AFS-14-084-E April 1, 2014

Exemption No. 10968 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2013-1127

Mr. Dallas Cormier, SD1173 San Diego Gas & Electric, Sempra Energy

101 Ash Street San Diego, CA 92101

Dear Mr. Cormier:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letters dated December 20, 2013 and January 14, 2014, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on behalf of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) for an exemption from §§ 91.9(b)(2) and 91.203(a) and (b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). That exemption would allow SDGE to operate the InstantEye MK-2 N544L and N500VD unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) without carrying and displaying the airworthiness certificate, registration, flight manual, and any other required documentation onboard the aircraft. You requested that all required paperwork be located at the ground control station or within close proximity to the pilot in command.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to SDGE.

The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 8607 (copy enclosed), the FAA found it unnecessary to carry and display the airworthiness, certification, and registration documents in unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and UAVs for the operations described by the petitioner. The original intent of the subject regulation was to display the airworthiness,2

certification, and registration documents so they would be easily available to inspectors and

passengers.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that—

 they are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 8607;

 the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 8607 also apply to the situation you present; and

 a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113, and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, San Diego Gas & Electric is granted an exemption from14 CFR §§ 91.9(b)(2) and 91.203(a) and (b) that allows SDGE to operate the InstantEye MK2 N544L and N500VD UAVs without carrying and displaying the airworthiness certificate, registration, flight manual, and any other requi red documentation onboard the aircraft, subject to the following conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. Compliance with the conditions and limitations stipulated in the Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) for Sa n Diego & Gas Electric UAS operations.

Exemption No. 8607 was issued as a permanent exemption. The FAA, however, finds it in the best interest of safety to review this exemption every 2 years. This allows the FAA to ensure that there has been no change in circumstances or regulations from which the exemption is granted.

This exemption terminates on April 30, 2016, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure