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March 6, 2016 

United States Department of Transportation 

Docket Management System 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Exemption Request Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act of 2012 

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform Act) and CFR Part 11 of 

small Unmanned Air Aircraft Systems (UAS), Maddox & Company, LLC is requesting to be exempted from the 

Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) contained herein in order to operate a UAS commercially in airspace 

regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. These operations will be conducted within the guidelines and 

regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and any terms of relief established and 

granted by the FAA’s approval of this request within the National Airspace System (NAS). 

Leanna Maddox (owner and CEO of Maddox & Company, LLC) specializes in individual portraiture as well 

as public and private event photography and videography. Maddox & Company, LLC will utilize FAA certified 

private pilot Christopher Lee Maddox (Private Pilot Certificate #3298745) for all aspects of aerial operation to 

include but not limited to (training additional operators, conducting briefings pertaining to UAS operations, 

aircraft maintenance including logs, flight logs, contacting authorities or airport facilities in order to ensure 

compliance with operations of the UAS). All UAS operations of Maddox & Company, LLC will be in accordance 

with all current governing UAS regulations as established by the FAA, as well as all provisions contained in the 

FAA’s Small UAS NPRM (FAA’s proposed Part 107). 

The approval of this request would permit the operation of lightweight (less than 55 lbs. total take-off 

gross weight) UAS under supervised and controlled conditions for commercial use by a Certified Pilot. This would 

fulfill and add a level of safety to the Secretary of Transportation’s responsibilities to “....establish requirements 

for the safe operation of such aircraft systems in the National Airspace System,” Section 333 (c) of the Reform Act. 
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The name and address of the applicant is: 

Maddox & Company, LLC

Leanna Maddox (Owner / CEO)

Christopher Maddox (Chief UAS Operator)

 9236 Chieftan Dr.

Colorado Springs, CO 

80925 

Phone: (931) 302-2562

Email: maddoxandcompany@gmail.com

Maddox & Company, LLC respectfully requests to be granted exemptions to the following specific sections 

of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations allowing operations of lightweight UAS for commercial purposes: 

14 CFR Part 21 14 CFR Part 45 14 CFR Part 61 14 CFR Part 91 

Subpart H 45.23(b) 61.113(a), (b) 91.7(a) 

91.9(b) (2) 

91.103(b) 

91.109 

91.119 

91.121 

91.151(a) 

91.203(a), (b) 

91.405(a) 

91.407(a) (1) 

91.409(a) (2) 

91.417(a), (b) 

The requested relief and exemptions would permit Maddox & Company, LLC to operate a UAS in a 

commercial service business in the NAS. These commercial services would consist of, but not limited to, initially 

operating a registered DJI Phantom 3 Advanced quad-copter, DJI Inspire 1 / 2 Quadcopter, (or at a later time, 

similar type and category of UAS) to conduct aerial videography and photography of real estate, construction 

sites, inspections, special events, aerial survey, inventory assessments, and for marketing and/or advertising,

Search and Rescue Operations when requested or approved by local authorities. These services are not limited to 

the above and may expand as the capabilities of UAS are realized. 

The UAS operates at speeds of less than 30 knots and has the capability to hover and move in a vertical 

and horizontal plane simultaneously. This operating speed is well below the proposed 87 knot limit. The UAS will 

be operated within the line-of-sight of the pilot within the protected flight area. The DJI Phantom operates at a 
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RC frequency of 2.4 GHz for both control and video play back and complies with FCC regulations. The UAS takes 

high quality still and video digital images that will be used to provide data and photographic images for 

commercial customers. Additional examples of aerial photography may include constructions sites, roof 

inspections and aerial video/photography of sporting or special events or weddings. The use of the UAS for aerial 

inspections reduces the need to utilize conventional manned aircraft, manned lifting devices or manual climbing 

and provides very high quality imagery at a fraction of the cost and increased safety. These types of UAS 

operations will benefit the public by reducing exhaust emissions, noise pollution, reducing setup and labor times 

in various occupational settings, increasing safety and other operational efficiencies. Maddox & Company, LLC

will operate each UAS with a philosophy of extreme safety. This means that all of our operators will operate the 

UAS in compliance with FAA regulations and any stipulated exemptions with the utmost of concern for safety. 

This type of policy will create a safe operational environment that will not create undo hazards to the other users 

of the National Airspace System (NAS) or the public in general. 

