Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC 

Unmanned Aerial System

Operations Manual

April 10th 2015
Table of Contents

1. Preface 3

2. Philosophy & Mission Statement 3

3. Protection of Rights and Privacy 3

4. Definitions 4

5. Administration 4

5.1. Operations Manual 4

5.2. Organization 5

5.3. Personnel 5

5.4. Scheduling 6

5.5. Miscellaneous 6

6. Safety 6

6.1. Safety Policy 6

6.2. Safety Training 7

6.3. Medical Factors 7

7. Training 8

7.1. Objective 8

7.2. Instructors 8

7.3. Training Plans 8

7.4. Recurrent Training 8

7.5. Miscellaneous 9

8. General Operating Procedures 9

8.1. Request for UAS Support 9 

8.2. Deployment Priorities 9

8.3. Flight Boundaries 9

8.4. Minimum Personnel Requirements 10

8.5. Personnel Responsibilities for Deployments 10

8.6. Personal Equipment 11

9. Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Procedures 11

9.1. Inspections 11
9.2. Weather 11

9.3. Documentation and Evidence 12

9.4. Planning 12

9.5. Checklists 12

9.6. Maintenance 12

9.7. Other 13

1. Preface

The following procedures are intended to promote safe, efficient, and lawful operation of Skylab

Aerial Imaging, LLC's unmanned aerial systems (UAS.) Safety, above all else, is the primary 

concern in each and every operation, regardless of the nature of the mission.

2. Philosophy & Mission Statement

It shall be the mission of those personnel of Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC who are trained in the 

use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), to use this resource for the purpose of aerial imaging 

(photography and video) as well as survey and inspections in a safe, respectful and legal 

manner. UAS's can support the mission of the provided client who would benefit from an aerial 

perspective to achieve their goal.

It shall be the intent of every UAS operator to make reasonable effort to not invade a person's 

reasonable expectation of privacy when operating the UAS. When operating the UAS, Skylab 

Aerial Imaging LLC will abide by all FAA Regulations for flight and receive the proper 

authorization for flight before deployment. 

3. Protection of Rights and Privacy

UAS unit operator(s) and Safety Observers (SO) will have the protection of citizens civil rights 

and reasonable expectations of privacy as a key component of any decision made to the 

deployment of the UAS. UAS operators and Safety Observers will ensure and will be held 

accountable for ensuring that operations of the UAS intrude to a minimal extent upon the 

citizens of Washington State. To accomplish this primary goal we will:

a.) When the UAS is being flown the on-board camera(s) will be adjusted so as to be facing 

away from occupied structures, etc to minimize inadvertent video or still images of 

uninvolved persons.

b.) All video and still images will be maintained in strict compliance with Skylab Aerial 

Imaging, LLC policies and procedures.

c.) Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC will not under any circumstances conduct random surveillance 
activities. The use of the UAS will be tightly controlled and regulated by the PIC.

d.) The authorized activities of the Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC UAS are:

I. Video & Photographs for client based operation.

II. Contracted Survey missions for private client based operation.

III. Inspection missions of structures with locations provided by clients.

All other requested uses will be approved by the Pilot-In-Command and CEO of Skylab Aerial Imaging, 

LLC prior to accepting the operation/mission.

 e.) The Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC UAS program will operate strictly within the law and FAA 

regulations. We will balance operations with the need to accomplish the mission while maintaining 

public privacy and the freedom from intrusion upon individuals.

4. Definitions

a.) COA (Certificate of Authorization) – Given by the FAA which grants permission to fly within 

specific boundaries and perimeters. Training flights cannot take place without a valid T&E 

(training and evaluation) COA and missions cannot take place without a valid 

operational/emergency COA.

5. Administration

5.1. Operations Manual

a.) The policies and procedures contained in this manual are issued by authority of the CEO 

and PIC of Skylab Aerial Imaging, LLC. As such it is an official document of the operating 

procedures for the Limited Liability Company, Skylab Aerial Imaging.

b.) This manual is not intended to be all-inclusive, but as a supplement to the other 

documents provided by the manufacturers' approved documentation of the UAS in 

operation, Federal Aviation Administration regulations, any and all state regulations that 

may apply, etc.

c.) Manual has been written to address UAS operations as they existed when it was drafted. 

