted!in!the!aircraft records,!including!total!flight!hours,!description!of!work!accomplished, and!the!signature!of!the authorized!person!returning!the!UAS!to!service. 12) Each!UAS!operated!will!comply!with!all!manufacturer!Sa fety!Bulletins. 13) An!authorized!person!will!make!an!entry!in!the!aircraft!record!of!the!corrective!action taken against!discrepancies!discovered!between!inspections. 14) UAS!operations!will!be!conducted!by!a!PIC!possessing!at!least!a!private!pilot!certif icate and!at
least!a!current!third

d class!medical!certificate.!The!PIC!will!also!meet!the flight!review!requirements specified!in!14!CFR!61.56!in!an!aircraft!in!which!the!PIC!is rated!on!his!or!her!pilot!certificate. 15) Prior!to!operations!conducted!for!t he!purpose!of!aerial!videography/ photography! and! for real
estate!lis ting!videos!and!public!and!private!events!and!similar!operations ,!the!PIC!will!have
accumulated and!logged,!in!a!manner!consistent!with!14!CFR!61.51(b),!a!minimum!of!25 hours!of
total!time as!a!UAS!rotorcraft!pilot!including!at!least!10!hours!logged!as!a!UAS pilot!with!a!multi

d roto r UAS. 16) Prior!to!operations!conducted!for!the!purpose!of!aerial!videography/ photography! and! for real
estate!lis ting!videos!and!public!and!private!events!and! similar!operations ,!the!PIC!will!have
accumulated and!logged,!in!a!manner!consistent!with!14!CFR!61.51(b),!a!minimum!of!5 hours!as!UAS pilot!operating!the!make!and!model!of!the!UAS!to!be!used!in!operations. The!PIC!will!accomplish!3
take

d offs!and!landings! in!the preceding!90!days

. 17) The!PIC!will!not!operate!the!UAS!for!the!purpose! of!aerial!videography/ photography! and! for real
estate!lis ting!videos!and!public!and!private!events!and!similar!operations ,!unless!the!PIC has demonstrated!and!logged!in!a!manner consistent!with!14!CFR!61.51(b),!the!ability to!safely!operate the!UAS!in!a!manner!consistent!with!the!operating!documents,!including evasive!and!emergenc y maneuvers!and!maintaining!appropriate!distances!from people,!vessels,!vehicles!and!structures. 18) UAS!operations!will!not!be!conducted!during!night,!as!defined!in!14!CFR!1.1.!All!operations!will be!conducted!under!visual!meteorological!conditions!(VMC). 19) The!UA!will!not!operate!within!5!nautical!miles!of!an!airport!reference!point!as!denoted on! a

cu rrent!FAA

d published!aeronautical!chart. 20) The!UA!will!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. 21) If!a!UA!loses!communications!or!loses!its!G PS!signal,!it!will!return!to!a!predetermined location within!the!planned!operating!area!and!land!or!be!recovered!in!accordance with!the!operating
documents. 22) The!PIC!will!abort!a!flight!in!the!event!of!unpredicted!obstacles!or!emergencies!in accordance with!the!operating!documents. 23) The!PIC!will!not!begin!a!flight!unless!(considering!wind!and!forecast!weather!conditions) there!is enough!power!to!fly!at!normal!cruising!speed!to!the!intended!landing point!and!land!the!UA!with 30%!battery!power!remaining

. 24) We!will!obtain!an!Air!Traffic!Organization!(ATO)!issued!Certificate!of!Waiver!or!Authorization (COA)!prior!to!conducting!any!operations,!a nd!also!request!a!Notice!to!Air

d man!(NOTAM)!not!more than!72!hours!in!advance,!but!not!less!than!48!hours!prior! to the!operation. 25) Before!conducting!operations,!the!radio!frequency!spectrum!used!for!operation!and control!of the!UA!will!comply!with!the!Federal!Communications!Commission!(FCC)!or other!appropriate government!oversight!agency!requirements. 26) The!do cuments!required!under!14!CFR!91.9!and!91.203!will!be!available!to!the!PIC at!the!Ground Control!Station!of!the!UAS!any!time!the!UAS!is!operating.!These!documents will!be!made!available!to the!Administrator!or!any!law!enforcement!official!upon!request.27) The!UA!will!remain!clear!and!yield!the!right!of!way!to!all!manned!aviation!operations and
activities!at!all!times. 28) The!UAS!will!not!be!operated!by!the!PIC!from!any!moving!device!or!vehicle. 29) The!UA!will!not!be!operated!over!congested!or!densely!pop ulated!areas. 30) Flight!operations!will!be!conducted!at!least!500!feet!from!all!nonparticipating!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.!We!will!ensure!that!nonparticipating persons!remain!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!immed iately!and/or; b. The!aircraft!is!operated!near!vessels,!vehicles!or!structures!where!the!owner/controller of!such!vessels,!vehicles!or!structures!has!granted!permission!and!the!PIC!has made!a!safety!assessment!of!the!risk!of!operating!closer!to!those!obje cts!and!determined that!it!does!not!present!an!undue!hazard,!and; c. Operations!nearer!to!the!PIC,!VO,!operator!trainees!or!essential!persons!do!not present!an!undue!hazard!to!those!persons!per!§!91.119(a). 31) All!operations!will!be!conducted!over!private or!controlled

d access!property!with!permission from!the!land!owner/controller!or!authorized!representative.!Permission!from land owner/controller!or!authorized!representative!will!be!obtained!for!each!flight!to!be conducted. 32) Any!incident,!accident,!or! flight!operation!that!transgresses!the!lateral!or!vertical boundaries!of the!operational!area!as!defined!by!the!applicable!COA!will!be!reported!to!the!FAA's!UAS!Integration Office!(AFS

d 80)!within!24!hours.!Accidents!will!be!reported!to!the!National!Transpo rtation!Safety Board!(NTSB)!per!instructions!contained!on!the!NTSB!Web!site:! www.ntsb.gov

.
If!you!have!questions!or!need!additional!information,!please!contact!me!

at! e r ic@veryimportantplaceme nt.com (843) 760-0707

Thank!you,!

Eric Elliott
Owner! VIP Marketing & Advertising, LLC Craft Creative, LLC