AFS

– 14

– 421

– E E x e mption No. 11156

UN I TED S TATES OF AME R I C A

DE P A R TMENT OF T R AN SP O R TAT I ON

F EDE R AL AV I AT I ON ADM I N I S T R AT I ON

W A S H I NGTON, DC 20591

I n the m a tt e r of the p e tition of

TOTAL SAFETY U.S., INC. R e g u la t o r y Do c k e t No. F AA

- 2014

- 0 610

f

or a n e x e mption fr om p ar t 21

, S ubpart H ;

part 27; §§ 45.23 ( b ) ; 45.27 ( a ) ; 61.113;

91.7 (a) ; 91.9 ( b )( 2 ) and (c) ; 91.103;

91.109 (a) ; 91.119; 91.121; 91.151 (a) ;

91.203 (a ) a nd ( b ); 91.405 (a) ; 91.407 (a)( 1 );

91.409 (a)( 2 ) ; a nd 91.417 (a ) a nd ( b)

of Title 14, C ode of Fe d era l R e g ul a tions

G RANT OF E X E M P T ION

B y l e tt e r s d a t e d August 13 , 2014, and October 15, 2014, Mark A. Dombroff

, McKenna

Long & Aldridge LLP

, C ouns e l f or Total Safety U.S., Inc. , 1 676 International Drive,

Penthouse, McLean, VA 22102

, p e tition e d the Fe d eral Avi a tion Administ ra tion (F AA) on

b e h a lf of Tota l Safety U.S., Inc. (Total Safety) f or a n e x e mption fr om p ar t 21, S ubpart H ( §§

21.171

- 21.199) , part 27, §§ 45.23 ( b )

, 45.27 ( a )

, 61.113, 91.7 (a) , 91.9 ( b )( 2 ) and (c) , 91.103,

91.109 (a) , 91.119, 91.121, 91.151 (a) , 91.203 (a ) a nd ( b ) , 91.405 (a) , 91.407 (a)( 1 ) , 91.409 (a)( 2 )

,

a nd 91.417 (a ) a nd ( b) of Title 14, C ode of Fe d era l R e g ul a tions ( 14 C F R ) . The p r opos e d

e x e mption would a llow op era tion of unm a nn e d a i rcraf t s y st e ms ( UA S ) f or the pu rpose of

conducting flare stack inspections f or the oil, natural gas, petro

- chemical

, and pipeline

indust r ies

.

Th e p et i t io n e r re qu e s t s re li e f f r om t h e f ollo w i n g re g u la t io n s:

P ar t 21

, S ubpart H p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, the p r o ce du ra l re qui re m e nts f or issuing a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca t e s

.

Part 27 prescribes, in pertinent part, airworthiness standards for the issue of type

certificates, and changes to those certificates, for normal category rotorcraft.

S ec tion 45.23 ( b) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t wh e n m ar ks in c lude only the R om a n

ca pit a l l e tt e r “ N” a nd the re g ist ra tion numb e r is displ a ye d on limit e d, re st r i c t e d or li g ht

- spo r t2 ca t e g o r y a i rcraf t or e x p er im e nt a l or p r ovision a lly cer ti f i ca t e d a i rcraf t, the op era tor must a lso

displ a y on th a t a i rcraf t n ea r eac h e nt ra n c e to the ca bin, c o c kpit, or pilot st a tion, in l e tt er s not

l e ss th a n 2 in c h e s nor mo r e th a n 6 in c h e s hi g h, the wo r ds “ limit e d,” “re st r i c t e d,” “ li g ht

spo r t,” “e x p er im e nt a l,” or “ p r ovision a l,” a s a ppli ca bl e

.

S ec tion 45.27 ( a) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, the requirement for rotorcraft operators to

display certain marks on both sides of the cabin, fuselage, boom or tail.

Section 61.113(a) and (b) prescribe , in pertinent part, that

—

(a) No person who holds a private pilot certificate may act as a pilot in command (PIC)

of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire; nor

may that person, for compensation or hire, act as PIC of an aircraft.

(b) A private pilot may, for compe nsation or hire, act as PIC of an aircraft in connection

with any business or employment if

—

(1) The flight is only incidental to that business or employment; and

(2) The aircraft does not carry passengers or property for compensation or hire.

S ec tion 91.7 (a ) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t no p er son m a y op era te a c ivil a i rcraf t

unl e ss it is in a n a i r wo r thy c ondition.

S ec tion 91.9 ( b )( 2) p r ohibits op era tion of U. S

. - re g ist ere d c ivil a i rcraf t unl e ss th er e is

a v a il a ble in the a i rcraf t a c u rre nt a pp r ov e d Ai rpl a ne or R oto rcraf t F li g ht M a nu a l,

a pp r ov e d m a nu a l m a t er i a l, m ar kin g s, a nd pl acar ds, or a ny c ombin a tion th ere o f

.

S ec tion 91.9 ( c ) prohibits operation of U.S.

- registered civil aircraft unless that aircraft is

identified in accordance with part 45.

S ec tion 91.103 p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t eac h pilot in c omm a nd sh a ll, b ef o r e

b e g inning a f li g ht, b ec ome fa mili a r with a ll a v a il a ble in f o r m a tion c on cer ning th a t f li g ht,

to in c lud e

—

(a ) F or a f li g ht und e r I F R or a f li g ht not in the vi c inity of a n a i rpo r t, w ea th e r re po r ts a nd

f

o reca sts, f u e l re qui re m e nts, a lt er n a tiv e s a v a il a ble if the pl a nn e d f li g ht ca nnot be

c ompl e t e d, a nd a ny known t raff ic d e l a y s of whi c h the pilot in c omm a nd h a s b ee n

a dvis e d by AT C ;

( b) F or a ny f li g ht, r unw a y l e n g ths a t a i r po r ts of int e nd e d us e

, a nd the f ollowing t a k e o f f

a nd l a nding dist a n c e in f o r m a tion:

( 1) F or c ivil a i rcraf t f or whi c h a n a pp r ov e d Ai rpl a ne or R oto rcraft F li g ht M a nu a l3 c ont a ining t a k e o f f a nd l a nding dist a n c e d a ta is re qui re d, the t a k e o f f a nd

l a nding dist a n c e d a ta c ont a in e d th ere in; a nd

( 2) F or c ivil a i rcraf t oth e r th a n those sp ec i f i e d in p ara g ra ph ( b )( 1) of this s ec tion,

oth e r re li a ble in f o r m a tion a pp r op r i a te to the a i rcraf t, re l a ting to a i rcraf t

p erf o r m a n c e und e r e x p ec t e d v a lu e s of a i rpo r t e l e v a tion a nd r unw a y slop e

,

a i rcraf t g r oss w e i g ht, a nd wind a nd t e mp era tu re.

S ec tion 91.109 (a) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t no p er son m a y op era te a c ivil a i rcraf t

(e x ce pt a m a nn e d fre e b a lloon) th a t is b e ing us e d f or f li g ht inst r u c tion unl e ss th a t a i rcraf t

h a s f ully f un c tioning du a l c ont r ols.

S ec tion 91.119 p re s cr ib e s th a t, e x ce pt wh e n n ece ss ar y f or t a k e o f f or l a ndin g , no p er son m a y

op era te a n a i rcraf t b e low the f ollowing a ltitud e s:

(a ) An y wh ere . An a ltitude a llowin g , if a pow e r unit fa ils, a n e m er g e n c y l a nding

without undue h a z ar d to p er sons or p r op er ty on the su rface

.

( b) Ov e r c on g e st e d area s. Ov e r a ny c on g e st e d are a of a c it y , town, or s e ttl e m e nt, or

ov e r a ny op e n a ir a ss e mbly of p er sons, a n a ltitude of 1,000 fee t a bove the hi g h e st

obst ac le within a ho r i z ont a l ra dius of 2,000 fee t of the a i rcraf t.

(c ) Ov e r oth e r th a n c on g e st e d area s. An a ltitude of 500 fee t a bove the su rface

, e x ce pt

ov e r op e n w a t e r or sp ar s e ly popul a t e d area s. I n those ca s e s, the a i rcraf t m a y not be

op era t e d c los e r th a n 500 fee t to a ny p er son, v e ss e l, v e hi c l e , or st r u c tu re

.

