Hi Guys,
I need some help here. My waiver got denied & I thought I was very thorough in my application. Can anyone help point out what I am missing?
I'm new to this, constructive feedback only please.
Thanks in advance.
Part of my drone business includes aerial photography & videography of accident clean-ups for various towing companies in the area. These photographs help them justify their costs to the insurance companies to which they submit claims. Obviously these accidents can take place at any time of day or night with no notification, so it is important for me to be ready to photograph these scenes. Of course this will be done with the utmost safety in mind.
Possible risks associated with night operations include night illusions, night blindness, loss of visual line of sight due to darkness, pedestrian/vehicle collisions, aerial collisions, equipment failure & human error.
Many policies & failsafes will be implemented to minimize risk. These will include, but not be limited to:
These same safety guidelines will also be implemented for other operations taking place during or after civil twilight. Other examples of operations may include dusk real estate & aesthetic photography, search & rescue, thermal building inspection & photography spotlighting.
These operations will never take place within five (5) nautical miles of an airport or other restricted areas without a properly approved airspace authorization or waiver. This will be ensured through use of mobile applications utilizing the AirMap database.
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These operations will take place within fifty (50) statute miles of the [redacted] ZIP code. As previously stated, these operations will never take place within five (5) nautical miles of an airport or other restricted areas without a properly approved airspace authorization or waiver. This will be ensured through use of mobile applications utilizing the AirMap database.
I need some help here. My waiver got denied & I thought I was very thorough in my application. Can anyone help point out what I am missing?
I'm new to this, constructive feedback only please.
Thanks in advance.
Part of my drone business includes aerial photography & videography of accident clean-ups for various towing companies in the area. These photographs help them justify their costs to the insurance companies to which they submit claims. Obviously these accidents can take place at any time of day or night with no notification, so it is important for me to be ready to photograph these scenes. Of course this will be done with the utmost safety in mind.
Possible risks associated with night operations include night illusions, night blindness, loss of visual line of sight due to darkness, pedestrian/vehicle collisions, aerial collisions, equipment failure & human error.
Many policies & failsafes will be implemented to minimize risk. These will include, but not be limited to:
- At least one (1) visual observer (VO) will be present from operational onset to completion, in addition to the remote pilot-in-command (PIC). This VO will equipped with a minimum one thousand (1,000) lumen focusable flashlight to visualize the small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS), terrain, structures, etc. as necessary. All involved parties will be clothed in reflective wear.
- When at all possible, the operational area will be scouted during daylight hours by both VO & remote PIC for familiarization.
- A pair of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for failure redundancy will be affixed to the top & underbelly of the sUAS, each with a hemispherical visibility of no less than three (3) statute miles. These LEDs will be set to strobe. The specific device to be used can be found at the following link: https://www.firehousetechnology.com/store/p28/Drone_Dual_CREE_LED_Strobe_Light_2-Pack_For_DJI_Inspire_1_2_Mavic_Pro_Phantom_Spark_Quadcopters_RC_Plane.html
- A radio system set to receive the local Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) for manned flight operations awareness.
- Communication devices such as two-way radios will be utilized if distance between parties necessitates, otherwise all parties will remain within earshot of each other. These radios will always be carried & on regardless of expected use as a contingency for unforeseen distancing between parties.
- Limiting flight altitude to the absolute minimum necessary to complete a task & never greater than four hundred (400) feet without an approved altitude waiver.
- Training of & regular review by all involved parties in the identification & mitigation of night illusions including but not limited to autokinesis, fixation, reversible perspective illusion, size-distance illusion, & flicker vertigo.
- Training of & regular review by all involved parties in the identification & mitigation of dangerous personality traits & thought processes including but not limited to machismo, impulsivity, invulnerability, resignation & anti-authoritarianism. Any party found to display these traits & be unresponsive to correction will be dismissed from their position.
- All parties will remain in an ambient light similar to that of the area of operations for no less than twenty (20) minutes prior to the onset of operations to ensure full night vision accommodation.
- All parties involved will have obtained at least eight (8) consecutive hours of sleep in the last twenty-four (24) hours, & will not have been awake for more than twelve (12) consecutive hours or less than forty-five (45) minutes at the onset of the operation.
- All parties involved will adhere to the regulations set forth by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding alcohol & legal psychotropic medications. No involved parties will ever have been found to have participated in illicit substance abuse.
- A preflight checklist will be documented on paper or electronically prior to every operation.
- In an absolute worst case scenario such as impending collision with a manned aircraft, the sUAS will be sacrificed through emergency deactivation & caused to free-fall. If possible, the sUAS will be reactivated & righted before impact, but this will have no bearing on the decision to prevent a catastrophe.
These same safety guidelines will also be implemented for other operations taking place during or after civil twilight. Other examples of operations may include dusk real estate & aesthetic photography, search & rescue, thermal building inspection & photography spotlighting.
These operations will never take place within five (5) nautical miles of an airport or other restricted areas without a properly approved airspace authorization or waiver. This will be ensured through use of mobile applications utilizing the AirMap database.
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These operations will take place within fifty (50) statute miles of the [redacted] ZIP code. As previously stated, these operations will never take place within five (5) nautical miles of an airport or other restricted areas without a properly approved airspace authorization or waiver. This will be ensured through use of mobile applications utilizing the AirMap database.