## 'WEAVE co

n s u

l ti ng 2348
N Frontage Road Billings, MT 59101 January

14

111 2016 U.S. Department ofTranspmiation Docket Management System 1200 New Jersey Ave.

, SE Washington,

DC 20590 Re

: Exemption Request Under Section 333 of the FAA Refmm Act and Pati 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations Dear Madam, Sir, Pursuant

to Section 333 of the FAA Modemization

and Refmm Act of2012 (the

" Refmm Act

" ) and 14 C.P.R. Part
11

, Weave Consulting
Inc. (WEAVE),

an operator

of the eBee UnmannedAircraft System

(

" eBee

" ) seeks an exemption from the Federal Aviation Regulations

("F ARs") listed below: D 14 C.P

. R. 21 D 14 C.P

. R. 61.133(a)

(b) D 14 C.P.R. 91.7(b) D 14 C.P

. R. 91.119 14 C.P.R. 91.151(a) D 14 CFR Subpati

E (91.40

1 - 91.417) The requested exemption would authorize commercial operations using the eBee for aerial mapping and survey applications. These operations will be subject

to strict operating requirements defined in the eBee user manual (WEAVE requests the FAA treat the eBee training program

as proprietary under
14 C.P.R. 11.35(b) and does not include this document

in the public docket and conditions defined

in the paragraph

3. WEAVE was formed

in 2014
as an environmental consulting company focused
on mining and environmental remediation. WEAVE's managers have over

