Source: http://docplayer.net/17299036-Exemption-no-11485-regulatory-docket-no-faa-2015-0313.html
Timestamp: 2018-04-27 09:19:36
Document Index: 511328912

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 21', 'art 21', 'art 36', 'art 47', 'art 45', 'arts 45', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 11', 'arts 39', 'art 43', 'ART 45']

Exemption No Regulatory Docket No. FAA - PDF
Exemption No Regulatory Docket No. FAA
Download "Exemption No. 11485 Regulatory Docket No. FAA 2015 0313"
1 May 5, 2015 Exemption No Regulatory Docket No. FAA Mr. Matthew Kenney Technical Program Manager Donan Solutions, LLC 2101 Production Drive Louisville, KY Dear Mr. Kenney: 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. By letter dated February 4, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on behalf of Donan Solutions, LLC (hereinafter petitioner or operator) for an exemption. The petitioner requested to operate an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to conduct mapping and survey applications. See Appendix A for the petition submitted to the FAA describing the proposed operations and the regulations that the petitioner seeks an exemption. 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 the petitioner. Airworthiness Certification The UAS proposed by the petitioner is a Sensefly ebee.
2 The petitioner requested relief from 14 CFR part 21, Certification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H Airworthiness Certificates. In accordance with the statutory criteria provided in Section 333 of Public Law in reference to 49 U.S.C , and in consideration of the size, weight, speed, and limited operating area associated with the aircraft and its operation, the Secretary of Transportation has determined that this aircraft meets the conditions of Section 333. Therefore, the FAA finds that the requested relief from 14 CFR part 21, Certification procedures for products and parts, Subpart H Airworthiness Certificates, and any associated noise certification and testing requirements of part 36, is not necessary. The Basis for Our Decision You have requested to use a UAS for aerial data collection. The FAA has issued grants of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Grants of Exemption Nos to Astraeus Aerial (see Docket No. FAA ), to Clayco, Inc. (see Docket No. FAA ), to VDOS Global, LLC (see Docket No. FAA ), and to Aeryon Labs, Inc. (see Docket No. FAA ), the FAA found that the enhanced safety achieved using an unmanned aircraft (UA) with the specifications described by the petitioner and carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly greater proportions, carrying crew in addition to flammable fuel, gives the FAA good cause to find that the UAS operation enabled by this exemption is in the public interest. Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that 2 They are similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in Grant of Exemption Nos , 11109, 11112, and 11213; The reasons stated by the FAA for granting Exemption Nos , 11109, 11112, and also apply to the situation you present; and A grant of exemption is in the public interest. Our Decision In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a grant of exemption is in the public interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, and 44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, Donan Solutions, LLC is granted an exemption from 14 CFR 61.23(a) and (c), (e)(4) and (5), (a), (a), 91.7(a), (c), , (a)(1), (a), (a)(1), (a)(1) and (2), and (a) and (b), to the extent necessary to allow the petitioner to operate a UAS to perform aerial data collection. This exemption is subject to the conditions and limitations listed below. Conditions and Limitations In this grant of exemption, Donan Solutions, LLC is hereafter referred to as the operator.