( d) H e li c opt er s, pow ere d p arac hut e s, a nd w e i g ht

- shi f t

- c ont r ol a i rcraf t. I f the op era tion

is c ondu c t e d without h a z ar d to p er sons or p r op er ty on the su rface

—

( 1) A h e li c opt e r m a y be op era t e d a t l e ss th a n the minimums p re s cr ib ed in p ara g ra ph

( b) or (c ) of this s ec tion, p r ovid e d eac h p er son op era ting the h e li c opt e r c ompli e s

with a ny r out e s or a ltitud e s sp ec i f i ca lly p re s cr ib e d f or h e li c opt er s by the F AA;

a nd

( 2) A pow ere d p arac hute or w e i g ht

- shi f t

- c ont r ol a i rcraf t m a y be op era t e d a t l e ss

th a n the minimums p re s cr ib e d in p ara g ra ph (c ) of this s ec tion.

S ec tion 91.121 re qui re s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, eac h p er son op era ting a n a i rcraf t to m a int a in

cr uising a ltitude by refere n c e to a n a ltim e t e r th a t is s e t “

... to the e l e v a tion of the d e p ar tu r e

a i rpo r t or a n a pp r op r i a te a ltim e t e r s e tting a v a il a ble b ef o r e d e p ar tu re .”

S ec tion 91.151 (a ) p re s cr ib e s th a t no p er son m a y b e g in a f li g ht in a n a i rpl a ne und e r V F R

c onditions unl e ss ( c onsid er ing wind a nd f o r e ca st w ea th e r c onditions) th er e is e nou g h

f u e l to f ly to the f i r st point of int e nd e d l a nding a nd, a ssuming no r m a l cr uising sp e e d

,4 du r ing the d a y , to f ly af t e r th a t f or a t l ea st 30 minut e s

.

S ec tion 91.203 (a ) p r ohibits, in p er tin e nt p ar t, a ny p er son fr om op era ting a c ivil a i rcraf t

unl e ss it h a s within it ( 1) a n a pp r op r i a te a nd c u rre nt a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca t e ; a nd ( 2) a n

effec tive U. S

. re g ist ra tion cer ti f i ca te issu e d to its own e r o r

, f or op era tion within the Unit e d

S t a t e s, the s ec ond c opy of the Ai rcraf t R e g ist ra tion Appli ca tion a s p r ovid e d f or in 14 CFR

47.31(c)

.

S ec tion 91.203 ( b) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t no p er son m a y op era te a c ivil a i rcraf t

unl e ss the a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te or a sp ec i a l f li g ht a utho r i z a tion issu e d und e r 14 CFR

91.715 is displ a y e d a t the ca bin or c o c kpit e nt ra n c e so th a t it is l e g ible to p a ss e n g er s or cre w.

S ec tion 91.405 (a ) re qui re s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t a n a i rcraf t op era tor or own e r sh a ll h a ve

th a t a i rcraf t insp ec t e d a s p re s cr ib e d in S ubp ar t E of the s a me p ar t a nd sh a ll, b e tw ee n

re qui re d insp ec tions, e x ce pt a s p r ovid e d in p ara g ra ph (c ) of the s a me s ec tion, h a ve

dis cre p a n c i e s re p a i re d a s p re s cr ib e d in p ar t 43 of the c h a pt er

.

S ec tion 91.407 (a)( 1) p r ohibits, in p er tin e nt p ar t, a ny p er son fr om op era ting a n a i rcraf t th a t

h a s und er g one m a int e n a n ce , p re v e ntive m a int e n a n ce

, re buildin g , or a lt era tion unl e ss it h a s

b ee n a pp r ov e d f or re tu r n to s er vi c e by a p er son a utho r i z e d und e r § 43.7 of the s a me c h a pt er

.

S ec tion 91.409 (a)( 2) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t no p er son m a y op era te a n a i rcraf t

unl e ss, within the p rece ding 12 ca l e nd a r months, it h a s h a d a n insp ec tion f or the issu a n c e of

a n a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te in acc o r d a n c e with p ar t 21 of this c h a pt er

.

S ec tion 91.417 (a ) a nd ( b) p re s cr ib e s, in p er tin e nt p ar t, th a t

—

(a ) E ac h re g ist ere d own e r or op era tor sh a ll k ee p the f ollowing rec o r ds f or the p er iods

sp ec i f i e d in p ara g ra ph ( b) of this s ec tion:

( 1) R ec o r ds of the m a int e n a n ce , p re v e ntive m a int e n a n ce

, a nd a lt era tion a nd rec o r ds

of the 100

- hou r

, a nnu a l, p r o g re ssiv e

, a nd oth e r re qui re d or a pp r ov e d insp ec tions,

a s a pp r op r i a t e

, f or eac h a i rcraf t ( in c luding the a i rfra m e ) a nd eac h e n g in e

,

p r op e ll er

, r oto r

, a nd a ppli a n c e of a n a i rcraf t. The rec o r ds must in c lud e

—

( i) A d e s cr iption ( or refere n c e to d a ta acce pt a ble to the Administ ra to r ) of the

wo r k p erf o r m e d; a nd

( ii) The d a te of c ompl e tion of the wo r k p erf o r m e d; a nd

( iii) The si g n a tu re

, a nd cer ti f i ca te numb e r of the p er son a pp r oving the a i rcraf t

f

or re tu r n to s er vi ce

.

( 2) R ec o r ds c ont a ining the f ollowing in f o r m a tion:5 ( i) The tot a l time in s er vi c e of the a i rfra m e

, eac h e n g in e

, each p r op e ll er

, a nd

eac h r oto r

.

( ii) The c u rre nt st a tus of li fe

- limit e d p ar ts of eac h a i rfra m e

, e n g in e, p r op e ll er

,

r oto r

, a nd a ppli a n ce

.

( iii) The time sin c e l a st ov er h a ul of a ll it e ms inst a ll e d on the a i rcraf t whi c h

ar e re qui re d to be ov er h a ul e d on a sp ec i f i ed time b a sis.

( iv) The c u rre nt insp ec tion st a tus of the a i rcraf t, in c luding the time sin c e the l a st

insp ec tion re qui re d by the insp ec tion p r o g ra m und e r whi c h the a i rcraf t a nd its

a ppli a n ce s ar e m a int a in e d.

( v) The c u rre nt st a tus of a ppli ca ble a i r wo r thin e ss di rec tiv e s ( AD) a nd s afe ty

di rec tiv e s in c ludin g

, f or eac h, the m e thod of c ompli a n ce , the AD or s afe ty

di rec tive numb e r a nd re vision d a t e

. I f the AD or s afe ty di rec tive involv e s

rec u rr ing ac tion, the time a nd d a te wh e n the n e x t ac tion is re qui re d.

( vi) C opi e s of the f o r ms p re s cr ib e d by § 43.9 ( d) of this c h a pt e r f or eac h m a jor

a lt era tion to the a i rfra me a nd c u rre ntly inst a ll e d e n g in e s, r oto r s, p r op e ll er s,

a nd a ppli a n ce s.

( b) The own e r or op era tor sh a ll re t a in the f ollowing rec o r ds f or the p er iods

p re s cr ib e d:

( 1) The rec o r ds sp ec i f i e d in p ara g ra ph (a)( 1) of this s ec tion sh a ll be re t a in e d until

the wo r k is re p ea t e d or sup er s e d e d by oth e r wo r k or f or 1 yea r af t e r the wo r k is

p erf o r m e d.

( 2) The rec o r ds sp ec i f i e d in p ara g ra ph (a)( 2) of this s ec tion sh a ll be re t a in e d a nd

t ra ns ferre d with the a i rcraf t a t the time the a i rcraf t is sold.

( 3) A list of d efec ts f u r nish e d to a re g ist ere d own e r or op era tor und e r § 43.11 of this

c h a pt e r sh a ll be re t a in e d until the d efec ts ar e re p a i re d a nd the a i rcraf t is a pp r ov e d

f

or re tu r n to s er vi ce

.