7 5 years of combined experience

in the mining and remediation fields

. Some of our mining clients include: -Ash Grove Cement

, Montana City, MT. -Banetts Minerals

, Dillon, MT. -Graymont Western US

, Townsend, MT. -Holcirn Inc. Trident, MT. We provides professional mapping and petmitting services that require large high resolution aerialimagery.Thisimageryismodifiedthroughcomputeraideddesign(CAD)toshowquarryexpansion,miningblocks,oredepositsandreclamation.Thesemapsaresubmittedtofederalandstateagenciesforpe1mitapprovalandaspartoftheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)process.TheeBeewillallowWEAVEtocollectthisimageryatalowercostandmorerapidlythanconventionalmannedflightoperations;whichwillincreasetheabilityofregulatorsandoperatorstomanageandoverseetheseminingoperations.Thisimageryisoftenusedtoinfmmthepublicaboutacunentminesplansforexpansionorreclamation.WEAVEhasprovidedmapsthathavebeenusedinpublicmeetingregardingaminesproposedactivities;publicinvolvementisacornerstoneoftheNEPAprocessandkeytogettingapprovalforminingactivities.Aqualityimageandmaparemoreeasilyunderstoodbythepublicthenanextensivedocument.WEAVEiscommittedtoqualitymappingasameansforpublicinvolvement.1.CHARACTERISTICSOFTHEAIRCRAFTTheeBeeisasmall(37.8incheswingspan)andultra-light(maximumtake-offweightof1.7pounds)platfmmmadeofflexiblefoamthatperformspre-programmedprecisionaerialmappingmissionsthankstotheon-boardGPSandtherelatedflightmanagementsoftware(eMotion)thatallowstheoperatortoplansafelyandefficientlyamissionin3D,andthenmonitoritinreal-time.Thankstotheembeddedcamera,protectedbyafoamenvelope,theeBeetakesacollectionofhighdefinitionstillimagesthatareusedlatertogeneratemapsandcontourlinesofthesurveyedarea.ThefourmaincharacteristicsoftheeBeeare:a.VerylightweightTheeBeeissolightthattheoperatorcanlaunchitbyhandandletitlandonalmostanysurfacewithoutrequiringaparachuteorlandingnet(bellyland).Itslowimpactenergy(38Jincaseofacontrolledemergencylanding)alsosignificantlyreducestheriskofhazardoussituations.Finally,thewingsoftheeBeearedetachableandmadeofflexiblefoamwithnosharporhardedgesandalmostnointernalstrengtheningstructure.b.Electric-poweredTheeBeeiselectricpowered.Abrushlessenginetechnologymakesitsilentandreliable.Thepropellerisattachedwitharubberbandtothebodyoftheplanesothatitcaneasilyflexawayincaseofcontactwithanyobject.c.Semi-automaticflightThemiificialintelligenceincorporatedwithintheeBeeautopilotsystemcontinuouslyanalyzesdatafi:omtheIne1iialMeasurementUnitandfromtheonboardGPSandtakescareofalltheaspectsoftheflightunderthesupervisionoftheoperator.d.OptionforManualcontrolAdditionally,theeBeeprovidesanoverridecapabilitythatallowstheoperatortotakemanualactionsduringtheflight(GotoHome,GoLand,HoldandResumethemission)andalsosuspendautomatedoperationsandtakemanualcontroloftheaircraftshoulditbecomenecessarytorespondemergentcircumstances,thankstotheremotecontrollerprovided withthesystem.2.APPLICATIONSTheeBeewillallowWEAVEtocollectthisimageryatalowercostandmorerapidlythanconventionalmannedflightoperations;whichwillincreasetheabilityofregulatorsandoperatorstomanageandoverseetheseminingoperations.Inaddition,thistechnologyopensnewopp01iunitiesforustomarketourexperienceandservicestoprospectiveclients.ThefollowingmapswillbegeneratedusingtheeBee.PermitMap-Showstheminespermittedareafordisturbancevs.smToundingprope1iyandtopographyPostMineTopographyMap-Showstheplannedfinalreclamationcontoursofthemineandanyremainingvisualevidence(openpits,highwalls)thismapisusefulinprovidingthepublicandagencieswithalookatwhatthemineareawilllooklikeyearsafteroperationshaveceased.MineDevelopmentMap-Displaystheminesintendedrateofdevelopment;essentially,wheretheywillmineandwhen.StormwaterMap-Chartsthedrainagepatternsofstormwaterasitinteractswiththemineorfacilitiesroadsorotherdisturbances.ReclamationMap-Displaysthevariousareasofreclamationandtheirprogressinattainingreleasefrombond.BondMap-Displaysthebondstatusofdifferentareasoftheminebasedonhistoric,recentandfutureplannedactivities.StockpilesMap-UsingtheTerra3DsoftwareWEAVEwillbeabletogiveaccurateestimationsofsoil,oreandoverburdenstockpiles.Theseestimatesoftendeterminebondinglevelsandarevitallyimp01iantinensuringamineisbondedcorrectlybytheStateofMontana.3.APPLICABLELEGALSTANDARDUNDERSECTION333a.AirworthinessassessmentoftheeBeeWEAVEnotesthattheairw01ihinessoftheeBeehasalreadybeendemonstratedfordifferentprojectsintheUnitedStates,involvingstate/federalagenciesoruniversities(amongotherstheNewMexicoStateUniversity:https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/10208/nrnsu-uas-flight-testcenter-conducts-ebee-airwOtihiness-assessment,andtheUSACENewOrleans,whocoordinatedwiththeDepmimentofAlmyandtheFAAtoobtainallauthorizationsrequiredinordertooperatetheeBeeUAS).MoreovertheeBeealreadyreceived15ExemptionsfromtheFAA.SenseFlyalsoobtainedflightapprovalsfortheeBee(deliveredbynationalcivilaviationauthorities)inmanycountries,amongothers:DSwitzerland(flightapprovalforVLOSoperations)DCanada(flightapprovalforVLOSoperations)DAustralia(flightapprovalforVLOSoperations)D France (flight approval
for Extended-VLOS operations) D Germany
(fli g ht approval
for VLOS operations) D United Kingdom (flight approval
for VLOS operations) D Norway (flight approval
for VLOS operations) D Sweden (flight approval
for VLOS operations) D Denmark (flight approval
for VLOS operations) b
. Operating requirements Grant of the exemption

to WEAVE
for the eBee will be subject

to the following operatingconditions: D
1. Operations authorized

by this grant of exemption

are limited

to the SenseFly eBee when weighing less than 55 pounds including payload. Proposed operations

of any other aircraft will require

a new petition

or a petition

to amend this exemption

. D
2
. Operations

for the pmpose
of closed-set motion picture and television filming are not petmitted

