Source: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog892/print/book/export/html/524
Timestamp: 2019-12-09 15:01:23
Document Index: 461085682

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'ART 107', '§44807', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', '§107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art 107', 'art_107', 'art_107', 'art_107']

Home > Lesson 4: Aviation Regulatory and Certificate of Authorization Process (COA)
In this section, you will explore the current regulations that govern UAS operations and the efforts underway to integrate their operations into the National Airspace System (NAS). The status of UAS regulations can be considered in relation to two different eras. The first one preceded the provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95), and the second is what we are currently dealing with after the 2012 provision. During both eras, the FAA regulations on operating a UAS in NAS were very strict and in fact prohibited civilians from flying UASs until Part 107 went into effect on August 29, 2016. In 2008, The Aviation Safety Unmanned Aircraft Program Office (UAPO) of the FAA issued the Interim Operational Approval Guidance 08-01. “Interim Operational Approval Guidance, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations in the U. S. National Airspace System” provided guidance to help determine if unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) should be allowed to conduct flight operations in the U. S. national airspace system (NAS). On July 30, 2013 the FAA issued a national policy (N 8900.227) for reviewing and evaluating the safety and interoperability of proposed Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flight operations conducted within the United States (U.S.) National Airspace System (NAS) under the subject “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Operational Approval.” The new national policy defined in details the methods of the UAS operational approval through the issuance of either a COA for public aircraft operations or a Special Airworthiness Certificate for civil operations. All guidelines and regulations are jointly developed by the following entities within the FAA:
the Unmanned Aircraft Program Office (UAPO), FAA Aircraft Certification Service (AIR-160)
the Production and Airworthiness Division, FAA Aircraft Certification Service (AIR-200)
the Flight Technologies and Procedures Division, FAA Flight Standards Service (AFS-400)
the FAA Air Traffic Organization’s Office of System Operations and Safety, (AJR-3)
Originally, the Certificate of Authorization, or COA, was limited to public agencies and no commercial agency was granted a COA. Even for public agencies, COA cannot be guaranteed, and COAs may take different lengths of time or have some restrictions built in, according to the FAA document N 8900.227, which states “because of the uniqueness of various UAS flight operations, each application must be evaluated on its own technical merits, including operational risk management (ORM) planning. Each application may require unique authorizations or limitations directly related to the specific needs or capabilities of the UAS and/or the proposed specific mission and operating location.”. However, during 2015, the FAA started issuing grants exemption for commercial entities to fly UAS for commercial use under strict limitations. The FAA based such grant exemption on section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 [3]. An exemption according to section 333, allows commercial companies to fly UAS, after they apply for COA, of course, for commercial use. Even with the heavy restrictions that surrounded these exemptions, the move was welcomed by companies who are planning to use UAS for various commercial tasks, and it was considered to be the baby step that they were waiting for.
The previous surprising move by the FAA was followed by three unprecedented moves.
As you may have noticed from the materials you reviewed in the previous section, no one is allowed to fly a UAS without prior approval from the FAA. Any UAS operation in the United States has to occur in one of two ways. Either the UAS belongs to a public agency (i.e., governmental) and then requires a COA or operates under Part 107 rules, or it belongs to to a civilian entity and therefore requires adherence to Part 107 rules and perhaps a special airworthiness certificate or a waiver. For manned aircraft, the FAA requires several basic steps to obtain an airworthiness certificate in either the Standard or Special class. The FAA may issue an applicant an airworthiness certificate when:
the registered owner or operator/agent registers the aircraft,
the applicant submits an application through the dedicated portal, and
the FAA determines the aircraft is eligible and in a condition for safe operation.