3 3 Failure to comply with any of the conditions and limitations of this grant of exemption will be grounds for the immediate suspension or rescission of this exemption. 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. 2. Operations for the purpose of closed-set motion picture and television filming are not permitted. 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 determine compliance 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 aircraft manufacturer. 4. The UA must be operated at an altitude of no more than 400 feet above ground level (AGL). Altitude must be reported in feet AGL. 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. 6. All operations must utilize a visual observer (VO). The UA must be operated within the visual line of sight (VLOS) of the 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 perform the duties required of the VO. 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, are hereinafter referred to as the operating documents. The operating documents must be accessible during UAS operations and made available to the Administrator upon request. If a discrepancy 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
4 documents to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request. The operator must also present 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 UAS Integration Office (AFS 80) may be contacted if questions arise regarding updates or revisions to the operating documents. 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 a functional test flight prior to conducting further operations under this exemption. Functional test flights may only be conducted by a PIC with a VO 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 property. 9. The operator is responsible for maintaining and inspecting the UAS to ensure that it is in a condition for safe operation. 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 potential discrepancies, e.g., inoperable components, items, or equipment. If the inspection reveals a condition that affects the safe operation of the UAS, the aircraft is prohibited from operating until the necessary maintenance has been performed and the UAS is found to be in a condition for safe flight. 11. The operator must follow the UAS manufacturer s maintenance, overhaul, replacement, inspection, and life limit requirements for the aircraft and aircraft components. 12. Each UAS operated under this exemption must comply with all manufacturer safety bulletins. 13. Under this grant of exemption, a PIC must hold either an airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate. The PIC must also hold a current FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver s license issued by a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC must also meet the flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR in an aircraft in which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot certificate. 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 4
5 14 CFR 61.51(b). Flights for the purposes of training the operator s PICs and VOs (training, proficiency, and experience-building) and determining 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 terms of this exemption. However, training operations may only be conducted during dedicated training sessions. During training, proficiency, and experience-building flights, all persons not essential for flight operations are considered nonparticipants, and the PIC must operate the UA with appropriate distance from nonparticipants in accordance with 14 CFR 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. 16. The UA may not operate within 5 nautical miles of an airport reference point (ARP) as denoted in the current FAA Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) or for airports not denoted with an ARP, the center of the airport symbol as denoted on the current FAA-published aeronautical chart, unless a letter of agreement with that airport s management is obtained or otherwise permitted by a COA issued to the exemption holder. The letter of agreement with the airport management must be made available to the Administrator or any law enforcement official upon request. 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 from the PIC. 18. If the UAS loses communications or loses its GPS signal, the UA must return to a pre-determined location within the private or controlled-access property. 19. The PIC must abort the flight in the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies. 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 power recommended by the manufacturer if greater. 21. Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA). All operations shall be conducted in accordance with an ATO-issued COA. The exemption holder may apply for a new or amended COA if it intends to conduct operations that cannot be conducted under the terms of the attached COA. 22. All aircraft operated in accordance with this exemption must be identified by serial number, registered in accordance with 14 CFR part 47, and have identification (N Number) markings in accordance with 14 CFR part 45, Subpart C. Markings must be as large as practicable. 5
7 30. At least 3 days before aerial filming, the operator of the UAS affected by this exemption must submit a written Plan of Activities to the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) with jurisdiction over the area of proposed filming. The 3-day notification may be waived with the concurrence of the FSDO. The plan of activities must include at least the following: a. Dates and times for all flights; b. Name and phone number of the operator for the UAS aerial filming conducted under this grant of exemption; c. Name and phone number of the person responsible for the on-scene operation of the UAS; d. Make, model, and serial or N Number of UAS to be used; e. Name and certificate number of UAS PICs involved in the aerial filming; f. A statement that the operator has obtained permission from property owners and/or local officials to conduct the filming production event; the list of those who gave permission must be made available to the inspector upon request; g. Signature of exemption holder or representative; and h. A description of the flight activity, including maps or diagrams of any area, city, town, county, and/or state over which filming will be conducted and the altitudes essential to accomplish the operation. 31. Flight operations may be conducted closer than 500 feet from participating persons consenting to be involved and necessary for the filming production, as specified in the exemption holder s MPTOM. Unless otherwise specified in this grant of exemption, the UAS, the UAS PIC, and the UAS operations must comply with all applicable parts of 14 CFR including, but not limited to, parts 45, 47, 61, and 91. This exemption terminates on May 31, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. Sincerely, /s/ John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service 7