Equipment, personnel, environment (internal & external), etc. change over time. The 

management of change involves a systematic approach to monitoring organizational change 

and is a critical part of the risk management process. Given this, it is essential that this 

manual be continually updated as necessary. The entire manual will be reviewed, at a 

minimum, annually to assure it is up to date. Any changes to the manual will communicated 

as currently dictated by company policy.

d.) A copy of the manual (electronic and/or paper) will be issued to every person involved 
with UAS responsibilities.

5.2. Organization

a.) The UAS unit shall be comprised of those personnel approved by the PIC and includes a 

Safety Observer (SO) and a camera operator.

b.) Primary UAS personnel will be compensated in accordance with current Skylab Aerial 

Imaging, LLC contract.

5.3. Personnel

a.) The Pilot-In-Command (PIC) is responsible for the overall direction and performance of 

all involved parties during UAS missions and will exercise command and control over both.

b.) UAS Coordinator (Pilot-In-Command)

I. Responsibilities: 1) Maintaining all training flight and maintenance records for each 

operator and observer as well as individual airframes, 2) Maintain contact with the FAA 

and regulations as the change, 3) Evaluate airframes based on mission needs. 4) The UAS

Coordinator must maintain a current proficiency on all UAS units. 5) Post a mission 

summary to media outlets after first obtaining authorization from UAS commander. 

 c.) Operators

I. To be considered for selection as an operator, applicants must meet the 

requirements for and successfully pass a class II flight physical in order to be 

accepted as a UAS operator.

II. Operators interacting with Air Traffic Control (ATC) shall have sufficient expertise 

to perform that task readily. Operators must have an understanding of and 

comply with FAA regulations applicable to the airspace where the UAS will 

operate. Operators must have in their possession a current second class (or 

higher) airman medical certificate that has been issued under 14 CFR 67, Medical

Standards and Certification, or a military equivalent. 14 CFR 91.17, Alcohol or 

Drugs, applies to UAS operator testing.

III. An operator's primary duty is the safe and effective operations of Skylab Aerial 

Imaging, LLC's UAS in accordance with the manufacturers' approved flight 

manual, FAA regulations and agency policy and procedures. Operators must 

remain knowledgeable of all FAA regulations; UAS manufacturers flight manual 

and bulletins and Skylab Aerial Imaging LLC policy and procedures.

IV. Operators may be temporarily removed from flight status at any time by the UAS 

PIC, for reasons including performance, proficiency, physical condition, etc. 

Should this become necessary, the operator will be notified verbally and in 

writing of the reason, further action to be taken and expected duration of such 

removal.

V. The department UAS PIC shall maintain a file for each operator which shall 

include copies of FAA certifications, training records, etc. This file will be 

reviewed in accordance with current Skylab Aerial Imaging LLC policy and 

procedures.

 e.) Observers

I. To be considered for selection as an observer, applicants are not required to 
already posses a class II FAA physical examination.

II. Observers must have been provided with sufficient training to communicate 

clearly to the operator any turning instructions required to stay clear of 

conflicting traffic. Observers will receive training on rules and responsibilities 

described in 14 CFR 91.111, Operating Near Other Aircraft, 14 CFR 91.13, 

Right-of-Way Rules, cloud clearance, in-flight visibility, and the pilot controller

glossary including standard ATC phraseology and communication. Observers 

must have in their possession a current second class (or higher) airman 

medical certificate that has been issued under 14 CFR 67, Medical Standards 

and Certification. 14 CFR 91.17, Alcohol or Drugs, applies to UAS observers.

III. An observer's primary duty is to operate the UAS's equipment including 

cameras, FLIR, radio communications with operator and camera operator as 

well as be an observer for anything that may affect the operator's primary 

duty.