The process for a UAS is different for the time being, as it is approached through either a COA or a special airworthiness certificate, as was discussed above. Just to reiterate, the process of requesting a UAS operation within the territorial airspace of the United States (the airspace above the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and U.S. territorial waters) differentiates depending whether the applicant is a public agency or a civilian entity. The methods of operational approval are the issuance of either a COA for public aircraft operations or for civilian operators is either to operate under PART 107 for UAS that weighs less than 55 lbs or operators need to apply for an exemption under the Special Authority for Certain Unmanned Systems (49 U.S.C. §44807). Special Airworthiness Certificate [4] is needed for civil operations under certain conditions. The FAA on its website allowed civil users to apply for a COA, it is not needed anymore, through a dedicated portal. This Form shows the web application interface [5]. The form is provided to show the actual interface for the COA application and the required materials and all applicants have to provide the required submissions through the portal. To apply for a COA, go to the FAA UAS Civil COA Portal [6]. You will need to create an account on the FAA website before you proceed with your application. Anyhow, if you are planning to apply for a COA, be prepared to provide the following materials and information through the portal and/or when the FAA ask you later if needed:
Sample Certificate of Authorization Application Components
333 Exemption number if any
name, address, phone, and email
electric, internal combustion, etc.
weight (gross takeoff weight)
climb/decent rates
Airworthiness statement and documentation
pilot/operator to aircraft
pilot/operator to observers
communication within the airspace
air traffic control procedures and frequencies
local airspace frequencies
FCC approved frequencies
operational communications range
FCC approved equipment
ConOps, Emergency Procedures, and Risk Mitigation
identify, control, and document potential hazards (examples)
assess the risks (examples)
weather induced flight cancelation or termination
analyze risk control measures (examples)
mishap notification
access and contact procedures to fire and rescue
programmed procedure for lost links
Flight Operations Area and Time
boundary points (or center point if circular) recorded in coordinates
Launch and Recovery Points
launch and recovery points recorded in coordinates
Lost Link/Rally Points
lost link/rally points recorded in coordinates
Description of airspace class(es) (A, C, D, E, or G) for proposed operations and surrounding area
Map and/or aeronautical chart depicting the flight operations in relation to ground references and airspace
Aerial image (i.e. Google Earth/Maps)
Show COA area with boundaries clearly marked.
Show planned launch, recovery, and rally points.
FAA coordination and concept of operations plan (Flight Standards District Office, Air Traffic Control Tower, etc.)
Planned nominal flight operations in proposed airspace
Altitude (minimum and maximum)
Primary/planned launch and recovery location(s)
Launch and recovery checklists and procedures
Takeoff and Landing or Fixed Wing launch and recovery methods
Launch (examples)
Support vehicles/equipment
Recovery (examples)
Lost Communications Procedure
Return to Base (RTB) procedures
Lost communication between pilot and Air Traffic Controllers
Lost communication between pilot and observers
Lost Link Mission Procedures
Internal navigation systems failure
5%">Low/lost battery
Length of time to identify lost link
Procedure to re-establish link
Procedure if link is not re-established
Platform actions if link is lost
Notification procedures in the event of lost link
Operator (Pilot) and Visual Observers
Aircraft currency
Required currency of medicals
Platform training and currency
Crew resource management (CRM) approach
Communications and coordination for operations
Provision for UAS operations (single platform at a time)
Part 107 Certificate of Waiver
Public agencies or private individual or business who wants to be exempted to fly UAS under certain conditions can apply for Certificate of Authorization (COA) [7]. The introduction of Part 107 removed many hurdles from the face of operating civilian UAS under many conditions. However, for conditions that are not listed or described directly under Part 107 regulations, a civilian operator can apply for a waiver. The FAA states "A waiver is an official document issued by the FAA which approves certain operations of aircraft outside the limitations of a regulation. You may request to fly specific drone operations not allowed under part 107 by requesting an operational waiver. These waivers allow drone pilots to deviate from certain rules under part 107 by demonstrating they can still fly safely using alternative methods." . The following table illustrate the conditions under which one needs to apply for a waiver to operate under Part 107.
List of ​​​​​operations that require a waiver under Part 107 (source FAA [8])
One can apply for a waiver through the FAA website [8]. The FAA details the guidelines for the waiver application and the required information. Pay close attention to the "Waiver Safety Explanation Guidelines for Part 107 Waiver Applications" that you may encounter in the DroneZone operational waiver application. For the waiver application, the FAA required extensive details on:
Describing the proposed operation
Describing possible operational risks and methods to mitigate those risks
The following items are required for the "Waiver Safety" part of the application as adopted from the FAA website [9]:
If yes, please see 14 CFR §107.41 [10] and our Flying Drones Near Airports (Controlled Airspace) – Part 107 page [8]
Describe Operational Risks and Mitigation
The following questions [11] (PDF) are associated with each waivable section of part 107. Only answer the questions for the regulatory section applicable to the application you will submit:
Read chapter 4 of the textbook "Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems."