8 February 4, 2015 U.S. Department of Transportation Docket Management System 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC Re: Exemption Request Under Section 333 of the FAA Reform Act and Part 11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations Dear Madam/Sir, Pursuant to Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the Reform Act ) and 14 C.F.R. Part 11, Donan Solutions LLC ( DONAN ), an operator of the ebee Unmanned Aircraft System ( ebee ) seeks an exemption from the Federal Aviation Regulations ( FARs ) listed below: 14 C.F.R C.F.R C.F.R C.F.R C.F.R (a)&(b) 14 C.F.R (a) 14 C.F.R. 91.7(b) 14 C.F.R. 91.9(b)(2) 14 C.F.R (a) 14 C.F.R C.F.R C.F.R (a) 14 C.F.R (a) & (b) 14 CFR Subpart E ( ) The requested exemption would authorize commercial operations using the ebee for mapping and survey applications. These operations will be subject to strict operating requirements defined in the ebee user manual (DONAN requests the FAA treat the ebee user manual as proprietary under 14 C.F.R (b) and does not include this document in the public docket) and conditions defined by the Safety Code of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (see Annex B), in order to ensure at least an equivalent level of safety to currently authorized operations using manned aircrafts. The ebee will be operated by an individual who fulfills the following requirements: Has successfully passed a manufacturer s training program for the ebee; DONAN requests the FAA treat the ebee training program as proprietary under 14 C.F.R (b)
9 and does not include this document in the public docket; Has a Private Pilot license. 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT The ebee is a small (37.8 inches wingspan) and ultra-light (maximum take-off weight of 1.7 pounds) platform made of flexible foam that performs pre-programmed precision aerial mapping missions thanks to the on-board GPS and the related flight management software (emotion) that allows the operator to plan safely and efficiently a mission in 3D, and then monitor it in real-time. Thanks to the embedded camera, protected by a foam envelope, the ebee takes a collection of high-definition still images that are used later to generate maps and contour lines of the surveyed area. The four main characteristics of the ebee are: a. Very light weight The ebee is so light that the operator can launch it by hand and let it land on almost any surface without requiring a parachute or landing net (belly land). Its low impact energy (38 J in case of a controlled emergency landing) also significantly reduces the risk of hazardous situations. Finally, the wings of the ebee are detachable and made of flexible foam with no sharp or hard edges and almost no internal strengthening structure. b. Electric-powered The ebee is electric powered. A brushless engine technology makes it silent and reliable. The propeller is attached with a rubber band to the body of the plane so that it can easily flex away in case of contact with any object. c. Semi-automatic flight The artificial intelligence incorporated within the ebee autopilot system continuously analyzes data from the Inertial Measurement Unit and from the onboard GPS and takes care of all the aspects of the flight under the supervision of the operator. d. Option for Manual control Additionally, the ebee provides an override capability that allows the operator to take manual actions during the flight (Go to Home, Go Land, Hold and Resume the mission) and also suspend automated operations and take manual control of the aircraft should it become necessary to respond to emergency circumstances, thanks to the remote controller provided with the system. 2. APPLICATIONS The requested exemption would allow Donan to operate the ebee for the purposes of aerial inspections and surveying. These applications would include mining surveys and agriculture inspections. Using the ebee offers a safety advantage when compared to inspecting these locations in person or using manned aircraft. Due to its small size and the fact it carries no fuel the ebee poses a very low risk of damage to persons or structures on the ground. Additionally, using the ebee offers significant time savings when compared to completing these inspections and
10 surveys in person on the ground. Because the ebee is electric powered, it creates no harmful emissions and makes very little noise. The ability to program a specific flight pattern will allow repeatable collection of data that is otherwise difficult or impossible to gather. 3. APPLICABLE LEGAL STANDARD UNDER SECTION 333 a. Airworthiness assessment of the ebee DONAN notes that the airworthiness of the ebee has already been demonstrated for different projects in the United States, involving state/federal agencies or universities (among others the New Mexico State University: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/articles/view/10208/nmsu-uas-flighttest-center-conducts-ebee-airworthiness-assessment, and the USACE New Orleans, who coordinated with the Department of Army and the FAA to obtain all authorizations required in order to operate the ebee UAS). Moreover, SenseFly obtained flight approvals for the ebee (delivered by national civil aviation authorities) in many countries, among others: Switzerland (flight approval for VLOS operations) Canada (flight approval for VLOS operations) Australia (flight approval for VLOS operations) France (flight approval for Extended-VLOS operations) Germany (flight approval for VLOS operations) United Kingdom (flight approval for VLOS operations) Norway (flight approval for VLOS operations) Sweden (flight approval for VLOS operations) Denmark (flight approval for VLOS operations) b. Operating requirements Grant of the exemption to DONAN for the ebee will be subject to the following operating conditions, based on the operating conditions set forth by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (see Annex B). The main restrictions are summarized below: Operations to be conducted over private, controlled-access, or public property where approved; Permission from the land owner/authority required before commencing any flight; Operations over congested areas shall be avoided; Operations must not interfere with manned aircraft operations, must yield the right of way to manned aircraft, and operators must See & Avoid other aircraft and obstacles at all times Operations limited to Visual Flight Rules Meteorological Conditions (VMC) and daylight hours Aircraft operations must remain within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) and will be visually monitored at all times; VLOS guaranteed with a GPS geo-fence around operator of 0.5 miles Flight ceiling pre-programed at 400 feet; All operations conducted within 5 miles from an airport shall only be initiated after verbal coordination with the airport authority, or air traffic control when a control tower is present at the airport; All operations shall comply with required permissions and permits established by
11 territorial, state, county or city jurisdictions; including local law enforcement, fire, or other appropriate governmental agencies. The ebee operations will be compliant with existing safety procedures inherent to the activities of the related company. c. Operator Requirements The ebee operator will have a Private Pilot license and will successfully have passed a manufacturer s training program for the ebee. 3. CONCLUSION Donan believes that the ebee has demonstrated its safety and reliability in its numerous uses throughout the world and thus has proven it can be safely operated in the national air space (NAS). Additionally, the combination of its light weight, the strict operating guidelines proposed herein, and the required qualifications of the operators form an equivalent or greater level of safety compared to manned aircraft performing the same missions. Donan therefore requests that the FAA consider this as adequate justification for the granting of the requested exemption allowing safe commercial operations of the ebee in the NAS. Yours sincerely, Matthew Kenney Technical Program Manager DONAN 2101 Production Drive Louisville, KY , ext
12 ANNEX A: EXEMPTION REQUEST AND EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF SAFETY SHOWINGS UNDER APPLICABLE RULES SUBJECT TO EXEMPTION DONAN 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 (a)(1) Section requires all civil aircraft to have a certificate of airworthiness. Part 21, Subpart H, entitled Airworthiness Certificates, establishes the procedural requirements for the issuance of airworthiness certificates as required by FAR (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 airworthiness process under Part 21 Subpart H in order to achieve or exceed current safety levels. Such an exemption meets the requirements of an equivalent level of safety under Part 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 airworthiness certificate, upon consideration of the size, weight, speed, operational capability, and proximity to airports and populated areas of the UAS involved. An analysis of these different criteria demonstrates that the ebee operated without an airworthiness certificate, under the conditions proposed in that exemption, will be at least as safe, or safer, than a conventional aircraft with an airworthiness certificate. A proprietary risk assessment for operations with the ebee, which demonstrates that assertion, is also being submitted to the FAA as part of this application. DONAN requests the FAA treat the ebee risk assessment as proprietary under 14 C.F.R (b) and not include this document in the public docket. 14 C.F.R & 14 C.F.R : Display of marks; size of marks These regulations provide that each aircraft must display "N" and the aircraft's registration number in letters at least 3 inches high. Additionally, the aircraft must display the word "EXPERIMENTAL" in letters at least 2 inches high near the entrance to the cabin, cockpit, or pilot station. Given the size of the ebee (wingspan of 37.8 inches), this requirement is impossible to match. 14 C.F.R. 61.3: Requirements for certificates, ratings and authorizations 14 C.F.R (a) & (b); (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 certificate or special purpose pilot authorization issued under this part 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 certificate may act as pilot in command of an aircraft for compensation or hire. Subparagraph (b) allows a private pilot to act as
13 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 certification. Instead, operators should be required to: Have a private pilot license and have successfully passed a manufacturer s training program for the ebee. The operator will either meet the flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR or will annually complete and log at least 4 hours of ground instruction with a certified flight instructor (CFI) covering regulations pertinent to operation of the ebee. 14 C.F.R. 91.7(a): Civil aircraft airworthiness This regulation requires that no person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in airworthy condition. Should the exemption be granted allowing commercial operation of the ebee without an airworthiness certificate, no standard will exist for airworthiness of the ebee. Given the size of the aircraft and the previous airworthiness assessments given to the ebee, among others: New Mexico State University: https://newscenter.nmsu.edu/articles/view/10208/nmsuuas-flight-test-center-conducts-ebee-airworthiness-assessment USACE New Orleans, who coordinated with the Department of Army and the FAA to obtain all authorizations required in order to operate the ebee UAS for levee system monitoring, documentation of construction progress, and extensive oblique photography of USACE structures & activities An equivalent level of safety will be achieved by insuring compliance with the SenseFly manuals prior to each flight. 14 C.F.R. 91.9: Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements. This regulation provides that no person may operate an aircraft unless a current, approved flight manual is in the aircraft. DONAN assumes that the intent of this requirement is to ensure that flight manual information is available to the aircrew while operating the aircraft. DONAN requests an exemption to this requirement since the aircraft is not only too small to carry documentation, the documentation would not be available to the crew. The equivalent level of safety will be achieved by keeping a hard copy of the flight manual in the ebee transportation box. 14 C.F.R (a) & (a)(1): Flight Instruction The regulation provides that "No person may operate a civil aircraft that is being used for flight instruction unless that aircraft has fully functioning dual controls." Flight instruction will be accomplished through an elaborate training program, using first the simulation mode of the flight management software emotion. The equivalent level of safety