IV. The department UAS Pilot-In-Command shall maintain a file for each 

observer which shall include copies of FAA certifications, training records, 

etc. This file can be reviewed in accordance with current Skylab Aerial 

Imaging LLC policy and procedure.

 

5.4 Scheduling

a.) To facilitate the broad use of the UAS, it shall be made available to all patrol and all 

investigations bureau personal.

b.) To maintain a level of proficiency with the UAS, operators will be required, as part of their

acceptance as a UAS operator, to attend training every 2 months. Training will be 

coordinated through the Pilot-In-Command and announced in advance for scheduling 

purposes.

5.5 Miscellaneous

a.) Operators/Observers shall follow currently established department policy regarding 

interactions and inquiries from the media.

b.) Requests for support from other government agencies within, or outside the state of 

Washington will be responded by the company owner and PIC for consideration. Proper 

policy and procedure, as well as FAA regulations shall be followed when accepting such 

requests.

c.) Complaints or inquiries regarding UAS operations shall be referred to the company 

owner.

d.) Operators/Observers who deploy or are contracted outside of their normal work hours 

shall be compensated per their current collective bargaining agreement.

6. Safety

6.1 Safety Policy

 a.) Skylab Aerial Imaging LLC is committed to having a safe and healthy workplace, including:

 I. The ongoing pursuit of an accident free workplace, including no harm to people, no 
damage to equipment, the environment and property.

 II. A culture of open reporting of all safety hazards in which management will not initiate 

disciplinary action against any personnel who, in good faith, disclose a hazard or safety 

occurrence due to unintentional conduct.

 III. Support for safety training and awareness programs.

 IV. Conducting regular audits of safety policies, procedures and practices.

 V. Monitoring the UAS community to ensure the best safety practices are incorporated into 

the organization.

 b.) It is the duty of every member within the company to contribute to the goal of continued 

safe operations. This contribution may come in many forms and includes always operating in the

safest manner practicable and never taking unnecessary risks. Any safety hazard, whether 

procedural, operational or maintenance related should be identified as soon as possible after, if 

not before, an incident occurs. Any suggestions in the interest of safety should be made to the 

UAS Pilot-In-Command.

 c.) If any member observes, or has knowledge, of an unsafe or dangerous act committed by 

another member, the owner and or the PIC is to be notified immediately so that corrective 

action may be taken.

6.2 Safety Training

 a.) All member shall receive training in the following subjects prior to operating the UAS:

I. Agency commitment to safety

II. Agency policy

III. UAS member's role in safety 

IV. Emergency safety procedures 

 

 b.) All members shall review the department safety policy and procedures on an annual basis

and that review shall be noted in their training history.

6.3 Medical Factors

a.) Operator and Observers shall only deploy the UAS when rested and emotionally prepared

for the tasks at hand.

b.) Physical illness, exhaustion, emotional problems, etc., can seriously impair judgment, 

memory and alertness. The safest rule is not to act as an operator or observer when 

suffering from any of the above. Members are expected to “stand down” when these 

problems could reasonably be expected to affect their ability to perform flight duties.

c.) A self-assessment of physical condition shall be made by all members during pre-flight 

activities.
d.) Performance can be seriously hampered by prescription and over the counter drugs. The 

UAS PIC will be advised anytime such drugs are being taken. If it is determined that the 

medication being taken could hamper an operator or observer, that member shall be 

prohibited from the deployment or exercise.

e.) No member shall act as an operator or observer within eight hours after consumption of 

any alcoholic beverage, while under the influence of alcohol, or while having an alcohol 

concentration of 0.04(FAR 91.17)

7. Training

7.1 Objective

 a.) The key to continued safe operations is by maintaining a professional level of competency. 

The first step in this process is establishing minimum qualifications for selecting members, and 

the second step involves training those personnel.

7.2 Instructors

 a.) If any members are FAA certified flight instructors, they will be given instructor duties. 

Such duties can include developing training courses, provide training and student evaluation 

and documentation.

 b.) Duties of instructing new members shall fall upon those who have the most flight time 

and knowledge of UAS operations. Instructors will be designated by those within the unit and 

approved by the UAS PIC.

