Page 1 

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

Unmanned Aircraft System

Flight Operation Manual

Version 1.0 – September 2015

This document shall be kept with the PIC during all UAS flights.
Page 2 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. VERSION HISTORY......................................................................................3

2. LIST OF ACRONYMS ...................................................................................3

3. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................3

4. GENERAL PROTOCOL................................................................................4

5. FLIGHT LOG.................................................................................................6

6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS........................................................................6

7. PRE-FLIGHT PROTOCOL............................................................................7

8. POST-FLIGHT PROTOCOL..........................................................................8

9. MAINTENANCE LOG ...................................................................................8
Page 3 

1. VERSION HISTORY

Version # Date Summary of Revisions

1.0 9/2015 Initial document.

2. LIST OF ACRONYMS

AGL Above Ground Level

ATO Air Traffic Organization

CCTV Closed-Circuit Television

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

COA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FARs Federal Aviation Regulations

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

GPS Global Positioning System

ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems

NAS National Airspace System

NTSB National Transportation Safety Board

PIC Pilot in Command

PTC Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

TIM Traffic Incident Management

TOC Traffic Operations Center

UA Unmanned Aircraft

UAS Unmanned Aircraft System

VFR Visual Flight Rules

VLOS Visual Line of Sight

VO Visual Observer

3. INTRODUCTION 

This manual describes the protocol and requirements for using a DJI Inspire 1 or Aeryon 

SkyRanger to operate an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for the purposes of the 

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC). No other type of UAS is permitted to be 

operated for PTC purposes unless an amendment to the original Section 333 exemption 

has been accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Refer to the 

manufacturer’s manual for specific instructions related to operating the appropriate 

UAS.
Page 4 

All users operating the UAS for PTC purposes are required to comply with current FAA 

regulations. Information related to UAS regulations is available at www.faa.gov/uas. 

If this document is updated such that any revision would affect the basis upon which the 

FAA granted Section 333 exemption, then a petition for amendment to the original 

exemption must be filed with, and accepted by, the FAA.

4. GENERAL PROTOCOL

4.1. All operations will be performed in Class G airspace.

4.2. Both the DJI Inspire 1 and Aeryon SkyRanger UAS must operate using radio 

frequencies (2.4 GHz) that comply with Federal Communications Commission 

(“FCC”) and other governmental agency requirements.

4.3. At a minimum, a UAS flight requires two people – a Pilot in Command (PIC) and a 

Visual Observer (VO).

4.4. Pilot in Command – The PIC is responsible for operation of the UAS and safety 

during flight. Specific responsibilities and considerations of the PIC are listed 

below.

4.4.1. The PIC must have at least a sport pilot certificate and a valid U.S. driver’s 

license.

4.4.2. The PIC must ensure the UAS is flying within the boundaries of the 

Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) that is applicable to the 

flight. 

4.4.3. The PIC must ensure the VO can perform required duties.

4.4.4. During UAS operations, the PIC must be able to access the latest copy of 

the PTC UAS Flight Operation Manual, the UAS manufacturer user 

manual(s), and any other documents needed to operate the UAS. These 

documents must also be made available to the FAA and any law 

enforcement officer upon request.

4.4.5. After a UAS operation is started, the PIC cannot transfer designation or 

responsibilities to another person for the duration of the flight. 

4.4.6. Before takeoff, the PIC must inspect the UAS to ensure it is airworthy.

4.4.7. The PIC shall not operate the UAS if the pre-flight inspection reveals an 

issue that affects the safe operation of the aircraft. 

4.5. Visual Observer – The VO is responsible for assisting the PIC by observing the 

UAS and providing situational awareness to the PIC during flight. The VO must be 

able to discern the direction and altitude of the aircraft to assist the PIC during 

flight. During flights, the VO must be positioned close enough to the PIC in order 
Page 5 

to communicate by voice only. During landing, the VO is responsible for keeping 

the landing area and surrounding area clear of people and obstacles. 