Th e p et i t io n e r s upp o rt s i t s re qu e st w i t h t h e f ollo w i n g i n f o r m a t io n:

The petition and the following supporting documentation are hereinafter referred to as the operating

documents:

1) TotalSafety DJI S1000 sUAS Aircraft Flight Manual

2) TotalSafety U.S., Inc. Global Integrated Industrial Safety Services UAS Operations M a nu a l6 The F AA h a s o r g a ni z e d the p e tition er’ s in f o r m a tion into four s ec tions: 1) the unm a nn e d a i rcraf t

s y st e m (UAS) , 2) the UAS p ilot i n c omm a nd ( P I C ) , 3) the UAS op era ting p ara m e t er s , and 4)

the public interest

.

Unm a nn ed Ai rcraf t S y st em

The UAS p r opos e d by the p e tition e r is the DJI Innovations S1000 Multi

- rotor Rotorcraft

( hereinafter referred to as “the unmanned aircraft ( UA ) ” )

. The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t the UA to

be op era t e d und e r this re qu e st has eight rotors and eight motors in an octocopter configuration,

is l e ss th a n 25 lbs. when f ully lo a d e d, and will be operated a t low speeds, carrying n e ith e r a
pilot nor p a ss e n g er

, e x plosive m a t er i a ls or f l a mm a ble liquid f u e ls, a nd op era t e s e x c lusiv e ly

within a sterile are a a s s e t out in the operating documents

. I n a ddition, the manufacturer h a s

int e g ra t e d numerous s afe ty fea tu re s into the d e si g n of the UA

, a s d e s cr ib e d in the p e tition er’ s operating documents, to e nsu r e the s afe ty of p er sons a nd p r op er ty within a nd su rr ounding the

limit e d op era ting area

. The p e tition e r f u r th e r d e s cr ib e s th a t, in the e v e nt the UA los e s

c ommuni ca tions or its global positioning system ( G P S ) si g n a l, the UA will h a ve the ca p a bility

to re tu r n to a p re

- d e t er min e d lo ca tion within the s terile a rea a nd l a nd. I t will a lso h a ve the

ca p a bility to a bo r t a f li g ht in the e v e nt of unp re di c t e d obst ac l e s or e m er g e n c i e s.

The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t g iv e n the si z e , w e i g ht, sp ee d, a nd limit e d op era ting are a a sso c i a t e d

with the a i rcraf t to be utili z e d by the a ppli ca nt, a n e x e mption fr om 14 C F R p ar t 21, S ubp ar t H

Ai r wo r thin e ss C er ti f

i ca t e s and 14 CFR part 27 Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category

Rotorcraft , subj ect to cer t a in c onditions a nd limit a tions, is w arra nt e d a nd m ee ts the

re qui re m e nts f or a n e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty und e r 14 C F R p ar t 11 a nd S ec tion 333 of the F AA

Mod er ni z a tion a nd R ef o r m A c t of 2012 ( P L 112

- 95 ) . The p e tition e r f u r th e r st a t e s th a t UAS

op era t e d without a n a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te in the re st r i c t e d sterile e nvi r onm e nt a nd und e r the

c onditions a nd limit a tions p r opos e d by the p e tition e r will be a t l ea st a s s afe , or s afer , th a n a

c onv e ntion al a i rcraf t (f i x e d wing or r oto rcraf t) op era ting with a n a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te issu e d

und e r 14 C F R p ar t 21, S ubp ar t H a nd not subj ec t to the p r opos e d c onditions a nd limit a tions.

The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t e v e n thou g h its UAS will h a ve no a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca t e

, an

e x e mption has been requested fr om 14 C F R § 45.23 (b) a s the UA will h a ve no e nt ra n c e to the

ca bin, c o c kpit, or pilot st a tion on whi c h the wo r d “ E x p er im e nt a l” ca n be pl ace d. Giv e n the si z e

of the UA, the p e tition e r not e s th a t the two

- in c h l e tt er ing will be impossibl e

. The p e tition e r

a ss er ts th a t a n e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty will be p r ovid e d by h a ving the UA m ar k e d with the

wo r d “ E x p er im e nt a l” on the f us e l a g e in c ompli a n c e with 14 C F R § 45.29 (f)

.

The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t the m a int e n a n c e re qui re m e nts in the p er tin e nt s ec tions of 14 C F R

p ar t 91 ar e only a ppli ca ble to a i rcraf t with a n a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te in acc o r d a n c e with p ar t

43. The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t the maintenance requirements contained in part 43 and part 91

should not apply to its UAS because the UAS was never issued an airworthiness certificate.

The p e tition e r h a s st a t e d th a t it int e nds to conduct all maintenance in accordance with the

operating documents

.7 UAS P ilot I n C omm a nd ( P I C )

The p e tition e r states th a t while its proposed operation is considered to be a commercial

operation, the UA will be operated in a very confined and controlled area, within visual line

of sight (VLOS) of the pilot. Furthermore, the UA will not carr y a pilot or p a ss e n g er s on

bo ar d, which considerably re duces the potential for personnel injury. The petitioner suggests

that by utilizing licensed private pilots as pilot in command (PIC)

, the p r opos e d op era tions

will not a dv er s e ly affec t s afe ty because of the confined and controlled area of operations. T he

petitioner also states that the PIC will have additional qualifications and training prior to

operations conducted under this exemption

. I n suppo r t of its position, the p e tition e r references

the exemption granted to Astraeus Aerial [Exemption No. 11062] which permits commercial

motion picture filming with UAS utilizing private pilots.

Addition a ll y , the p e tition e r notes that flare stack inspections occur in refineries or other areas

where access to the public is strictly limited and controlled. Under vi rtually all circumstances,

the property and structures surrounding the flare stack is owned by the controlling entity. As a

result, the operation will have no substantial impact on any third persons not involved in the

inspection.

UAS Op era ting P ara m e t er s

The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t a ll f li g hts will be op era t e d within V L O S of a pilot a nd/or obs er v er

,

a nd th a t the UA f li g hts will be limit e d to a m a x imum a ltitude of 400 fee t above ground level

( AG L ) . The p e tition e r f u r th e r st a t e s th a t a n op era tor will e nsu r e th a t only c ons e nting

p er sonn e l will be a llow e d within 100 fee t of the UA op era tion . In addition, the aircraft will

be operated at a lateral distance of at least 100 feet from any inhabited structures, buildings,

vehicles, or vessels not associated with the operation or who have not signed a waiver in

advance of the operation

. The p e tition e r a ss er ts th a t a n e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty ca n be

ac hi e v e d g iv e n the si z e , w e i g ht, a nd sp ee d of the UA S

, a s w e ll a s the controlled lo ca tion

wh er e it is op era t e d. The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t the UAS will be op era t e d within a s af e

op era ting p er im e t er , the bound ar i e s of whi c h will be d e t er min e d by operations p er sonn e l a nd

the UAS P I C b a s e d on the specific sit e

. The p e tition e r ar g u e s th a t, c omp ared to f li g ht

op era tions with a i rcraf t or r oto rcraf t w e i g hing fa r mo r e, a nd the l ac k of f l a mm a ble f u e l, a ny

r isk a sso c i a t e d with its UAS op era tions is fa r l e ss th a n those with c onv e ntion a l a i rcraf t

. The

petitioner’s operating documents describe a scope of operations that includes inspection of

any property, structures, materials, or natural landscape features located within a client’s

physical property. However, Section V of the petition specifical ly limits the scope as follows,

“P etitioner seeks an exemption from several interrelated provisions of 14 CFR Parts 21, 45

and 91 for purposes of conducting Flare Stack inspections using sUASs. ”

W ith re sp ec t to p ref li g ht ac tions, the p e tition e r has reque sted a n e x e mption fr om

14 C F R § 91.103, b eca use it will not h a ve a pp r ov e d r oto rcraf t f li g ht m a nu a ls on board the

aircraft . The p e tition e r a ss er ts th a t a n e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty will be ac hi e v e d by the P I C

t a king a ll p ref li g ht ac tions a s s et f o r th in th e operating documents

, in c luding re vi e wing w ea th er

, f li g ht b a tt er y re qui re m e nts, l a nding a nd t a k e o f f dist a n ce s, a nd a i rcraf t p erf o r m a n c e d a ta b ef o r e8 initi a tion of f li g ht. Addition a ll y , the p e tition e r st a t e s th a t the operating documents will be located

at the ground station with the operator at all times.