. D 3. The UA may not be operated

at a speed exceeding

87 knots (100 miles per hour). The exemption holder may use either groundspeed

or calibrated airspeed

to determinecompliance with the 87 knot speed restriction

. In no case will the UA be operated

at airspeeds greater than the maximum UA operating airspeed recommended

by the aircraftmanufacturer

. D 4. The UA must be operated

at an altitude
of no more than 400 feet above ground level (AGL). Altitude must be repmied

in feet AGL. D 5. The UA must be operated within visual line of sight (VLOS)
of the PIC at all times. This requires the PIC to be able to use human vision unaided
by any device other than corrective lenses,

as specified

on the PIC's FAA-issued airman medical certificate

or U.S. driver's license. D 6. All operations must utilize

a visual observer (VO). The UA must be operated within the visual line of sight (VLOS) ofthe PIC and VO at all times. 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 designated before the flight and cannot transfer his or her designation

for the duration

of the flight. The PIC must ensure that the VO can perfmm the duties required

of the VO. D
7
. This exemption
and all documents needed

to operate the UAS and conduct

its operations in accordance with the conditions
and limitations stated
in this grant of exemption

, arehereinafter refened

to as the operating documents.
The operating documents must be accessible during UAS operations
and made available

to the Administrator upon request.

If a discrep

ancy 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

or any law enforcement official upon request. The operator must alsopresent 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 an amendment

to its grant of exemption.
The FAA's

U AS Integration Office (AFS-80) may be contacted

if questions arise regarding updates

or revisions

to the operating documents. D 8. Any UAS that has undergone maintenance

or alterations that affect the UAS operation

or flight characteristics,

e.g. replacement

of a flight critical component, must undergo

afunctional test flight prior to conducting further operations under this exemption. Functional
test flights may only be conducted

by
a PIC with aVO and must remain

at least 500 feet from other people. The functional test flight must be conducted

in such

a manner

so as to not pose an undue hazard

to persons and prope1ty. D 9. The operator

is responsible

for maintaining
and inspecting
the UAS to ensure that it is in a condition
for safe operation. D 10. Prior
to each flight, the PIC must conduct

a pre-flight inspection
and determine
the UAS is in a condition
for safe flight. The pre-flight inspection must account for all potentialdiscrepancies,

e

. g
. inoperable components, items,
or equipment.

If the inspection reveals

acondition that affects the safe operation

of the UAS, the aircraft

is prohibited from operating until the necessary maintenance

has been perfmmed
and the UAS

is found
to be in acondition for safe flight. D 11. The operator must follow the UAS manufacturer's maintenance, overhaul, replacement, inspection,
and life limit requirements

for the aircraft and aircraft components. D 12. Each UAS operated under this exemption must comply with all manufacturer safety bulletins. D 13

. Under this grant of exemption,

a PIC must hold either an airline transpmt, commercial, private, recreational,

or spoli pilot ce1tificate

. The PIC must also hold

a current FAA ai1man medical certificate

or a valid
U

. S
. driver's license issued by
a state, the District
of Colombia, Pue1to Rico,

a territory,

a possession,

or the Federal government.
The PIC must also meet the flight review requirements specified

in 14 CFR



### § 61

. 56 in an aircraft

in which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot ce1tificate. D 14

. The operator may not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates

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 persons, vessels, vehicles and structures. PIC qualification flight hours and currency must be logged
in a manner consistent with 14 CFR

§ 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes

of training the operator's PICs and VOs (training, proficiency,
and experience

building) and dete1mining

the PIC's ability
to safely operate the UAS
in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated under this exemption

are permitted under the te1ms of this exemption. However, training operations may only be conducted during dedicatedtraining sessions. During training, proficiency,
and experience-building
flights,
all persons not essential
for flight operations

are considered nonpmticipants,

and the PIC must operate the UA with appropriate distance from nonpatticipants

in accordance with 14 CFR



### § 91.119. D 15. UAS operations may not be conducted during night,
as defined

in 14 CFR

§ 1.1. All operations must be conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). Flights under special visual flight rules (SVFR) are not authorized.

