Obtaining part 137 exemption can be a very stressful and daunting process. It can become hard to justify the expense of paying someone to fill out and submit the needed paperwork. I was in the same spot as all of you trying to get your operation off of the ground. With hard work and savvy I was able to get my exemption on my own, without paying a lawyer.
Plan Ahead
Now, there is something important to consider when looking to obtain your Part 137 Exemption. Plan ahead. When I was in the process of getting my exemption, it took roughly six months in total. The FAA was extremely backed up and were trying to get through all of the submissions as quick as possible but were just short help.
Also, when it comes to planning ahead. The FAA might request additional information from you either once or multiple times over this whole process. This can add additional time to everything and is something to keep in mind when submitting paperwork.
Regulations.gov
Now, once all of that has been considered and you decide to move forward with this process there is one website that is crucial in completing this. Regulations.gov is where all of the FAA exemptions are posted and where you would submit your paperwork as well. There are numerous examples of exemptions that you can reference to write and submit your own. Some of these marked as private and you won’t be able to see them. If you do some research and looking you will find some that are marked public and can read the paperwork they have submitted.
Once you start reading a couple of these examples you will start to notice a trend. Exemptions submitted by a particular lawyer or group all look the same. Whenever they get a new client, they just change the basic information but leave a majority of the form the same. This means that they are charging roughly $3,000 to just copy and paste information. For some that might seem worth it but to me it seems like a rip-off. When starting out that money can be put to better use than paying a lawyer.
After you read the examples on Regulations.gov you will be able to write your own exemption. One of the perks of using that website is that you can see which ones get approved by the FAA and which ones don’t. This will give you more of an idea on how to structure yours.
My Experience
In my experience it took a couple of hours a day for roughly three to four weeks to complete my own exemption and get it submitted. This may seem like quite a bit of time for some but through this whole process you will gain a better understanding of the legal side of operating your spray drone. This can pay in dividends down the road if ever a situation arises.
To learn more about drone exemptions and how spray drones can positively impact you farming operation send a message through the contact page.