Authority for Exemptions 

Maddox & Company, LLC submits this application to request exemptions as set forth by the Congressional 

Mandate in Section 333 of the Reform Act for the Commercial Use of UAS. The purpose of the Reform Act is to 

help safely introduce UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). In making this consideration, the Secretary of 

Transportation is required to determine which types of UAS do not create a hazard to users of the NAS or the 

public, or pose a threat to national security in light of the following considerations: 

- The UAS size, weight, speed and operational capability. 

- Operation of the UAS in close proximity to airports and populated areas. 

 - Operation of the UAS within visual line-of-sight of the operator. 

Reform Act 333 (a). If the Secretary of Transportation determines that such vehicles “may operate safely in the 

National Airspace System, the Secretary shall establish requirements for the safe operation of such aircraft in the 

National Airspace System.” 

Given the clear direction of Section 333 of the Reform Act and the authority contained in the Federal 

Aviation Act, as amended, the diminutive nature of the UAS that are utilized by Maddox & Company, LLC, 

combined with the safety protocols outlined below, will allow for a greater than equivalent level of safety which 

Congress had envisioned. Approval of the requested exemptions presents no national security issues and 

addresses all known safety concerns, thus offering the equivalent or greater level of safety suggested by the 

mandate. In addition, further significant benefits to the general public would be: enhanced safety, reduced 

emissions and noise versus the use of traditional aircraft, as well as, reducing the cost of aerial photography, all of 

which meet the intent of Reform Act 333. 
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Operation Procedures

The following protocols are to be used as standard operating practice of UAS for commercial purposes by 

Maddox & Company LLC: 

1. The DJB Phantom 3 quad-copter is registered with the FAA. Any UAS to be used by Maddox & 

Company LLC will comply with any registration requirements of the FAA. 

2. Flights will be operated in the visual line-of-sight (VLOS) by the pilot in command. 

3. Flights will only occur in daylight hours (official sunrise to official sunset, local time) 

4. The UAS weight will be less than 55 lbs. at takeoff and during flight and landing. 

5. Flights will be terminated with 25% of battery life remaining. 

6. Flights will be operated at an altitude at or below maximum allowed altitude for that flight, primarily 

400 feet AGL within Class G airspace, unless required ATC permissions are obtained for operation 

within Class B, C, D, or E airspace. 

7. Maximum airspeed will be 100 mph (87 knots) 

8. Pilot, camera operators, and observers will be trained in accordance with the applicable portion of 

the UAS manual, as well as the Standard Operating Procedures. 

9. Minimum UAS crew will be one licensed pilot with a current FAA medical. A camera operator and/or 

observer may be added as required to further reduce the possibility of task saturation by the pilot. 

10. Pilot, observer, and camera operator will maintain real-time communication capability throughout 

flight operations. 

11. The UAS Pilot will conduct a full-site survey to determine the Area of Responsibility (AOR). This AOR 

is the actual area for UAS operations for a particular day. Each survey will include the assessment of 

potential hazards to include, but not limited to: airspace classifications, temporary flight restrictions, 

closest airport proximity, natural and manmade obstacles, and unnecessary/non-participating 

persons which may pose a risk to operations or safety. If deemed necessary, the crew will employ 

additional personnel as safety observers. 

12. A thorough briefing will be conducted, prior to the first flight of the day in an AOR, utilizing the 

briefing guide in the SOPs. Flights will be restricted to ceilings at or above 1000 ft. AGL and/or 

visibility of 3 statute miles or greater from center of AOR. 

13. Operator will notify any persons who need to be within 100 feet of UAS flight operations. 

14. Written and/or verbal permission from the relevant property owners will be obtained prior to flight. 

15. All required permissions and permits would be obtained from territorial, state, county or city 

jurisdictions, including local law enforcement, fire, or other governmental agencies. 

16. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the UAS will have the capability to return to a 

pre-determined location within the AOR and land autonomously. 

17. The UAS will have the ability to abort a flight in case of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies. 

18. A preflight inspection will be conducted prior to any operations and the UAS will be maintained in 

safe condition for flight operations. Maddox & Company LLC will retain a Maintenance log book to 

record all maintenance and modifications to the UAS. 

19. All flights will be electronically recorded and made available to the FAA upon request. 

20. The UAS will be marked with contact information and registration number. 
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21. All flights will follow all FAA proposed rules, including: no careless or reckless operation, PIC will not 

conduct flights if experiencing any physical or mental impairments. 