# D 16

. The UA may not operate within

5 nautical miles of an airpmt reference point (ARP)
as denoted

in the current FAA Airport/Facility Directory (AFD)
or for airpmts not denoted with an ARP, the center of the airpo1t symbol

as denoted
on the current FAA

- published aeronautical chart, unless

a letter of agreement with that airpmt's management

is obtained or otherwise pe1mitted

by
a COA issued
to the exemption holder. The letter of agreement with the airpmt management must be made available

to the Administrator

or any lawenforcement official upon request. D 17. The UA may not be operated less than 500 feet below
or less than 2,000 feet horizontally from

a cloud or when visibility

is less than

3 statute miles :fi:om the PIC. D 18

. 

# If the UAS loses communications

or loses its GPS signal, the UA must return
to apredetermined location within the private
or controlled-access property

. D 19. The PIC must abo1t the flight
in the event ofunpredicted obstacles

or emergencies. D 

# 20

. The PIC
is prohibited from beginning

a flight unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there

is enough available power for the UA to conduct the intended operation and to operate after that for at least five minutes

or with the reserve powerrecommended
by the manufacturer

if greater. D 

# 21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Ce1tificate

of Waiver

or Authorization (COA)

. Alloperations shall be conducted

in accordance with an A TO-issued
CO A. The exemption holder may apply for

a new or amended COA
if it intends

to conduct operations that cannot be conducted under the te1ms of the attached COA. D 

# 22

. All aircraft operated

in accordance with this exemption must be identified

by serialnumber, registered

in accordance with 14 CFR part 47, and have identification

(N

- Number) markings

in accordance with 14 CFR part 45, Subpart

C. Mar·lcings must be as large
as practicable. D D 

# 23. Documents used by the operator

to ensure the safe operation and flight of the UAS and any documents required under 14 CFR §§ 91.9 and 91.203 must be available

to the PIC at the Ground Control Station
of the UAS any time the aircraft

is operating

. These documents must be made available

to the Administrator

or any law enforcement official upon request. D 

# 24. The UA must remain clear and give way to all manned aviation operations
and activities at all times. D 

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

. D 

# 26. All Flight operations must be conducted

at least 500 feet from all nonparticipating

persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures unless: D 

# a. Barriers

or structures

ar·e present that sufficiently protect nonparticipating persons from the UA and/or debris
in the event of an accident. The operator must ensure that nonpartici

pating 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

in a manner ensuring the safety of nonparticipating persons; and D


# b
. The owner/controller

of any vessels, vehicles

or structures
has granted pe1mission

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

.The PIC

, VO

, operator trainees

or essential persons are not considered nonpa1iicipating

persons under this exemption. 0 27. All operations shall be conducted over private
or controlled-access property withpermission from the propetiy owner/controller

or authorized representative. Permission from prope1iy owner/controller

or authorized representative

will be obtained
for each flight
to be conducted. 0 28. Any incident, accident,

or flight operation that transgresses

the lateral
or vetiicalboundaries of the operational area as defmed
by the applicable COA must be repmied

to the FAA's UAS Integration Office (AFS-80) within 24 hours. Accidents must be repmied

to the Na

tional Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) per instmctions contained

on the NTSB Web site: www.ntsb.gov

. 3. CONCLUSION WEAVE

is seeking this exemption

so that we can use the SenseFly eBee sUAS for commercial operations. This sUAS provides

a faster, cost effective and safe means of aerial photography
data collection which
in turn allows WEAVE

to provide the public, government regulators
and clients with accurate information

to make informed decisions. Approval

of this

e x emption provides WEAVE
the opportunity

to use existing technology

toprovide the best product and service possible. Accurate maps are the basis for key environmental and industrial decisions; WEAVE wishes

to continue

to provide cost effective and excellentservice in this area

, the eBee
is a continuation

of this goal. Please do not hesitate

to contact me if you have any questions 

# YouR£/ **~** Ryder Juntunen Weave Consulting

Inc

. 406.690.5863 1juntunen@weavemanagement.comANNEX

A: EXEMPTION REQUEST AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY SHOWINGS UNDER APPLICABLE RULES SUBJECT
TO EXEMPTION WEAVE requests
an exemption from the following regulations