The p e tition e r not e s th a t it m a y n ee d a n e x e mption fr om 14 C F R § 91.121, a s its UAS has a

G P S a ltitude rea d out inst ea d of a b ar om e t r ic a ltim e t er . The p e tition e r a ss er ts th a t an e quiv a l e nt

l e v e l of s afe ty will be ac hi e v e d because the operator will confirm the altitude of the launch site

shown on the GPS altitude indicator before flight. Moreover, the PIC will use the GPS altitude

indicator to constantly monitor the UA’s height, thus ens uring operation at safe altitudes.

W ith re sp ec t to 14 CFR § 91.151(a) , the p e tition e r not e s th a t the UA has a battery life of

approximately 15 minutes. The p e tition e r ar g u e s th a t, g iv e n the limit a tions on the UA ’ s

p r opos e d altitude and operational area, a reduced fuel reserve is warranted. The p e tition e r

b e li e v e s th a t limiting f li g hts to 25% of b a tt er y pow er will provide an acceptable safety margin

for achieving a n e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty.

P ublic I nt ere st

The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t, g iv e n the sm a ll si z e of the UA involv e d a nd the re st r i c t e d st er ile

e nvi r onm e nt within whi c h it will op era t e , its p r opos e d op era tion is in compliance w ith the type

of operation which C on g re ss e nvision e d when crafting Public Law 112

- 95. The petitioner

states that the proposed operation has a great public benefit because safety inspections will be

conducted using a UA as opposed to sending a huma n observer to the top of the flare sta ck or

using helicopters to inspect the flare stack, thereby reducing the risk to human life. The

petitioner further asserts that the use of a UA will reduce the hazards and emissions associated

with the alternate use of helicopters to conduct similar inspection operations. D ue to the si z e

of the UA a nd the re st r i c t e d area s in whi c h the UAS will op era t e

, a pp r ov a l of the a ppli ca tion

p re s e nts no n a tion a l s ec u r ity issu e

. The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t, g iv e n the c l ea r di rec tion in

S ec tion 333, the st r ong e quiv a l e nt l e v e l of s afe ty su rr ounding the p r opos e d op era tions, a nd the

si g ni f i ca nt public b e n ef it, in c luding e nh a n ce d s afe t y

, g ra nting the re qu e st e d e x e mption is in the

public int ere st.

Dis c u ssion of P ub lic Co mm e n t s:

A summ ar y of the p e tition w a s publish e d in the Fe d eral R e g ist e r on September 2 , 2014 ( 79 F R

52105 )

. Two c omm e nts w er e rece iv e d. The Small UAV Coalition (hereafter the Coalition)

supported the petition, whereas the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) opposed

the petition.

The Coalition believes that Total Safety's petition demonstrates that its small UAS operations can

be conducted safely on privately owned or controlled property, with a number of voluntary safety

precautions. With regards to the petitioner’s request for an exemption from the airworthiness

certification regulation and the certification requirements for normal category rotorcraft, the Coalition

asserted that the operational limitations proposed by the petitioner should be more than adequate to

grant an exemption from airworthiness certification. The Coalition noted that similar small UAV

operations, c onducted by hobbyists and modelers, are appropriately permitted without such9 certification. The Coalition stated that it does not believe that heightened safety measures should be

required for Total Safety simply because of the commercial nature of its ope rations. The Coalition

noted that Total Safety's operations do not pose a risk to any congested area or populated area. The

Coalition stated that small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that operate for any purpose,

commercial or non

- commercial, should be judged based upon the precautions taken for safe

operation, taking into consideration the relevant technical parameters of the UAV and UAS

.

The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), which represents the safety interests of

over 51,000 profess ional airline pilots flying for 31 airlines in the United States and Canada

, submitted a comment in opposition to the petition . ALPA’s long

- held position is that all aircraft

operating in the National Airspace System ( NAS ) must operate to the same high le vel of safety.

ALPA comment ed on the sterile area which the UAS will operate within and states there must

be a means to ensure that the UAS remains within this area and that non

- participating aircraft

remain clear of the airspace. The FAA has added condi tions and limitations to this document to

help ensure the separation of manned and unmanned aircraft. Furthermore, the FAA will define

the operational area and will provide additional special provisions via a Certificate of Waiver or

Authorization (COA). The special provisions will also discuss requirements for issuance of

Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) which alert non

- participating aircraft of the UAS operations.

ALPA referred to the petitioner ’ s statement that the aircraft carries no explosive materials or

flammable liquid fuels , however note d that the aircraft carries a lithium polymer battery which

have numerous associated fire and explosion hazards. ALPA reference d a battery safety study.

However, the FAA notes that safety study was primarily conducted to determine how certain

battery cells react in a fire situation aboard manned airplanes. Given the size of the battery and

the operating conditions of the UAS, the FAA concludes that the use of a lithium polymer

battery will not pose an undue safety ris k for the proposed operations

.

ALPA comment ed that the petitioner describes communications between the pilot and observer

as via voice and/ or text. ALPA is concerned that the potential latency associated with text

messaging does not allow for prompt comm unications between the pilot and observer. As in

Astraeus Aerial [Exemption No. 11062] , the FAA does not permit text messaging as an

appropriate means of communication between the PIC and VO. This issue has been addressed in

the conditions and limitations section of this exemption.

ALPA note d that the petitioner ’ s aircraft does not have a barometric altimeter which is required

by 14 CFR § 91.121. ALPA question ed the petitioner ’ s ability to operate to the same level of

safety as other aircraft operated co mmercially in the NAS. This comment is addressed in the

FAA analysis below.

ALPA oppose d the petitioners request to operate in the NAS without completing an

airworthiness certification evaluation. ALPA also comment ed that it believe s all aircraft

operating in the NAS should operate at the same high level of safety, and believe s that UAS

operated in the NAS must be in an airworthy condition. A LPA note d that appropriate

mitigations for compliance with 14 CFR § 91.113, Right of Way Rules , must be implemented

given the significance of this requirement. Th ese comment s are addressed in the FAA analysis10 below.

ALPA believe d that operations for compensation or hire should be conducted by appropriately

licensed commercial pilots with second cl ass medical certificates. This comment is addressed in

the FAA’s analysis of 14 CFR § 61.113 below.

ALPA question ed the petitioner’s intent with regard to providing flight instruction because the

petitioner has not requested an exemption to 14 CFR § 61.195 which defines the requirements

for flight instructors. Flight instruction is discussed in the FAA’s analysis of 14 CFR § 91.109

below.

ALPA expresse d concern with potential communications and command link failures which may

result in a loss of con trol of the aircraft. ALPA suggest ed that appropriate mitigations should be

developed to ensure safe operations. The FAA has reviewed the operating documents provided

by the petitioner in addition to the safety features of the DJI S1000. Given this oper ational and

safety information and the controlled area of operations, the FAA believes the risk associated

with a communications and command link failure is sufficient ly mitigated

.

ALPA also e xpressed concern, stating that because the waiver request is no t for a specific

operation but rather for all operations of the same general type, the FAA’s oversight task is

considerably increased. Per the conditions and limitations below, the FAA has prescribed

operator, pilot

, and notification requirements to ensur e that appropriate oversight can occur.

Th e F AA's a n alysis is as f ollo w s:

Unm a nn ed A i rcraf t S y st em ( UA S )

The petitioner re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R p ar t 21

, C er ti f

i ca tion p r o ce du re s f or p r odu c ts a nd

p ar ts

, Subpart H, Airworthiness certificates

, and 14 CFR part 27, Airworthiness Standards,

Normal Category Rotorcraft

. I n acc o r d a n c e with the st a tuto r y cr it er ia p r ovid e d in S ec tion 333 of

P L 112

- 95 in refere n c e to 49 U S C 44704, a nd in c onsid era tion of the si z e , w e i g ht, sp ee d, a nd

limit e d op era ting are a a sso c i a t e d with the a i rcraf t a nd its op era tion, the S ecre t ar y of

T ra nspo r t a tion h a s d e t er min ed th a t this a i rcraf t m ee ts the c onditions of S ec tion 333. Th eref o re

, the F AA f inds th a t the re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R p ar t 21, Subpart H, and part 27, and any associated noise certification and testing requirements of part 36 is not n ece ss ar y

.