22. Any accident that results in injury to property or persons will be reported within 10 days. 

 

Operator Certification and Responsibilities

Maddox & Company’s Chief UAS Operator will be FAA certified Private Pilot Christopher Maddox. 

Christopher has been operating radio controlled aircraft for over 25 years and is currently a Helicopter 

Mechanic on the CH-47 Chinook in the United States Army. He has vast knowledge regarding aircraft 

maintenance, flight operations, and the development and implementation of Standard Operating 

Procedures (SOP) as well as checklists. Christopher will ensure each UAS system have a current SOP and 

checklist to aid in all operational aspects to ensure a high level of safety. As previously stated, briefings 

will be conducted for anyone involved in the UAS flight in order to increase public safety and awareness.

Any additional operators utilized will meet all requirements set forth by the FAA and the Standard 

Operating Procedures outlined within.

Description of Specific Regulations

4 CFR Part 21 Subpart H: Airworthiness Certificates 14 CFR 91.7(a), 91.203(a) (1) 

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

necessary airworthiness certificates in relation to FAR 91.230(a) (1). The size, weight, and defined area of 

operations for Maddox & Company, LLC UAS flights permits exemption of Part 21 Subpart H, because 

Maddox & Company, LLC meets an equivalent level of safety pursuant to Section 333 of the Reform Act. 

The FAA is authorized to exempt aircraft from the airworthiness certificate requirement under both 49 

USC Section 44701 (f) and Section 333 of the Reform Act. Both pieces of legislation permit the FAA to 

exempt UAS from the airworthiness certificate requirement in consideration of weight, size, speed, 

maneuverability and proximity to areas such as airports and dense populations. 

 As previously noted in #17 of Operation Procedures: A preflight inspection will be conducted prior to 

any operations, and the UAS will be inspected and maintained for safe operations. Maddox & 

Company, LLC will retain a Maintenance log book to record all maintenance and modifications to the 

UAS. This meets or exceeds any Airworthiness concerns under the Reform Act, and therefore, an 

exemption to these regulations should be granted. 

14 C.F.R 91.203(a), (b) provides for carrying of civil aircraft certifications and registrations. They are 

inapplicable for the same reasons stated above. 

 The equivalent level of safety will be achieved by the aforementioned periodic maintenance and 

inspections and applicable manuals and log books to be kept in the possession of Maddox & 

Company, LLC. 

14 C.F.R 91.7(a) prohibits the operation of an aircraft without an airworthiness certificate. 
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 As no such certificate will be applicable in the form contemplated by the FARs, this regulation is 

inapplicable. 

 

14 CFR 91.405(a), 407(a) (1), 409(a) (2), 417 (a), (b) Maintenance Inspections 

These regulations require that an aircraft operator or owner, “......shall have the aircraft inspected as 

prescribed in Subpart E of this section and shall, between required inspections, except as prescribed in 

paragraph (c) of this section, have discrepancies repaired as prescribed in Part 43 of this chapter, ....and 

others shall inspect or maintain the aircraft in compliance with Part 43.” 

• These regulations only apply to aircraft with an airworthiness certificate. They will not apply to the 

UAS utilized by Maddox & Company, LLC, should its requested exemption be granted. 

• As an equivalent level of safety, all of Maddox & Company, LLC’s UAS operators will be required to

conduct a preflight, through-flight, and post-flight inspection of the UAS to ensure its flight 

worthiness. Each UAS is flown in compliance with the applicable manufacturer’s manual to include all 

software update cycles as well as flight checklists. In the event of a malfunction, the UAS can land 

immediately either automatically or through manual control. 

14 CFR 45.23 Marking of the Aircraft 

Applicable Code of Federal Regulations require aircraft to be marked according to certain 

specifications. The UAS operated by Maddox & Company LLC are unmanned and do not have a cabin, 

cockpit, or pilot station on which to mark certain words or phrases. 

 Due to the size, two-inch lettering is impractical to place on such small aircraft. There will, however, be 

contact and registration information affixed to the aircraft’s exterior to allow identification of the 

aircraft. 

14 CFR 61.113 (a), (b) Private Privileges and Limitations: Pilot in Command

Unlike civil aircraft, the UAS does not carry living things on board; rather, it is controlled remotely via a 

safe and restricted location. 

 Maddox & Company, LLC requests relief in order to facilitate the utilization of pilots, who hold a PRIVATE PILOT 

(or greater) certificate. Any pilots operating under this exemption would be required to comply with any 

conditions as set forth and in a similar fashion to previously granted exemptions.