as well as any additional regulations that may technically apply
to the operation

of the eBee: 14 C.F.R. Part 21, Subpart
H: Airworthiness Certificates 14 CFR

§ 91.203(a)(1) Section

91

. 203 requires
all civil aircraft

to have

a certificate

of airworthiness

. Part 21, Subpmt

H

, entitled Airwmthiness Cettificates, establishes

the procedural requirements

for the issuance

of airworthiness certificates

as required

by FAR

§ 91.203(
a). Given the size of the eBee, its very light weight (the maximum take-off weight

is

1 . 7 pounds) and the limited operating area associated with its utilization,

it is unnecessary

to go through the certificate

of airwmthiness process under Pmt 21 Subpmt

H in order
to achieve

or exceed current safety levels. Such an exemption meets the requirements

of an equivalent level of safety under Pmt 11 and Section 333 of the Reform Act. The Federal Aviation Act and Section 333 of the Reform Act both authorize
the FAA to exempt aircraft from the requirement

for an airwmthiness cettificate, upon consideration

of the size, weight, speed, operational capability,
and proximity

to airpmts and populated areas of the UAS involved.
An analysis
of these different criteria demonstrates
that the eBee operated without
an airwmthiness cettificate, under the conditions proposed

in that exemption,
will be at least as safe, or safer, than

a conventional aircraft with an airwmthiness cettificate

. A proprietary risk assessment

for operations with the eBee, which demonstrates
that assettion,

is also being submitted

to the FAA
as pmt of this application. WEAVE requests the FAA treat the eBee risk assessment

as proprietmy under
14 C.F

. R. 11.35(b) and not include this document

in the public docket. 14 C.F.R.

§ 61.3: Requirements

for certificates, ratings and authorizations 14 C.F.R.

§ 61.113(a)

& (b); 61.133(a): Private Pilot Privileges and Limitations; Pilot in Command; Commercial Pilot Privileges and Limitations The regulation provides that no person may serve
as a required pilot flight crewmember

of a civil aircraft
of the United States, unless that person

: (1) Has

a pilot cettificate

or special purpose pilot authorization issued under this patt in that person's physical possession

or readily accessible

in the aircraft when exercising
the privileges

of that pilot certificate

or authorization

. However, when the aircraft

is operated within

a foreign country,

a pilot license issued by that country may be used

. The regulation provides also that no person that holds

a private pilot cettificate may act as pilot in command

of an aircraft for compensation

or hire. Subparagraph

(b) allows

a private pilot to act as pilot in command

of an aircraft

in connection with any business

or employment

if: (1) The flight

is only incidental

to that business

or employment; (2) The aircraft does not carry passengers

or property
for compensation

or hire. Given the safety features
of the eBee and the fact that the missions
are pre-programmed

and monitored in real-time with

a specific flight management software (eMotion)