Flare stack inspections are hazardous and present unique difficulties for persons conducting

inspections and maintenance of this infrastructure. The inspections are norm ally conducted

utilizing personnel to physically inspect the flare stack. Helicopters are also used to transport

inspection personnel to the top of the flare stack so that a physical inspection may be

conducted. The petitioner plans to utilize a UAS to c losely photograph the flare stack

, which

reduces the need for inspectors to personally view the flare stack. M a nn e d h e li c opt er s assisting in flare stack inspections ca n w e i g h 6,000 lbs. or mo r e a nd ar e op era t e d by a n onbo ar d

pilot, in a ddition to oth e r onbo ar d cre wm e mb er s, a s n ece ss ar y . The p e tition er’ s UA will w e i g h

l e ss th a n 2 5 lbs. with no onbo ar d pilot or cre w. The pilot a nd cre w will be re mot e ly lo ca t e d11 fr om the a i rcraf t. The limit e d w e i g ht and restricted sterile area si g ni f i ca ntly re du ce s the

pot e nti a l f or h ar m to p ar ti c ip a ting a nd nonp ar ti c ip a ting individu a ls or p r op er ty in the e v e nt of

a n in c id e nt or acc id e nt. The r isk to a n onbo ar d pilot a nd cre w du r ing a n in c id e nt or acc id e nt is

e limin a t e d with the use of a UA f or the inspection op era tion. In addition, utilizing UAS to

conduct flare stack inspections will reduce the need for inspection personnel to perform this

hazardous activity.

M a nn e d a i rcraf t ar e a t r isk of f u e l spill a g e a nd f i r e in the e v e nt of a n in c id e nt or acc id e nt. The

UA carr i e s no f u e l, a nd th eref o r e the r isk of f i r e f ollowing a n in c id e nt or acc id e nt due to f u e l

spill a g e is e limin a t e d.

This e x e mption do e s not re qui r e a n e l ec t r onic m ea ns to monitor a nd c ommuni ca te with oth e r

a i rcraf t, su c h a s t ra nspond er s or s e nse a nd a void t ec hnolo g y

. R a th e r the F AA is miti g a ting the

r isk of th e se op era tions by pl ac ing limits on a ltitud e

, re qui r ing enhanced st a nd

- o f f dist a n c e fr om

c louds, p er mitting d a y time op era tions onl y

, a nd re qui r ing th a t the UA be op era t e d within VLOS

a nd y i e ld r i g ht of w a y to a ll m a nn e d op era tions. Addition a ll y , the operator will be required to

re qu e st a NOTAM p r ior to op era tions to a l er t oth e r us er s of the NA S

.

The p e tition er’ s UA h a s the ca p a bility to op era te s afe ly af t e r e x p er i e n c ing cer t a in in

- f li g ht

fa ilu re s. The UA is a lso a ble to re spond to a lost

- link e v e nt with a p re

- c oo r din a t e d, p re di c t a bl e

,

a utom a t e d f li g ht m a n e uv er

. T he P I C h a s the a bility to t er min a te the f li g ht op era tion or initi a te

the a utom a t e d re tu r n to home p r o ce du r e outlin e d within the operating documents

. These safety

features provide an equivalent level of safety compared to a manned aircraft performing a

similar operation and address ALPAs comment on mitigating risk of command and control link

failures

.

Regarding the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 45.23(b), Display of marks, the

petitioner requests this relief under the assumption that marking with the word “experimental”

will be required as a condition of a grant of exemption. However, this marking is reserved for

aircraft that are issued experimental certificates under 14 CFR § 21.191. The petitioner’s UAS

will not be certificated under § 21.191, and therefore the “experimental” marking is not

required. Since the petitioner’s UAS will not b e certificated under § 21.191, a grant of

exemption for § 45.23(b) is not necessary.

The petitioner has also requested relief from 14 CFR § 45.27(a), Location of Marks

. Given that

an exemption from § 45.23 ( b) is not necessary, an exemption from § 45.27 ( a ) is a lso not

necessary. Markings must be as large a s practicable per § 45.29(f).

R e g ar ding the p e tition er’ s re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R § § 91.405 (a ) M a int e n a n ce re qui re d

, 91.407 (a)( 1) Op era tion af t e r m a int e n a n ce , p re v e ntive m a int e n a n ce

, re buildin g , or a lt era tion

, 91.409 (a)( 2) I nsp ec tions

, a nd 91.417 (a ) a nd ( b) M a int e n a n c e rec o r ds , the F AA h a s d e t er min e d

th a t re li e f fr om § 91.409 (a)( 1) is a lso n ece ss ar y , b eca use it is a n a lt er n a te insp ec tion re qui re m e nt

of § 9 1.409 (a)( 2 )

. As provided in the operating documents, the operator will ensure that the

UAS is in working order prior to initiating flight, perform required maintenance, and keep a log12 of any maintenance performed.

Therefore, the FAA finds that adherence to the petitio ner’s operating documents and the

conditions and limitations below, describing the requirements for maintenance, inspection, and

recordkeeping, are sufficient to ensure that safety is not adversely affected. Accordingly, the

FAA finds that exemption from 14 CFR §§ 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(1) and (2), and

91.417(a) and (b) is warranted.

P ilot I n C omm a nd (PIC) of the UAS

R e g ar ding the p e tition er’ s re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R § 61.113 P r iv a te pilot p r ivil e g e s a nd

limit a tions

, the FAA must consider the appropriate level of pilot certification for the petitioner’s

proposed operations. T he petitioner state s it would operate its UAS with a private pilot holding

a second

- class airmen medical certificate. Under current regulations, civil operati ons for

compensation or hire require a PIC holding a commercial pilot certificate per 14 CFR part 61.

Based on the private pilot limitations in accordance with pertinent parts of 14 CFR § 61.113(a)

and (b), a pilot holding a private pilot certificate canno t act as a PIC of an aircraft for

compensation or hire unless the flight is only incidental to a business or employment. However,

in Grant of Exemption No. 11062 to Astraeus Aerial (Astraeus), the FAA determined that a PIC

with a private pilot certificate operating the Astraeus UAS would not adversely affect operations

in the NAS or present a hazard to persons or property on the ground. Additionally, a s previously determined by the Secretary of Transportation, the requirement to have an airman

certificate ameliorates security concerns over civil UAS operations conducted in accordance

with Section 333.

ALPA stated its opposition to the petitioner’s proposed operation by a non

- commercial

certificated pilo t and believes the operation should be conducted by a PIC holding a current

FAA commercial pilot certificate with an appropriate category and class rating for the type of

aircraft being flown and a current second

- class airman medical certificate.

The FAA has analyzed the petitioner’s proposed op eration, con sidered the comment above, and

determined it does not differ significantly from the situation described in Grant of Exemption

No. 11062 (Astraeus). The petitioner plans to operate in the NAS over private property while

also limiting access to the property during UA operations . Given: 1) the similar nature of the

petitioner’s proposed operating environment to that of Astraeus, 2) the parallel nature of private

pilot aeronautical knowledge requirements to those of commercial requirements, and 3) the

airmansh ip skills necessary to operate the UAS, the FAA finds that the additional manned

airmanship experience of a commercially certificated pilot would not correlate to the airmanship

skills necessary for the petitioner’s proposed operations. Therefore, the FAA finds that a PIC

holding a priv ate pilot certificate and a second

- class airman medical certificate is appropriate for

the proposed operations.

