DRONE!VIEW!AERIAL!PHOTO

69!MEEKS!POINT!RD

EAST HAMPTON,!CT!06424

860:729:6841 CELL

May!27,!2015

US!Department!of!Transportation

Federal!Aviation Administration

800!Independence!Ave!SW

Washington,!DC!20591

Dear!Sir!or!Madam:

Pursuant!to!Section!333!of!the!FAA!Modernization and!Reform!Act!0f!2012!and!CFR!Part!11,!

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo,!owner!and!operator!of!Small!Unmanned!Aircraft!Systems!(UAS’s),!

request!to!be!exempted!from!the!Federal!Aviation!Regulations!(FAR’s)!listed!below!so!that!

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo may!operate!UAS’s!commercially!within!airspace!regulated!by!the!FAA,!

as!long!as!such!operations!are!conducted!within!and!under the!conditions!outlined!herein!or!as!

may!be!established!by the!FAA!as!required!by!Section!333.

Drone!View Aerial Photo!is!owned!by!myself, William!W.!Huntley.!!I!am!an!FAA!ATP!rated!pilot!

in!both!fixed!wing!and!rotorcraft (with!a!Sikorsky!S76!Type!Rating),!with over!15,000 hours!to!

date.!!I!hold!a!current!FAA!Second!Class!Medical!with!no!limitations!and!have!been!flying!small!

UAS!rotorcraft!for!5!years.!!I!will!be!the!sole!manipulator!of!the!aircraft.!!All operations to be!

conducted!with!the!public’s!safety!and!right!to!privacy strictly!adhered!to!at!all!times.

As!described!below,!the!requested exemption!would!permit!the!operation of!light!weight!(less!

than!55!lbs.!total!take!off!weight)!UAS’s!under!controlled!conditions for!commercial!use!by!

myself!thereby!enhancing!safety!and!fulfilling!the!Secretary!of!Transportation’s! responsibility!

to!“establish!requirements!for!safe!operation!of!such!aircraft systems!in!national!airspace!

systems.”!!Section!333(c),!of!the!Reform!Act.

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo’s UAS’s!are!rotorcraft!weighing!less!than 55!pounds!including!payload!

(DJI!Phantom!3!Quad!Copter).!!They!operate!at!a!speed!less!than!50 knots!and!have!the!

capability!to!hover!and!move!in!the!vertical!and!horizontal!plane!simultaneously.!!The!DJI!
Phantom!3!has!an!auto!return!to!the!departure!point!when!exceeding!the!manufacturers!

recommended!distance!from!the!controller,!when!the!signal!between!the!controller!is!lost!or!

when!battery!power!is!under!25%.!!The!UAS!will!be!operated!within!“line!of!sight” in!a!

protected!flight!area!at!200’!AGL!or!less.!!These!operations!will!not!create!a!hazard!to!users!of!

the nations!airspace or!the!public.

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo submits!this!application!in!accordance with!the!Reform!Act,!112!P.L.!

95!331:334,!seeking!relief!from any!currently!applicable!FAR’s!operating!to!prevent!Drone!View!

Aerial!Photo future!commercial!use of!small!UAS’s!to!operate!in!the national!airspace!system!as!

described!below.!!The!Reform!Act!Section 332!provides!for!such!integration!of!civil!unmanned!

aircraft!into!our!national airspace!system!as!it!is!in!the!public’s!interest!to!do!so.!!Drone!View!

Aerial!Photo’s UAS’s!meet!the!definition!of!“small!unmanned!aircraft”!as!defined!by!Section!331!

and!therefor!the!integration!of!theses!UAS’s!are!expressly!contemplated!by the!Reform!Act.!

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo would!like!to!operate!it’s!light weight!UAS’s!prior!to!the!time!period!by!

which the!Reform!Act!requires!the!FAA!to!promulgate!rules!governing!such!aircraft.

The!Reform!Act!directs!the!Secretary!of!Transportation to!consider!whether!certain!unmanned!

aircraft!systems!may!operate!safely!in!national!airspace!before!completion of!the!rule!making!

required!under!Section!332!of!the!Reform!Act.!!In!making!this!determination,!the!Secretary!of!