Review the FAA national policy on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operational approval. [12]
Review sample COA application [13] that you may benefit from for your COA application.
Review the sample Part 107 Waiver [14]granted to the Oxnard Police Department allowing them to conduct night operations.
In this section, you are expected to develop and submit the required materials for the COA or Part of 107 waiver application for the platform you selected in the activities of Lesson 1. It is helpful to review previously submitted COA or Part 107 waiver applications available on the FAA website before populating your own documentation so you can become familiar with the format, required materials, and depth of information. The following is a brief list about the materials you may need in order to complete the COA or Part 107 waiver application for your platform:
Flight operations area
Lost link mission
Operator and visual observers
Make sure to incorporate risk mitigation strategies and address the integration of automation and autonomy in your system in the various sections as appropriate. More details on the information required for a COA or Part 107 waiver application can be found in the template provided. The link to the FAA site provided above also provides plenty of examples on COA and Part 107 waiver applications.
Visit the Federal Aviation Administration [15] website to review several COAs issued by the FAA. Look for the page "Resources [15]" under which you will find the page “Freedom of Information Act Responses FOIA [13]". Make sure that you review several applications from various organizations and note differences in their platforms and procedures.
Review the information provided in this COA information template document [16]before completing your COA application.
Review the samples of issued COAs that are provided to you in the module entitled "Example_COAs_from_FAA".
Visit the FAA website and stand on current issued Part 107 waivers.
Congratulations! You've finished Lesson 6, Aviation Regulatory and Certificate of Authorization Process (COA). I hope you digested the materials very well, as they are essential to understanding the circumstances of operating any UAS in the U.S. The exercise of developing your own COA or Part 107 waiver application will enable you to manage a UAS operation, as it has provided you with crucial knowledge about logistics and safety concerns regarding UAS operations. The exercise not only had provided you with FAA rules and regulations, but has also given the necessary technical knowledge about different sub-systems of the UAS.
For this exercise, you can claim that you are representing a public agency in which case you need to apply for COA or a civilian operator in which case you need to apply for Part 107 waiver. Recognizing that a public agency can also apply for Part 107 waiver, start working on your "COA application draft" or "Part 107 waiver draft". Develop draft materials for your application for the UAS you selected in section 2.7 of Lesson 2. Choose a geographic location for your system operations. Name the civilian application you are going to use the system for. You may find that all technical specifications/information about your UAS is not available or publicly published, in which case you need to adopt published technical specifications for a similar UAS or from an existing COA or a Part 107 waiver. Your report should contain at least 20 pages but not to exceed 30 pages (single line spacing). Upon completion, submit your completed word document(s) in the drop box. (7 points)
Submit your results for exercise 1 data processing in Pix4D
Participate in the discussion for Lesson 6 "Differences Between Rules and Regulations". Deadline for this assignment is at the end of Lesson 7.
Start processing the dataset for exercise 2 using Pix4D software.
Source URL: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog892/node/524
[3] https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/section_333/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf
[4] https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification/sp_awcert/
[5] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog892/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.geog892/files/images/lesson06/faa_uas_civil_coa_request_v2.pdf
[6] https://caps.faa.gov/
[7] https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/aaim/organizations/uas/coa/
[8] https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers/
[9] https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers/waiver_safety_explanation_guidelines/
[10] https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=804147500dfd16a3f71bf98f780f06d2&amp;mc=true&amp;node=se14.2.107_141&amp;rgn=div8
[11] https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers/waiver_safety_explanation_guidelines/media/WSEG_operational_risks_mitigations.pdf
[12] http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/notice/n_8900.227.pdf
[13] https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/foia_responses/
[14] https://psu.instructure.com/files/102896912/download?download_frd=1
[15] https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/
[16] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog892/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.geog892/files/images/lesson06/COA_Application_Components_Template-v2.pdf