7.3 Training Plans

 a.) All members will have a training plan on file that outlines training objectives for the 

upcoming year. This training plan will be held in conjunction with the member's normal training 

file per company policy.

 b.) The approved training plan will be developed jointly by the supervisor, UAS employees and 

the company training unit.

 c.) All deployments or exercises will be documented and count toward a employee's training.

 d.) It is the employee's responsibility to verify their training file contains all pertinent 

information.

7.4 Recurrent Training

 a.) All employees within the company shall maintain proficiency in their operator/observer 

abilities. Employees who do not have any documented training or flight time within a span of 90

days will have to show proficiency before being an operator/observer during a deployment or 
exercise.

 b.) Recurrent training is not limited to actual operating/observer skills but includes knowledge

of all pertinent UAS/aviation matter.

 c.) Failure to prove proficiency can result in removal from UAS responsibilities.

7.5 Miscellaneous

 a.) Depending on the nature of the training request, all efforts will be made to accommodate 

the hours of training so as little impact is made to staff scheduling.

 b.) All requests for training shall be approved through the employee's chain of command and 

timekeeping during those training hours will be marked by the employee's supervisor.

 c.) Employee's are encouraged to attend, and forward information on FAA sponsored safety 

seminars and may do so during work hours with approval of their superior.

 d.) Unless approval is obtained in writing in advance, overtime will not be authorized for 

training.

 e.) Training shall only be conducted at approval locations and follow the provisions within the 

approved FAA COA.

8. General Operating Procedures

8.1 Request for UAS Support

 a.) Requests for UAS support will be made through the PIC who will schedule out jobs based 

on the clients approval and/or deadline to finish contracted support.

 b.) Requests for UAS support can be made any time day or night via phone call and/or email, 

terms of the contract will be reviewed as soon as possible and replied to accordingly.

8.2 Deployment Priorities

 a.) The UAS shall not be used for the purpose of random surveillance.

 b.) If several separate requests for UAS support are received simultaneously, they shall be 

prioritized according to available PIC schedule and client requirements.

8.3 Flight Boundaries

 a.) Although there maybe requests for UAS support outside the state of Washington, the 

certificate of authorization for our UAS restricts UAS deployment outside the state of 

Washington and further restricts the proximity of flight to other locations such Boeing Field.
 b.) At no time shall UAS support be granted outside the state of Washington without first 

obtaining an FAA COA and approval from the company owner and PIC.

 c.) Information regarding flight boundaries can be found in the FAA COA.

 d.) Maximum altitude shall not be set more the 400ft per the FAA COA.

8.4 Minimum Personnel Requirements

 a.) Due to the nature of the law enforcement mission, the minimum personnel required on 

ALL mission will be an operator, observer, and/or camera operator. Under no circumstances will 

an operator attempt to complete a deployment alone.

 b.) Although training is not considered a mission, an observer shall be used and if required a

camera operator.

8.5 Personnel Responsibilities for Deployments

OPEN COMMUNICATION ACHIEVES SAFE OPERATIONS

 a.) Operator

 I.) The operator is directly responsible for, and is the final authority over the actual 

operation of the UAS.

 ii.) Operators have absolute authority to reject a flight based on personnel safety or 

violation of FAA regulations. No employee of Skylab Aerial Imaging LLC, regardless of stature, 

shall order an operator to make a flight when, in the opinion of the operator, it poses a risk to 

personnel or is in violation of FAA regulation.