14 CFR 91.9(b) (2) Civil Aircraft Flight Manual in the Aircraft 

14 CFR 91.9(b) (2) requires an aircraft flight manual in the aircraft. As there are no pilots or 

passengers, and given the size of the UAS, this regulation is inapplicable. 
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 An equivalent level of safety will be achieved by maintaining an Operator’s Manual at the operations 

center. The FAA has previously issued exemptions to this regulation. 

14 CFR 91.103(b) Preflight actions 

Each Pilot in Command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information 

concerning that flight. This information must include: (b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of 

intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information:  This subparagraph is not 

applicable due to our off-airfield operation. 

14 CFR 91.109 Flight instruction: Simulated instrument flight and certain flight tests 

14 CFR 91.109 and all subparagraphs address the operation of a civil manned aircraft in conjunction 

with the training and flight tests. 

 The UAS to be utilized by Maddox & Company, LLC are not designed in this category. 

14 CFR 91.121 Altimeter Settings 

14 CFR 91.121 regarding altimeter settings is inapplicable. 

 Maddox & Company, LLC’s UAS utilize GPS systems and interval gyroscopes to provide spatial stability 

and reference datum. 

14 CFR 91.151 Fuel Requirements for Flight in VFR Conditions 

14 C.F.R 91.151 (a) states “No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions, unless 

(considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of 

intended landing and assuming normal cruising speed: (1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 

minutes; or 

(2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes” 

• The battery powering the UAS provides approximately 23 minutes of powered flight, which is less 

than the reserve requirement alone by FARs for day or night VFR flight. Given the limitations on the 

UAS flight envelope, proposed AOR size, battery life and its ability to land immediately, it is reasonable 

to allow an exception to this regulation. 

• An equivalent level of safety can be achieved by limiting flights to 25% of battery power. This 

restriction would be more than adequate to return the UAS to its planned landing zone in the AOR 
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14 CFR 91.119 Minimum Safe Altitudes 

14 CFR 91.119 prescribes safe altitudes for the operation of civil aircraft. It allows helicopters to be 

operated at lower altitudes in certain conditions. 

• Maddox & Company, LLC will normally operate the UAS at or below 400’ AGL. In situations involving 

obstacles, i.e. buildings, towers, natural obstructions, the UAS will be operated at altitudes that 

maintain a level of safety above those objects that are not directly associated with the service being 

performed. Maddox & Company, LLC will operate a UAS only in a defined AOR that has been carefully 

reviewed for hazards and minimizes the presence of any person not essential for operations. UAS 

present a far smaller risk in comparison to the flight operations with traditional aircraft or rotorcraft 

weighing far more than 55 lbs. that use flammable fuel versus UAS that weigh less than 55 lbs. 

without the risks associated with flammable fuel and operate at less than 400 AGL. 

• The equivalent or higher level of safety will be achieved given the size, weight, speed, and fuel 

characteristics of the UAS, as well as, the location and size of its operating area. 

Summary 

Maddox & Company, LLC is seeking exemption from the following rules: 14 CFR 21 

Subpart H, 14 CFR 45.23 (b), 14 CFR 61.113 (a),(b), 14 CFR 91.7 (a), 91.9(b)(2), 91.103(b), 91.109, 91.119, 91.121, 

91.151(a), 91.203(a),(b), 91.405(a), 91.407(a)(1), 91.409(a)(2), 91.417(a),(b). 

Approval of the above exemptions allowing commercial operations of small UAS 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 weighing thousands of pounds and carrying hundreds of 

pounds of fuel presenting a significant risk to life and property. The use of a small UAS weighing less than 55 lbs., 

powered by batteries and operating at altitudes at or below 500’ AGL will greatly minimize the risks associated 

with traditional aerial photography. Maddox & Company’s Chief UAS Operator Christopher Maddox has the 

qualifications, knowledge, and skills necessary to meet and exceed the provisions being proposed in the FAA’s 

Small UAS NPRM, and the intent of the Reform Act of 2012. Maddox & Company LLC respectfully requests that 

the FAA grants these exemptions without delay. 

Sincerely, 

Maddox & Company, LLC

Leanna Maddox (Owner / CEO)

Christopher Maddox (Chief UAS Operator)

9236 Chieftan Dr 

Colorado Springs, CO 80925

(931) 302-2562

MaddoxandCompany@gmail.com 
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