With regard to the airmanship skills necessary to operate the UAS, the petitioner has proposed a

training progra m consisting of five hours operati ng the UAS to be used for the purpose of

conducting the operations described in the operating documents

. In accordance with the13 operating documents, t he PIC must maintain an understanding of all operational features and

normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures of the UAS

. The petitioner also proposes that the

PIC maintain currency by requiring three take

- off and three landing operations of the UA within

the previous 90 days

. These requirements are included in the cond itions and limitations below.

Additionally, the conditions and limitations below stipu late that the petitioner may not permit

any PIC to operate unless that PIC has demonstrated through the petitioner’s training and

currency requirements that the PIC is a ble to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with

how the UAS will be operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency

maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from people, vessels, vehicles

, and structures.

The petitioner ind icate s it w ill supplement it s proposed operation(s) with a visual observer (VO)

possessing a current second

- class airman medical certificate and other knowledge and currency

requirements prescribed in its operating documents. The conditions and limitations below

stipulate that the PIC must ensure that the VO can perform the functions prescribed in the

operating documents. It is the responsibility of the PIC to limit operations of the UA to

distances within the visual capabilit ies of both the PIC and VO.

Op era ting p ara m e t er s of the UAS

R e g ar ding the p e tition er’ s re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R § 91.7 (a ) C ivil Ai rcraf t Ai r wo r thin e ss

, the petitioner’s re qu e st is b a s e d on the fac t th a t no a i r wo r thin e ss cer ti f i ca te will be issu e d f or the

UA S and that no FAA regulatory standard exists for determining airworthiness. While the

petitioner’s UAS will not require an airworthiness certificate in accordance with

14 CFR part 21, Subpart H, the FAA considers the petitioner’s compliance with its operating

documents to be a sufficient means for determining an airworthy condition. Therefore, relief

from § 91.7(a) is granted. The petitioner is still required to ensure that its aircraft is in an

airworthy condition

– based on compliance with the operating documents prior to every flight,

and as stated in the conditions and limitations below.

Additionally, in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.7(b), the PIC of the UAS is responsible for

determining whether the aircraft is in a condition for safe flight

. The FAA finds that the PIC can

comply with th is requirement , therefore relief from §91.7(b) is not necessary

.

Regarding the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 91.9 Civil aircraft flight manual,

marking, and placard requirements and 14 CFR § 91.203(a) and (b) Civil aircraft:

Certifications required , the FAA has previously determined that relief from these sections is

not necessary. Relevant materials may be kept in a location accessible to the PIC in

compliance with the regulations.

Regardin g the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 91.103, Preflight Action , the

petitioner ’s operating documents require the PIC to take certain actions before flight to ensure

the safety of the flight. Although there will be no approved Airplane or Rotorc raft Flight Manual

available, the FAA believes that the petitioner can comply with the other applicable

requirements in 14 CFR § 91.103(b)(2). The procedures outlined in the operating documents14 address the FAA’s concerns regarding compliance with § 91.103 (b). The PIC will take all

actions including reviewing weather, fligh t battery requirements, landing , and takeoff

distances /conditions, and aircraft performance data before initiation of flight. The FAA has

imposed stricter requirements with regard to vi sibility and distance from clouds; this is to both

keep the UA from departing VLOS and to preclude the UA from conflicting with other aircraft

operating in the NAS. The FAA also notes the risks associated with sun glare; the FAA believes

that the PIC’s an d VO’s ability to still see other air traffic, combined with the PIC’s ability to

initiate a return

- to

- home sequence, are sufficient mitigations in this respect. The PIC will also

account for all relevant site

- specific conditions in his or her preflight p rocedures. Therefore, the

FAA finds that exemption from 14 CFR § 91.103 is not necessary.

Regarding the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 91.109 Flight instruction; Simulated

instrument flight and certain flight tests

, the petitioner did not describe training scenarios in

which a dual set of controls would be utilized or required, i.e. dual flight instruction, provided by

a flight instructor or other company

- designated individual, that would require that individual to

h ave fully functioning dual controls. Rather, the petitioner intends to accomplish training as

referenc ed in the operating documents. Furthermore, the FAA is requiring that the petitioner’s

PICs possess at least a private pilot’s certificate

. Also, t his exemption will require that training

operations only be conducted during dedicated training sessions. The FAA finds that safety will

not be adversely impacted if the petitioner follows the training outlined in the operating

documents. As such, the FAA fi nds that the petitioner can conduct its operations without the

requested relief from § 91.109.

As stated above, the training proposed by the petitioner does not require a person who holds a

flight instructor certificate. Therefore, with regard to ALPA ’s comment on providing flight

instruction , the FAA finds that the suggested relief from 14 CFR § 61.195 is not necessary.

Regarding the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 91.119, Minimum safe altitudes , the

petitioner did not specify the par agraph( s) in 14 CFR § 91.119 from which it require s relief.

R elief from § 91.119(a), which requires operating at an altitude that allows a safe emergency

landing if a power unit fails, is not granted. T he FAA expects the petitioner to be able to perform

an emer gency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface if a power unit

fails. Relief from 14 CFR § 91.119(b), operation over congested areas , is not granted because

the petitioner did not provide sufficient information necessary for the FAA to determine

whether the operation poses an adverse impact to safety were it to operate over congested areas

.

The petitioner proposes to maintain a 100

- foot buffer from personnel not associated with its

operations unless appropriate waivers have been obtained . The petitioner also proposes to

operate no closer than 100 feet from buildings. With regard to persons not directly involved in

the flight operation, the petitioner did not provide an explanation for exposing those persons to

increased risk tha n what is provided for in the rule . Therefore, the FAA is requiring that prior to

conducting UAS specific operations, all persons not essential to flight operations

(nonparticipating persons) must remain at appropriate distances. In open areas this requir es the

UA to remain 500 feet from all persons other than essential flight personnel (i.e. the PIC

, VO

, and the Sensor Operator ). The FAA has also considered that t he UA in this case will weigh 2515 pounds or less. If barriers or structures are present that can sufficiently protect nonparticipating

persons from debris in the event of an accident

, then the UA may operate closer than 500 feet to

persons afforded such protection. 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 operations must cease immediately. W hen

considering h ow to immediately cease operations , the primary concern is the safety of those

nonparticipating persons. In addition, the FAA finds that operations may be conducted closer

than 500 feet to vessels, vehicles and structures when the land owner/controller gr ants such

permission and the PIC makes a safety assessment of the risk of operating closer to those

objects.

Thus, the FAA finds that relief from § 91.119(c) is necessary because all operations will be

conducted below 400 feet AGL and may be operated clos er than 500 feet from persons, vessels,

vehicles, and structures as described above. P rovided adherence to the procedures in the

operating documents and the additional conditions and limitations outlined below , the FAA

finds that relief from § 91.119(c) i s warranted

. Because of the conditions and limitations below,

relief from § 91.119(d) is not applicable

.

Regarding the petitioner’s requested relief from 14 CFR § 91.121 Altimeter Settings , the UAS

uses a GPS altitude indicator rather than a barometric altimeter

. A s stated in the conditions and

limitations below, the FAA requires any altitude reported to Air Traffic Control ( ATC ) to be in

feet AGL. The petitioner may choose to set the GPS altitude indicator to zero f eet AGL rather

than local barometric pressure or field altitude before flight. Considering the limited altitude of

the proposed operations, relief from 14 CFR § 91.121 is granted to the extent necessary to

comply with the applicable conditions and limitat ions stated below.

R e g ar ding the p e tition er’ s re qu e st e d re li e f fr om 14 C F R 91.151 (a ) F u e l re qui re m e nts f or f li g ht in

V

F

R c onditions

, re li e f h a s b ee n g ra nt e d f or m a nn e d a i rcraf t to op era te a t l e ss th a n the minimums

p re s cr ib e d in 14 C F R § 91.151 (a) , in c luding E x e mption Nos. 2689, 5745, a nd 10650. I n

a ddition, simil a r UA S

- sp ec i f ic re li e f h a s b ee n g ra nt e d in E x e mption Nos. 8811, 10808, a nd

10673 f or d a y tim e , V F R c onditions. The p e tition e r st a t e s th a t its UAS op era tions will be

c ondu c t e d in a c ont r oll e d sterile e nvi r onm e nt, with UA und e r 25 pounds, a nd within V L O S

. Th e se fac to r s, c ombin e d with the petitioner’s st a t e d int e ntion to t er min a te f li g hts with 25%

re m a ining b a tt er y pow e r, provides the FAA with sufficient reason to grant the requested relief

from 14 CFR § 91.151(a) . I n accordance with the conditions and limitations below, the PIC is

prohibited from beginning a fl i ght unless (considering wind and forecast weather condi t ions)

there is enough power t o fly at normal cruising speed to t he in t ended landing point and land the

UA with 25% battery power remaining.