 Iii.) Operators are responsible for compliance with this manual, company policy and 

procedure and FAA regulations.

 iv.) The operator's main duty during the deployment of the UAS is to operate the UAS 

safely while accomplishing the goals of the deployment.

 v.) Operators shall see-and-avoid any obstacle that will lessen safety during the mission.

 vi.) Operators shall be responsive to the requests of the observer in order to accomplish 

the deployment.

 vii.) Operators shall be responsible for documentation for mission training and updating of 

flight books.

 b.) Observer

 i.) Observers shall see-and-avoid any obstacle that will lessen safety during the mission.

 ii.) Observers shall operate any attachments to the UAS, allowing the operator to maintain 

complete focus on the operation of the UAS.

 iii.) Observers shall monitor the radio updates.

 iv.) Observers shall assist the operator in the main objective of safe operation of the UAS.

 v.) Observers shall be responsible for documentation for mission training and updating of 
flight books.

8.6 Personal Equipment

a.) Operators/Observers shall wear eye protection at all times while the UAS is in flight.

b.) Although there is no specific uniform for the UAS team or required for proper operation 

of the UAS, the operator/observer should take necessary measures to deploy in a 

professional matter and take into consideration the environment which deployment will take

place.

c.) Operators/Observers will take into consideration the current weather conditions when 

planning to deploy, and war appropriate clothing to deploy comfortably.

d.) There are no documented issues with the use of the radio or cellular phones during the 

deployment of the UAS, but the operator/observer should at all time take into consideration

safe operation of the UAS when using the radio or another communication device.

e.) Operators/Observers should provide necessary equipment or shall wear clothing that 

easily identifies them as a UAS team.

9. Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Actions

 9.1 Inspections

 a.) Operators/Observers are both responsible for a thorough pre-flight inspection of the 

UAS. 

 b.) Before and after each deployment (whether an incident or training), the operator and 

observer shall conduct a thorough inspection of the UAS in accordance with the instructions 

contained in the manufactures user's manual.

 c.) Any issues found that will jeopardizes the safe operation of the UAS shall be 

documented and resolved immediately prior to flight.

 d.) It has been recognized that the use of a checklist is a significant method to combat UAS 

accidents. A pre-flight and post-flight checklist is contained in the Ground Control Station both 

electronic or paper and will be utilized prior to each flight.

 e.) Any physical equipment that cannot be solved on-site, and which have an impact on 

safety or the mission, will override the deployment. These issues will be resolved before flight.

9.2 Weather

 a.) Before each deployment the operator/observer will ensure that he/she gathers enough 

information to make themselves familiar with the weather situation existing throughout the 
area of deployment. The operator shall utilize FAA approved weather resources to obtain the 

latest and most current weather conditions.

 b.) An anemometer should be utilized in order to better estimate the wind speed and 

determine if it is within the capabilities of the airframe being flown.

 c.) The weather conditions reported for the operation shall be recorded in the flight log.

 d.) The operator shall ensure that the flight will occur within FAA VFR weather 

requirements.

9.3 Documentation and Evidence

 a.) Inspection and weather will be documented prior to flight within log book.

 b.) After each flight, the operator will complete a statement documenting the UAS 

operations.

 c.) All aerial photography (still and/or video) shall be stored in accordance to company 

policy and procedure.

 9.4 Planning

 a.) The operator/observer shall familiarize themselves with all available information 

concerning the deployment including, but not limited to, the weather conditions, hazards, 

description of the incident, deployment goals, etc.

 b.) Operators will ensure that the location for take-off and emergency landing is adequate 

for a safe deployment.

 i.) The take-off/landing location should be clearly marked and identifiable with electric 

flares and short cones.

 ii.) At least one emergency landing area should be identified per deployment.

c.) Operators will ensure that they are aware of their surroundings in the event that an 

emergency landing is necessary. This includes the ability to recover the UAS.

9.5 Checklists

a.) Operators shall utilize the checklists to ensure the highest level of safety for deployment.

b.) Prior to flight, the flight log shall be initiated.

9.6 Maintenance

a.) Although there are few parts on the UAS that need servicing, it is necessary that the 
manufacturer's maintenance schedule is followed and properly documented.

b.) Any issues that arise during maintenance that cannot be solved by routine methods shall

be forwarded to the manufacturer for further technical support.

9.7 Other

a.) Operators/Observers will ensure that no items are attached to the UAS prior to flight 

that are not required for safe operation and to complete the mission goal.