4.6. The UAS shall be operated during daylight only. Operations shall occur during 

daytime Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Meteorological Conditions, which are 

conditions in which operators have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft while 

maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft. In other words, the 

PIC and VO must have sufficient visibility and control in order to safely operate 

the aircraft.

4.7. The UAS shall be operated within VLOS of the PIC and VO at all times. VLOS must 

be achieved using human vision unaided by any device other than corrective 

lenses.

4.8. The UA must remain clear and give way to all manned aviation operations and 

activities at all times.

4.9. The UA shall not be operated at a speed exceeding 87 knots (100 miles per 

hour), or at a speed greater than the maximum recommended by the 

manufacturer. 

4.10. All operations shall be conducted in accordance with an Air Traffic Organization 

(ATO) issued COA.

4.11. Unless a flight has a specific COA, the UA shall not be operated at an altitude 

greater than 200 feet above ground level (AGL). 

4.12. The UA shall not be operated at an altitude greater than 400 feet AGL.

4.13. The UA shall not be operated within 5 nautical miles of an airport, military 

installation, prison, or helipad unless a specific COA is issued for the operation. 

4.14. The UAS must not be operated from any moving vehicle.

4.15. For any operation over private or controlled-access property, permission must 

be obtained from the property owner, controller, or authorized representative. 

4.16. If an accident occurs during UAS operations, it must be reported to the National 

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB website, located at 

www.ntsb.gov, provides instructions for reporting accidents.

4.17. During UAS operations, all flight crew members must wear proper safety apparel 

in accordance with the PTC Employee Safety Handbook. 

4.18. Flights shall be operated at a distance of at least 500 feet from any 

nonparticipating persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless:

4.18.1. Barriers or structures are present that sufficiently protect 

nonparticipating persons from the UA and/or debris in the event of an 

accident. The operator must 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 
Page 6 

operations must cease immediately in a manner ensuring the safety of 

nonparticipating persons; and

4.18.2. The owner/controller of any vessels, vehicles or structures has granted 

permission for operating closer to those objects and the PIC has made a 

safety assessment of the risk of operating closer to those objects and 

determined that it does not present an undue hazard.

4.19. At no time shall the UAS be operated so close to structures or vehicles as to 

present an undue hazard to the PIC or Observer.

4.20. The PIC shall abort the flight by landing the UA if the UAS begins to act in an 

unpredictable manner or if an unpredicted obstacle is identified during normal 

flight.

4.21. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the UA must return to a 

pre-determined location that is programmed before the flight operation begins.

4.22. Each aircraft will be identified by a serial number, registered with the FAA, and 

have identification markings as large as practicable.

5. FLIGHT LOG

5.1. A flight log must be kept for any training, test, or project-related UAS operation.

5.2. The flight log must be completed by the PIC of the flight.

5.3. Refer to the example flight log template at the end of this document.

6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

6.1. Prior to performing official PTC flights, the PIC must demonstrate the ability to 

safely operate the specific UAS that will be used for the flight. This includes 

performing evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining appropriate 

distances from people, vessels, vehicles, and structures, as required by the FAA 

Regulations.

6.2. VOs must demonstrate the ability to adequately provide situational awareness 

and discern the direction and altitude of the UA.

6.3. PIC and VO qualification flight hours must be recorded. For each training 

exercise, a flight log must be completed. Non-flight lesson time should also be 

recorded to track training. 

6.4. All testing and training flights must be flown more than 500 feet from people not 

directly involved with the UAS activity.

6.5. Any PIC operating the UAS during a training flight must have the appropriate FAA 

required certification.
Page 7 

6.6. The PIC must have a thorough understanding of the manual control system and 

be able to switch the system into the correct modes. If the PIC must pause to 

think about which controls to activate, when to activate certain controls, which 

way to move control sticks, etc., the PIC is not ready to operate the UAS outside 

of a test environment.