Addition a ll y , in e v a lu a ting the p e tition er’ s p r opos e d op era ting p ara m e t er s with re g ar d to

V L OS a nd a s af e op era ting p er im e t er , the F AA c onsid ere d op era tions fr om a moving d e vi c e or

v e hi c l e

. S in c e the p e tition e r did not dis c uss p r ovisions f or th e se c i rc umst a n ce s, the c onditions

a nd limit a tions b e low p rec lude op era tions fr om moving d e vi ce s or v e hi c l e s.

As stated in Section V of the petition, the scope of the petitioner’s proposed operation is the16 conduct of flare stack inspections using UAS. Although the petitioner’s operating documents

describe a broader scope of operations including inspection of any property, structures,

materials, or natural landscape features located within a client’s physical property, the

petitioner did not provide information, descriptions, or data in support of these use cases.

Therefore the FAAs analysis was limited to use of UAS for the inspection of flare stacks and

the conditions and limitations below restrict the UAS operation to this purpose only.

Regarding an Air Traffic Organization (ATO) issued Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

(COA), the majority of current UAS o perations occurring in the NAS are being coordinated

through ATC by the issuance of a COA. This is an existing process that not only makes local

ATC facilities aware of UAS operations, but also provides ATC the ability to consider airspace

issues that are unique to UAS operations. The COA will require the operator to request a

NOTAM, which is the mechanism for alerting other users of the NAS to the UAS activities

being conducted. The conditions and limitations below prescribe the requirement for the

peti tioner to obtain an ATO

- issued COA.

P ublic I nt ere st

The F AA f inds th a t a g ra nt of e x e mption is in the public int ere st. The e nh a n ce d s afe ty and

reduced emissions ac hi e v e d using a UA S with the sp ec i f i ca tions d e s cr ib e d by the p e tition e r a nd

carr y ing no p a ss e n g er s or cre w, ra th e r th a n a m a nn e d a i rcraf t of si g ni f i ca ntly g rea t e r p r opo r tions,

carr y ing cre w in a ddition to f l a mm a ble f u e l, g iv e s the F AA g ood ca use to f ind th a t the UAS

op era tion e n a bl e d by this e x e mption is in the public int ere st.

The t a ble b e low summ ar i z e s the F AA ’ s d e t er min a tions re g ar ding regulatory re li e f:

R e li e f considered ( 14 C F R) F AA d eter m i n a t ion ( 14 C F R)

P ar t 21 , Subpart H Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

Part 27 Relief n ot necessary

45.23 ( b) Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

45.27(a) Relief n ot necessary

61.113 (a) and (b) Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.7 (a ) Relief granted with conditions and limitations

91.9 ( b )( 2) and (c) Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

91.103 Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

91.109 (a) Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

91.119 Paragraphs (a) and (b) relief are not granted; p ara g ra ph

(c ) g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions; paragraph

(d) relief is not warranted17 91.121 Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.151 (a ) 91.151 (a)( 1 ) , d a y

, g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.203 (a ) a nd ( b) Relief n ot n ece ss ar y

91.405 (a ) Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.407 (a)( 1) Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.409 (a)( 1 ) and (2) Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

91.417 (a ) a nd ( b) Relief g ra nt e d with c onditions a nd limit a tions

Th e F AA ’ s D ec ision

I n c onsid era tion of the f o re g oin g , I f ind th a t a g ra nt of e x e mption is in the public int ere st.

Th eref o re , pu r su a nt to the a utho r ity c ont a in e d in 49 U. S

. C . §§ 106 (f) , 40113, a nd 44701,

d e l e g a t e d to me by the Administ ra to r

, Total Safety U.S., Inc. is g ra nt e d a n e x e mption fr om

14 C F R §§ 61.113 (a ) and (b) ; 91.7(a), 91.119 (c) ; 91.121; 91.151 (a) (1) ; 91.405 (a) ;

91.407 (a)( 1 ) ; 91.409 (a)( 1) a nd ( 2 ) ; a nd 91.417 (a ) a nd ( b) to the e x t e nt n ece ss ar y to a llow

the petitioner to op era te unm a nn e d a i rcraf t s y st e ms ( UA S ) f or the pu rpose of conducting

sterile area flare stack inspections for the oil, natural gas, petro

- chemical

, and pipeline

industries

. This e x e mption is subj ec t to the c onditions a nd limit a tions list e d b e low.

Co nd i t io n s a n d L i m i t a t io ns

R e l a tive to this g ra nt of e x e mption, Total Safety U.S., Inc. is h ereaf t e r referre d to a s the op era to r

.

The petition and the following supporting documentation are hereinafter referred to as the

operating documents:

1) TotalSafety DJI S1000 sUAS Aircraft Flight Manual

2) TotalSafety U.S., Inc. Global Integrated Industrial Safety Services UAS Operations

M a nu a l

Fa ilu r e to c omply with a ny of the c onditions a nd limit a tions of this g ra nt of e x e mption will be

g r ounds f or the imm e di a te susp e nsion or re s c ission of this e x e mption.

The f ollowing c onditions a nd limit a tions are subject to all flights utilizing this exemption:

1. Operations authorized by this grant of exemption are limited to the following aircraft

described in the operating documents which has eight rotors and eight motors in an

octocopter configuration weighing less than 25 pounds: DJI Innovations S1000 Multi

rotor Rotorcraft . Proposed operations of any other aircraft will require a new petition or

a petition to amend this grant.18 2. UAS operations under this exemption are limited to conducting sterile area flare stack

inspections for the oil, natural gas, petro

- chemical, and pipeline industries.

3. The UA m a y not be f lown a t a g r ound sp ee d e x cee ding 50 knots.

4. The UA must be op era t e d a t a n a ltitude of no mo r e th a n 400 fee t a bove g r ound l e v el

( AG L )

, a s indi ca t e d by the p r o ce du re s sp ec i f i e d in the operating documents . All a ltitud e s

re po r t e d to ATC must be in fee t AG L

.

5. The UA must be op era t e d within visu a l line of si g ht ( V L O S ) of the P I C a t a ll tim e s. This

re qui re s the P I C to be a ble to use hum a n vision un a id e d by a ny d e vi c e oth e r th a n

c o rrec tive l e ns e s, a s sp ec i f i e d on the P I C ’ s F AA

- issu e d m e di ca l cer ti f i ca t e

.

6. All operations must utilize a visual observer (VO). The VO may be used to satisfy the

VLOS requirement as long as the PIC always maintains VLOS capability. The VO and

PIC must be able to communicate verbally at all times. Electronic messaging or texting

is not permitted during flight operations. The PIC must be design ated before the flight

and cannot transfer his or her designation for the duration of the flight. The PIC must

ensure that the VO can perform the functions prescribed in the operating documents.

7. The VO must not perform any other duties beyond assisting t he PIC with seeing and

avoiding other air traffic and other ground based obstacles/obstructions and is not

permitted to operate the camera or other instruments.

8. The operating documents and this grant of exemption must be accessible during UAS

operations and made available to the Administrator upon request. If a discrepancy exists

between the conditions and limitations in this exemption and the procedures outlined in

the operating documents, the conditions and limitations herein take precedence and must

be followed. Otherwise, the operator must follow the procedures as outlined in its

operating documents. The operator may update or revise its operating documents. It is

the operator’s responsibility to track such revisions and present updated and revised

documents to the Administrator upon request. The operator must also present updated

and revised documents if it petitions for extension or amendment to this grant of

exemption. If the operator determines that any update or revision would affect the basis

upon which the FAA granted this exemption, then the operator must petition for

amendment to its grant of exemption. The FAA’s UAS Integration Office (AFS

- 80) may

be contacted if questions arise regarding updates or revisions to the operating documents.

