NEW Public Safety Shielded Operations Waiver Guide - 11/14/2024

Updated: Nov 14, 2024

FAA DRONE ZONE Guide

Public Safety Obstructed Shielding Waiver Checklist

Public Safety Obstructed Shielding Agency Submission Letter (example) - Put on Agency Letterhead

Public Safety Organizations who are interested in the PSO Shielded Ops waiver to 107.31, 107.39. and 107.145.

Issues that have arisen with some recent PSO-SO applications that are getting returned or denied:

Submitting a letter that is NOT on the organization’s letterhead.
Not stating in that letter (on the organization’s letterhead) that they are certifying to the FAA that their organization meets the definition of PSO in PL 118-63, section 926(e).
Letter unsigned by the Responsible Person.
Some are submitting Public Declaration Letters, which is for use with entities seeking to operate as a Public Aircraft under Part 91. Two different things here. A PDL is not acceptable for this PSO-SO waiver because the PDL states they want to operate as a public aircraft, which is part 91. I suspect many of those don’t understand what the FAA definition is of a public aircraft vs civilaircraft, and don’t understand that public aircraft is different than public safety per title 14 CFR.
Submitting a checklist not signed by the Responsible Person. We’re not going to accept unsigned checklists or checklists that are not signed and initialed by the Responsible Person.
Failure to provide a brief description of the types of operations in that letter, and/or failure to explain why they need to go BVLOS, OOP or OOMV. This description doesn’t have to be a novel, but 107.200 requires us to ask for that description and justification. It may be obvious to them that public safety missions necessitate this sometimes, but the reg requires us to have them give some typical examples as justification.
Not answering all the questions.