7. PRE-FLIGHT PROTOCOL

7.1. Review current and forecasted weather conditions to ensure a safe UAS 

operation can be completed.

7.2. Create a flight plan documenting actions to be taken during the flight operation 

along with the geographical limits of the flight path.

7.3. Verify the flight plan does not violate FAA airspace regulations.

7.3.1. If the flight is operated using the blanket COA, the UA must stay under 

200 feet AGL and cannot fly within 5 nautical miles of an airport, military 

installation, prison, or helipad.

7.4. Confirm that the flight path/area avoids obstructions and potential hazards, such 

as light poles, utility poles, towers, utility lines, trees, and elevated structures.

7.5. Complete initial flight log information.

7.5.1. Complete the pre-flight inspection.

7.5.1.1. If any part of the pre-flight inspection fails, the flight operation

shall not occur.

7.5.2. Complete and review the flight purpose and plan.

7.5.2.1. Examples of flight purposes include testing after maintenance, 

training, CCTV inspection, etc.

7.6. Identify the optimal staging area for operations to maintain direct line of sight at 

all times.

7.7. Identify the optimal home location where the UA will take off and land.

7.8. Verify available capacity of SD card (if applicable).

7.9. Verify the remote controller and aircraft and camera batteries are fully charged.

7.10. Program the home location where the UA will automatically return to if the UAS 

loses communications or its GPS signal.

7.11. In accordance with the flight plan, if applicable, program the geo-fence that 

limits the flight path to the inspection area.
Page 8 

8. POST-FLIGHT PROTOCOL

8.1. Shut down the UAS.

8.2. Remove batteries from the UA.

8.3. If warm/hot, allow all batteries and UAS to cool down.

8.4. Complete remaining flight log information, including post-flight inspection.

8.4.1. If any part of the post-flight inspection fails, maintenance shall be 

performed on the UAS to correct any issues before another flight 

operation is undertaken. 

8.5. Store all equipment properly in the carrying case.

9. MAINTENANCE LOG

9.1. All maintenance that is performed on the UAS must be documented. The UAS 

must be maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for 

maintenance, replacement, and inspection time periods. In addition, the UAS 

must be maintained according to any FAA or manufacturer safety/service 

bulletins.

9.2. After maintenance is performed, the UAS must undergo at least one 15 minute 

test flight where the PIC and VO verify the functional capability and safety of the 

UAS. The following list provides examples of activities that warrant test flights.

9.2.1. A new battery is purchased.

9.2.2. An electrical or electronic component, other than the battery, is replaced 

or repaired.

9.2.3. Flight controller hardware or firmware is updated. 

9.2.4. Battery type or capacity is changed. 

9.2.5. UA weight or balance is changed.

9.2.6. Any maintenance that requires a maintenance log record.

9.3. Refer to the example maintenance log template at the end of this document.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

UAS Flight Log

Version 1.0 – September 2015

Project Name

Flight Purpose

Flight Plan

Name Contact Number

Pilot in Charge

Visual Observer

Additional Crew (if any)

Flight Date Take Off Time Landing Time

Weather Conditions UA Serial/ID #

Milepost/Location of 

Ground Operation

Flight Notes

(including any 

challenges)

Pre-flight Inspection Post-flight Inspection

Pass Fail Pass Fail

Inspect for loose screws and connections

Inspect aircraft arms and body for damage

Inspect propellers for warps, chips, and cracks

Inspect gimbal and ensure it is functioning as normal

Inspect the batteries for swelling, damage, or leakage
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

UAS Maintenance Log

Version 1.0 – September 2015

UA Serial/ID # DJI Inspire 1 or Aeryon SkyRanger?

Date of service

Contact information for 

person / company 

performing maintenance

Description of work 

performed

Cost of replacement parts

Total cost of maintenance

Date test flight completed

Form completed by Date