14 during the training will be achieved by the manufacturer or authorized distributor providing the training and through the use of experienced and qualified operators familiar with the ebee. 14 CFR : Minimum Safe Altitudes The regulation provides that over sparsely populated areas the aircraft cannot be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. Since the aircraft will be operating at a maximum of 400 feet AGL, the ebee cannot comply with this requirement. The equivalent level of safety will be achieved because the ebee will only fly over private property with the permission of the landowner or public property where approved. The operator will define before every flight a working area radius and a flight area ceiling, preventing the ebee from going beyond the flight area. The landowner and the persons who may be on the ground in the flight area will be briefed of the expected route of flight and the associated risks to persons and property on the ground. Due to the small size of the ebee and the material with which the ebee is built, the hazard to persons, vessels, vehicles, and structures is not comparable to manned aircraft and should be considered in granting the exemption. Moreover, the aircraft will not be operated over congested areas nor over any open-air assembly of persons. The aircraft will be operated at an altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface. 14 CFR Altimeter settings This section requires that each person operating an aircraft shall maintain the cruising altitude or flight level of that aircraft, as the case may be, by reference to an altimeter that is set, when operating below 18,000 feet MSL to: The current reported altimeter setting of a station along the route and within 100 nautical miles of the aircraft; If there is no station within the area prescribed in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, the current reported altimeter setting of an appropriate available station; In the case of an aircraft not equipped with a radio, the elevation of the departure airport or an appropriate altimeter setting available before departure. To provide an equivalent level of safety, the ebee autopilot calculates the reference altitude (ground level) with the on-board GPS during the pre-flight tests. The GPS and barometer data are merged with respect to their respective precisions. The GPS provides reliable information to correct potential barometric bias, while rapid variations in altitude are detected through the barometer. Hence, barometric bias induced by environmental factors is rejected. 14 C.F.R (a): Fuel Requirements for Flight in VFR Conditions The regulation provides that no person may begin a flight in an airplane under day-vfr conditions unless there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and to fly after that for at least 30 minutes. Given the area of operation for the ebee, DONAN believes that an equivalent level of safety is already achieved with the specific procedure preventing the ebee to accept a take-off order if the battery level is below a given value. Moreover, SenseFly has integrated low and critical battery level warnings and implemented a return to Home (and Go Land ) actions in these
15 situations. 14 C.F.R (a) & (b): Carrying Civil Aircraft Certification and Registration This regulation provides as follows: No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it has an appropriate and current airworthiness certificate. No person may operate a civil aircraft unless the airworthiness certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section or a special flight authorization issued under is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so that it is legible to passengers or crew. The ebee weighs only 1.7 pounds (max take-off weight). As such, there is no ability or place to carry certification and registration documents or to display them on the UAS. In addition, there is no pilot or passengers on board the aircraft. To obtain an equivalent level of safety and meet the intent of , DONAN proposes that documents deemed appropriate for this aircraft by the FAA will be co-located with the operator at the ground control station in the ebee box and available for inspection upon request 14 CFR Subpart E ( ) - 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 and require that the aircraft be "approved for return to service by a person authorized under 43.7" after maintenance and inspection. Section (a)(2) requires an annual inspection for the issuance of an airworthiness certificate. Section (a) requires the owner or operator to keep records showing certain maintenance work that has been accomplished by certificated mechanics, under Part 43, or licensed pilots and records of approval of the aircraft for return to service. DONAN proposes that the maintenance of the ebee will be accomplished by the owner/operator according to the maintenance manual, provided by SenseFly. DONAN requests the FAA treat the ebee maintenance manual as proprietary under 14 C.F.R (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 external payload, and it will operate only in restricted predetermined areas. Moreover, the operator is the person most familiar with the aircraft and is best suited to maintain the aircraft in an airworthy condition and to ensure an equivalent level of safety. Finally, before every flight, the ebee runs automatically a sequence of pre-flight tests to make sure that every sensor and every critical part is running properly. If a problem is detected, the ebee will not be able to be switched-on and an error message 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 parts of the ebee are easily interchangeable (propellers, wings), which allows the operator to make sure the wings and propulsion system are always airworthy when a mission is initiated.
16 ANNEX B: ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
Far-45.txt. Subpart B--Identification of Aircraft and Related Products
Sec. 45.1 Applicability. PART 45--IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION MARKING Subpart A--General Subpart B--Identification of Aircraft and Related Products 45.11 General. 45.13 Identification data. 45.14 Identification