, SenseFly proposes that operators

of the eBee should not be required

to hold

a commercial pilot cettification. Instead

, operators should
be required

to:Haveasportorrecreationalpilotlicense(atleast)andhavesuccessfullypassedamanufacturer'strainingprogramfortheeBee.14C.F.R.§91.7(a):CivilaircraftairworthinessThisregulationrequiresthatnopersonmayoperateacivilaircraftunlessitisinairwmthycondition.ShouldtheexemptionbegrantedallowingcommercialoperationoftheeBeewithoutanairwmthinesscertificate,nostandardwillexistforairwmthinessoftheeBee.GiventhesizeoftheaircraftandthepreviousairwmthinessassessmentsgiventotheeBee,amongothers:0NewMexicoStateUniversity:https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/Articles/view/10208/nmsuuas-flight-test-center-conducts-ebee-airworthiness-assessment0USACENewOrleans,whocoordinatedwiththeDepmtmentofArmyandtheFAAtoobtainallauthorizationsrequiredinordertooperatetheeBeeUASforleveesystemmonitoring,documentationofconstructionprogress,andextensiveobliquephotographyofUSACEstructures&activitiesAnequivalentlevelofsafetywillbeachievedbyinsuringcompliancewiththeSenseFlymanualspriortoeachflight.14CFR§91.119:MinimumSafeAltitudesTheregulationprovidesthatoversparselypopulatedareastheaircraftcannotbeoperatedcloserthan500feettoanyperson,vessel,vehicle,orstructure.Sincetheaircraftwillbeoperatingatamaximumof400feetAGL,theeBeecannotcomplywiththisrequirement.TheequivalentlevelofsafetywillbeachievedbecausetheeBeewillonlyflyoverprivateprope1tywiththepermissionofthelandowner.Theoperatorwilldefinebeforeeveryflightaworkingarearadiusandaflightareaceiling,preventingtheeBeetogobeyondtheflightarea.Thelandownerandthepersonswhomaybeonthegroundintheflightareawillbebriefedoftheexpectedrouteofflightandtheassociatedriskstopersonsandpropettyontheground.DuetothesmallsizeoftheeBeeandthematerialwithwhichtheeBeeisbuilt,thehazardtopersons,vessels,vehicles,andstructuresisnotcomparabletomannedaircraftandshouldbeconsideredingrantingtheexemption.Moreover,theaircraftwillnotbeoperatedovercongestedareasnoroveranyopen-airassemblyofpersons.Theaircraftwillbeoperatedatanaltitudeallowing,ifapowerunitfails,anemergencylandingwithoutunduehazardtopersonsorprope1tyonthesurface.14C.F.R.§91.151(a):FuelRequirementsforFlightinVFRConditionsTheregulationprovidesthatnopersonmaybeginaflightinanairplaneunderday-VFRconditionsunlessthereisenoughfueltoflytothefirstpointofintendedlandingandtoflyafterthatforatleast30minutes.GiventheareaofoperationfortheeBee,WEAVEbelievesthatanequivalentlevelofsafetyisalreadyachievedwiththespecificprocedurepreventingtheeBeetoacceptatake-offorderisthebatterylevelisbelowagivenvalue.Moreover,SenseFlyhasintegrateda"low"and"critical"batterywarnings,andimplementeda"retumtoHome"and"GoLand"actionsinthesesituations.14 CFR Subpart

E (91.401

- 91.417)

- Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance,

and Alterations The regulation provides that the operator

is primarily responsible

for maintaining

the aircraft

in an airworthy condition, including compliance with Parts 39 and 43. Paragraphs 91.407 and 91.409 require that the aircraft
be "approved

for retum
to service
by
a person authorized under
43

. 7" after maintenance

and inspection. Section 91.409( a)(2) requires

an annual inspection

for the issuance
of an airwmthiness ce1tificate. Section 91.417(a) requires the owner
or operator

to keep records showing celtain maintenance work that has been accomplished

by ce1tificated mechanics, under Part 43, or licensed pilots and records
of approval

of the aircraft for retum

to service

. WEAVE proposes that the maintenance

of the eBee will be accomplished

by the owner/operator according

to the maintenance manual

, provided

by SenseFly. WEAVE requests the FAA treat the eBee training program

as proprietary under
14 C.F.R. 11.35(b) and not include this document

in the public docket. An equivalent level of safety will be achieved because the eBee

is small in size,
it is not

a complex mechanical device,

it will carry no extemal payload, and it will operate only in restricted predeter- mined areas. Moreover,
the operator

is the person most familiar with the aircraft and is best suited to maintain the aircraft

in an airwmthy condition and to ensure
an equivalent level of safety. Finally, before eve1y flight, the eBee runs automatically

a sequence

of pre-flight tests to make sure that every sensor and every critical pmt
is running properly

. If a problem

is detected,
the eBee will not be able to be switched-on
and

a message enor

is displayed

on the main screen of the flight management software

. The operator can then refer to the maintenance manual

to troubleshoot this issue

. Several pmts of the eBee are easily interchangeable (propellers, wings)

, which allows the operator

to make sure the wings and propulsion system are always airwmthy when

a mission

is initiated.