Transportation!is!required!to!determine which!UAS’s!do!create!a!hazard!to!users of!the!national!

airspace!system!or!the public!or!pose!a!threat!to!national!security!in!light!of!the!following.

!!!!!The!UAS’s!size,!speed,!weight!and!operational!capability.

!!!!!Operation of!the!UAS’s!in!close!proximity!to!airports!and!populated!areas.

!!!!!Operation!of!the!UAS’s!within!visual!line of!sight!of!the!operator.

Reform!Act!333(a).!!If!the!secretary!determines!that!such!vehicles!“may!operate!safely!in!the!

National!Airspace System,!the!secretary!shall!establish!requirements!for!the!safe!operation!in!

national!airspace.

Drone!View Aerial!Photo!will!be!using!rotorcraft!weighing!less!than!55!lbs!and!operate!at!

speeds!less!than!50!knots!with!the!ability!to!operate!in!the!vertical!and!horizontal!plane!

simultaneously.!!The!UAS’s!will!operate!only!within!“line!of!sight”!of!the!operator!within!a!

protected!flight!area!and!at!200’!AGL!or!less.!!This!will!not!present!a!hazard!to!the!national!

airspace!or!the!public.

The!very!small!nature!of!these!UAS's!combined!with!the!safe!guards!presented!below,!will!allow!

for!the!safe!operation greater!than!that!envisioned!by!Congress!for!the!FAA!to!establish!and!by!

exemption!allow!commercial!operations!of!UAS’s!to!commence!immediately.!!Also!due!to!the!

size!of!UAS’s!and!the!areas!and!altitudes!they!will!operate!approval!of!this!exemption!presents!

no!national!security issues!and!absolutely!minimal!safety!concerns!which!have!been!mitigated

through!our!rigorous!risk!management!process.!!Given!the!clear!direction!given!in Section!333!
of!the!Reform!Act,!the!authority!contained!in!the!Federal Aviation!Act,!as!amended, the!strong!

equivalent!level!of!enhanced!safety,!reduced!emissions!utilizing!UAS’s!versus!traditional!aircraft!

as!well!as!the!economic!impact of!greatly!reducing!the!cost!of!aerial!photography!thereby!

benefitting!the!greater!public’s!interest.!!Accordingly,!the!applicant!requests!that!the!FAA grant!

the!requested exemption!without!delay.

The!following!will!be!considered!as!the!Standard!Operating!Procedures!(SOP) of!Drone!View

Aerial!Photo.

1. Flights!will!only!occur!between!sunrise!and!sunset.

2. Flights!will!be!operated in!the!line!of!sight!of!the!operator!(PIC).

3. Flights!will!be!terminated!at!any!time!weather!and!wind!deteriorate!to!“unsafe!for!

flight” based!on!manufacturer’s!limitations.

4. The!UAS’s!will!weigh!less!than!55!lbs.

5. Flights!will!be!operated!at!less!than!200’!AGL.

6. The!UAS’s!operator!will!perform!a!check!of!the!flight!area!and!make!certain!of!the!safety!

of!all!persons!in!the!area.

7. Consent!will!be!obtained!from!all!persons!within!the!video!capabilities!to!ensure!their!

privacy.

8. All!required FAA!clearances!will!be!obtained!and!distances!from!airports!strictly!adhered!

too.

9. All!UAS’s!will!have!the!capability!to!return!automatically to!the!operator!in!a!safe!

manner!with!the!auto!return!function!checked!and!working.

10. Flights!will!only!operate!in!VFR!conditions.

11. UAS!controllers!display!range!and!remaining!battery!power.

12. All!preflight!checks will!be!done!prior!to!each!flight.

13. All!routine!inspections!and!maintenance!will!be!done!in!accordance!as!specified!by!DJI.

14!CFR,!Part 21!Subpart!H:!Airworthiness!Certificate!14!CFR!91.7!(a),!91.203(a)(1)

!!!!!Subpart!H,!entitled!Airworthiness!Certificates,!sets!forth!requirements!for!procurement!of!

!!!!!necessary certificates!in!relation!to FAR!91.203(a)(1).!!The!size,!weight!and!defined!area

!!!!!of!operations!for!Drone!View!Aerial!Photo!UAS’s!flights!permits!exemption!from!Part!21!

!!!!!because!they!meet an!equivalent!level!of!safety!pursuant!to!Section 333!of!the!Reform

!!!!!Act.!!Both!pieces of!legislation!permit!the!FAA!to!exempt!UAS’s!from!airworthiness

!!!!!certificates!in!consideration!of!weight,!size,!speed,!maneuverability!and!proximity to!areas

!!!!!such!as!airports!and!dense populations.!!Drone!View!Aerial!Photo!!meets!or!exceeds!each

!!!!!of!these!items.

As!of!March!23,!2015!the!FAA!has!stated!that!it!will!automatically!grant!a!“blanket” COA!for!

flights!at!or!under!200’!AGL!to!any!UAS!operators!with!a!Section!333!Exemption.
14!CFR,!Part!91.203(a&b)!provides!for!carrying of!civil!aircraft!certifications!and!registrations.!!

These!are inapplicable!for!the!same!reasons!stated!above.!!The!equivalent!level!of!safety!will!be!

achieved!by!maintaining!such!certifications!and!registrations!by!Drone!View!Aerial!Photo.

14!CFR,!Part!91.7!(a)!prohibits!the!operation!of!an!aircraft!without!an!airworthiness!certificate.!!

As!no!such!certificate!will!be!applicable!in!the!form!contemplated!by!the!FAR’s!this!regulation!is!

inapplicable.

14!CFR,!Part!91.9(b)(2) requires!an!“Civil!Aircraft!Flight!Manual”!in!aircraft.!!As!there are!no!

pilots!or!passengers!and!given!the!size!of!the!UAS’s!this!regulation!is!inapplicable.

The!FAA!has!previously!issued!exemptions!to!this!regulation!in!Exemptions!8607,!8737,!8738,

9299,!9299A,!9565,!9565B,!10167,!10167A,!10602,!10700!and!332827.

14!CFR,!Part!91.119!!Minimum!safe!altitudes!prescribes!safe!altitudes!for!operation!of!civil!

aircraft..!It!allows!helicopters!to!be!operated!at!lower!altitudes!under!certain!conditions.!!Drone!

View!Aerial!Photo!will!only!operate!it’s!UAS’s!at!or!below!200’ AGL.!!They!will!be!operated in a!

well!defined!area!of!operation!that!has!been!carefully!reviewed!for!hazards!and!minimizes the!

presence!of!any!persons!not!essential!for!these!operations.!!Flights!will!only!be!over!private!

property with!the!owner’s!consent.

Approval!of!these!333!Exemptions allowing!commercial!use!of!small!UAS’s!in!the!service!of!

aerial!photography!will!greatly!enhance!safety by!reducing!the!overall!risk!associated!with!

traditional!aircraft.!!Traditional!aerial!photography!requires!large!aircraft!with!fuel potentially!

flying!over!or!in!close!proximity!to!populated!areas.!!With!the!use!of!small!battery!powered!

UAS’s!of!55!lbs!or!less the!risk!of!injury!to!people!on!the!ground is!drastically!reduced.

Granting!Drone!View!Aerial!Photo the!above exemption!will!allow!for!the!expansion of!the!use!

of!UAS’s!aircraft!in!the!future!for!the!safe!conduct!of!free!enterprise.

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo!respectfully!requests!the!FAA!grant!it’s!exemption!without!delay.!!The!

FAA!has!the!authority!to!issue!this!exemption!pursuant!to!the!Federal!Aviation!Act,!85!P.L.!726!

(1958)!as!amended!(the!act).

Sincerely,

William!W.!Huntley

williamwhuntley@aol.com

Drone!View!Aerial!Photo

69!Meeks!Point!Rd.

East!Hampton,!!CT!06424