9. P rior to each flight the PIC must 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

aircraft is prohibited from operating until the necessary maintenance has been performed

and the UAS is found to be in a c ondition f or s af e f li g ht. The G r ound C ont r ol S t a tion

must be in c lud e d in the p ref li g ht insp ec tion. All m a int e n a n c e a nd a lt era tions must be

p r op er ly do c um e nt e d in the a i rcraf t rec o r ds.19 10. Any UAS th a t h a s und erg one m a int e n a n c e or a lt era tions th a t affec t the UAS op era tion or

f li g ht c h arac t er isti c s, e

. g

. re pl ace m e nt of a f li g ht cr iti ca l c ompon e nt, must und erg o a

f un c tion a l t e st f li g ht

. The PI C who c ondu c ts the f un c tion a l t e st f li g ht must m a ke a n e nt r y

of the f li g ht in the UAS a i rcraf t rec o r ds

.

11. The pre

- flight inspection must account for all potential discrepancies, e.g. inoperable

components, items, or equipment, not already covered in the relevant sections of the

operating documents.

12. The operator must follow the UAS manufacturer’s aircraft/component, maintenance,

overhaul, replacement, inspectio n, and life limit requirements.

13. The operator must carry out its maintenance, inspections, and record keeping

requirements, in accordance with the operating documents. Maintenance, inspection,

alterations, and status of replacement/overhaul component parts must be noted in the

aircraft records, including total time in service, description of work accomplished, and

the signature of the authorized person returning the UAS to service.

14. Each UAS operated under this exemption must comply with all manufacturer Safety

Bulletins.

15. The authorized person must make an entry in the aircraft record of the corrective action

taken against discrepancies discovered between inspections.

16. The P I C must poss e ss a t l ea st a p r iv a te pilot cer ti f i ca te a nd a t l ea st a c u rre nt second

c l a ss m e di ca l cer ti f i ca t e . The P I C must a lso m ee t the f li g ht re vi e w re qui re m e nts

sp ec i f i e d in 14 C F R § 61.56 in a n a i rcraf t in whi c h the P I C is ra t e d on his or h e r pilot

cer ti f i ca t e

.

17. Prior to operations conducted for the purpose of flare stack inspection the PIC must have

completed the operator’s training as prescribed in the operating documents. During that

training, the PIC must have accumulated and logged, in a manner consistent with

14 CFR 61.51(b), a minimum of five hours as UAS pilot operating the make and model

of the UAS to be utilized for operations under the exemption . Training, proficiency, and

experience

- building flights can be conducted under this grant of exemption to qualify the

operator’s PIC(s), VO(s), and Sensor Operator(s)

. However, said training operati ons may only be conducted durin g dedicated training sessions. During training, proficiency, and

experience

- building flights the PIC is required to operate the UA with appropriate

distances in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.119.

18. Prior to operations conducted for the purpose of flare stack inspection the PIC must have

completed the operator’s currency requirements as prescribed in the operating

documents. The PIC must have completed at least three take

- offs and three landings in

the preceding 90 days as UAS pil ot operating the make and model of the UAS to be

utilized for operations under the exemption to maintain currency

. T ake

- off and landing20 currency flights can be conducted under this grant of exem ption

. When establishing or

regaining currency, said currency flights may only be con ducted during dedicated

training/currency sessions. During training, proficiency

, experience

- building flights , and

dedicated currency flights the PIC is required to operate the UA with appropriate

distances in accordance with 14 CFR § 91.119.

19. Prior to operations conducted for the purpose of flare stack inspection the PIC , VO, and

Sensor Operator m ust have met all qualification, training, and currency requirements , as

outlined in the operatin g documents . A record of completion of these requirements must

be documented and made available to the Administrator upon request.

20. The operator may not permit the PIC to operate the UAS for the purpose of flare stack

inspection 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 how

the UAS will be operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency

maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from people, vessels, vehicles

, and

structures.

21. UAS operations may not be conducted during night, as defined in 14 CFR § 1.1. All

operations must be conducted under visual m eteorological conditions (VMC). Flights

under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are not autho rized.

22. The UA may not operate within 5 nautical miles of the airport reference point as denoted

on a current FAA

- published aeronautical chart.

23. The UA may not be operated less than 500 feet below or less than 2,000 feet horizontally

from a cloud or when v isibility is less than 3 statute miles from the PIC.

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

determined location within the planned operating area and land or be recovered in

accordance with the operating docum ents

.

25. The PIC must abort the flight in the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies in

accordance with the operat ing documents

.

26. The PIC is prohibited from beginning 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 25% battery power remaining.

27. The operator must obtain an Air Traffic Organization (ATO) issued Certificate of Waiver

or Authorization (COA) prior to conducting any operations under this grant of

exemption. This COA will also require the operator to request a Notice to Airman

(NOTAM) not more than 72 hours in advance, but not less than 48 hours prior to the

operation. All operations shall be conducted in accordance with airspace requirements in21 the ATO issued COA including class of airspace, altitude level and potential transponder

requirements.

28. All a i rcraf t op era t e d in acc o r d a n c e with this e x e mption must be id e nti f i e d by s er i a l

numb er

, re g ist ere d in acc o r d a n c e with 14 C F R p ar t 47, a nd h a ve id e nti f i ca tion ( N

Numb er ) m ar kin g s in acc o r d a n c e with 14 C F R p ar t 45, S ubp ar t C . M ar kin g s must be

a s l ar g e a s p rac ti ca bl e.

29. B ef o r e c ondu c ting op era tions, the ra dio fre qu e n c y sp ec t r um us e d f or op era tion a nd

c ont r ol of the UA must c omply with the Fe d era l C ommuni ca tions C ommission (F CC ) or

oth e r a pp r op r i a te g ov er nm e nt ov er si g ht a g e n c y re qui re m e nts.

30. The do c um e nts re qui re d und e r 14 C F R §§ 91.9 a nd 91.203 must be a v a il a ble to the

P I C a t the G r ound C ont r ol S t a tion of the UAS a ny time the UAS is op era tin g . Th e se

do c um e nts must be m a de a v a il a ble to the Administ ra tor or a ny l a w e n f o rce m e nt

o ff i c i al upon re qu e st.

31. The UA must re m a in c l ea r a nd y i e ld the r i g ht of w a y to a ll m a nn e d op era tions a nd

ac tiviti e s a t a ll tim e s.

32. The UAS may not be operated by the PIC from any moving device or vehicle.

33. The UA may not be operated over congested or densely populated areas.

34. Flight operations must 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. 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 operations must cease immediately and/or;

b. T he 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

objects and determined that it does not present an undue hazard, and;

c. O perations nearer to the PIC, VO, Sensor Operator, operator trainees or essential

persons do not present an undue hazard to those persons per § 91.119(a).

35. All operations shall be conducted over private or controlled

- 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 be22 conducted.

36. Any in c id e nt, acc id e nt, or f li g ht op era tion th a t t ra ns gre ss e s the l a t era l or v er ti cal

bound ar i e s of the op era tion a l are a a s d ef in e d by the a ppli ca ble C OA must be re po r t e d to

the F AA ’ s UAS I nt egra tion O ff i c e ( A FS

- 80) within 24 hou r s. A cc id e nts must be

re po r t e d to the N a tion a l T ra nspo r t a tion Safe ty B o ar d ( NT SB ) p e r inst r u c tions c ont a in e d

on the NT S B We b sit e : www.ntsb.gov

.

Unl e ss oth er wise sp ec i f i e d in this g ra nt of e x e mption, the UA S , the UAS P I C

, a nd the UAS

op era tions must c omply with a ll a ppli ca ble p ar ts of 14 C F R in c ludin g , but not limit e d to, p ar ts

45, 47, 61, a nd 91.

Thi s e x e mption t er min a t e s on Jan uary 31, 2017 , unl e ss soon e r sup er s e d e d or re s c ind e d.

I ssu e d in W a shin g ton, D C , on January 29, 2015.

/s/

John Barbagallo

Acting Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service