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Nuances of New No Fly Zone Policy & Firmware

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I have vetted some questions with DJI Policy & Legal Affairs group in regards the new firmware and procedures. As with any changes there is some good and some bad but I believe it is fair to say that, at least for the US, the solution is reasonable even though it will add a little work for me and others that may find themselves subject to the new and more simplisitic geo-fencing firmware.

The advantage of the current DJI setup for a user like me who lives near the edge of an Category A airport 5 mile circle is that the existing firmware enforced the actual FAA no fly zone which is a 3D shape including the upward sloping altitude limitation that goes from 35' at 1.5 miles out to the UAV 400' limit at 5 miles. That means that flying my Inspire-1 in my yard for maintenace and testing (well below tree and roof level) was allowed because the actual no-fly zone altitude limit at 4.7 miles (nearly 400') was applied. Note that is a separate issue from the requirement to notify the local tower of details for planned activity within the 5 mile zone.

Some other maufacturers applied a strict 2D 5 mile circle and so their aircraft could not be operated at all in circumstance like the location of my home, I would have to drive somewhere else.

The bad news with the new DJI firmware is that this actual FAA no-fly cone is being lost in favor of a broader policy driven and more flexible set of 2D geofencing objects (adding additional no-fly zone types such as borders, power plants, the Capitol, and other senitive areas). These special-purpose zone types could grow over time as evolving experience and law may dictate. So, as much as I would encourage DJI to add the "cone" programming back in with a future firmware release, I understand the need they have had to move quickly on these issues to protect us all from over-regulation (and the plethora of ill-informed loud mouth types from all walks of life).

The good news is that the process for granting permission for legal flight within an airport (or most other) no fly zones is passive and self-initiated. It will require only that you make the request using your DJI online account login credentials. This means that DJI will have record of your request and access to the aircraft logs for actual flights performed by your equipment in these zones (insuring government agencies that if any rules are violated there will be no question about the person or aircraft involved). This is very much like the FAA registration approach where once you register and get your ID you simply place that ID on all your aircraft. Passive but effective. Given what so many immature bozos have done with their UAV's this is really protection for all of us.

It does mean an additional step when preparing for legal flight in restricted areas but it is a simple automated step which will take less time than many other things that you should be doing in advance of a planned shoot.

The only detail that seems to be unresolved is how this system will work if the location does not have access to the internet at the time of flight. That is still subject to some head scratching before a procedure is defined.
 
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I have vetted some questions with DJI Policy & Legal Affairs group in regards the new firmware and procedures. As with any changes there is some good and some bad but I believe it is fair to say that, at least for the US, the solution is reasonable even though it will add a little work for me and others that may find themselves subject to the new and more simplisitic geo-fencing firmware.

The advantage of the current DJI setup for a user like me who lives near the edge of an Category A airport 5 mile circle is that the existing firmware enforced the actual FAA no fly zone which is a 3D shape including the upward sloping altitude limitation that goes from 35' at 1.5 miles out to the UAV 400' limit at 5 miles. That means that flying my Inspire-1 in my yard for maintenace and testing (well below tree and roof level) was allowed because the actual no-fly zone altitude limit at 4.7 miles (nearly 400') was applied. Note that is a separate issue from the requirement to notify the local tower of details for planned activity within the 5 mile zone.

Some other maufacturers applied a strict 2D 5 mile circle and so their aircraft could not be operated at all in circumstance like the location of my home, I would have to drive somewhere else.

The bad news with the new DJI firmware is that this actual FAA no-fly cone is being lost in favor of a broader policy driven and more flexible set of 2D geofencing objects (adding additional no-fly zone types such as borders, power plants, the Capitol, and other senitive areas). These special-purpose zone types could grow over time as evolving experience and law may dictate. So, as much as I would encourage DJI to add the "cone" programming back in with a future firmware release, I understand the need they have had to move quickly on these issues to protect us all from over-regulation (and the plethora of ill-informed loud mouth types from all walks of life).

The good news is that the process for granting permission for legal flight within an airport (or most other) no fly zones is passive and self-initiated. It will require only that you make the request using your DJI online account login credentials. This means that DJI will have record of your request and access to the aircraft logs for actual flights performed by your equipment in these zones (insuring government agencies that if any rules are violated there will be no question about the person or aircraft involved). This is very much like the FAA registration approach where once you register and get your ID you simply place that ID on all your aircraft. Passive but effective. Given what so many immature bozos have done with their UAV's this is really protection for all of us.

It does mean an additional step when preparing for legal flight in restricted areas but it is a simple automated step which will take less time than many other things that you should be doing in advance of a planned shoot.

The only detail that seems to be unresolved is how this system will work if the location does not have access to the internet at the time of flight. That is still subject to some head scratching before a procedure is defined.

Is this now working? I think we need to talk globally rather than just focus on the USA. I am based in Dubai and one of my clinets is located in the red circle of Dubai International Airport.

My question is: can I now fly my Inspire 1 Pro within that red circle in an indoor environment (large warehouse etc)? if not, who do I need to contact to enable this and use the product for which it was intended?
 
Is this now working? I think we need to talk globally rather than just focus on the USA. I am based in Dubai and one of my clinets is located in the red circle of Dubai International Airport.

My question is: can I now fly my Inspire 1 Pro within that red circle in an indoor environment (large warehouse etc)? if not, who do I need to contact to enable this and use the product for which it was intended?
If you have been authorized to fly there and done all your paper work the only way is to fly it manually with the gps signal blocked. And is it worth the risks? If your a pro and already fly in Manuel mode then it would be the same but is it worth the risk ? We have had no luck with getting no fly zones turned off. Just updated the app and they have added a bunch of new ones. It's getting to look like one of those connect the dot pictures.
 
Hello,
I was flying near an airport yesterday was prompted on screen in DJI Go APP that I am near a restricted area fly with caution...So as I was flying right no the bubble of a restricted area a prompt kept coming up on my screen every second saying "You are in or near a restricted area" it was soooo annoying because I was only at 50 ft and the message wouldn't cease to appear. So is there a way to turn OFF those messages? I need to do a photo shoot there and its hard to see with that message appearing right in the middle of the freaking screen!
imageuploadedbyphantompilots1451669377-258731-jpg.39071
 
Hello,
I was flying near an airport yesterday was prompted on screen in DJI Go APP that I am near a restricted area fly with caution...So as I was flying right no the bubble of a restricted area a prompt kept coming up on my screen every second saying "You are in or near a restricted area" it was soooo annoying because I was only at 50 ft and the message wouldn't cease to appear. So is there a way to turn OFF those messages? I need to do a photo shoot there and its hard to see with that message appearing right in the middle of the freaking screen!

You know the laws do you?

2016-03-08_182826.jpg
 
The question remains. How do you turn this corporately imposed "policy" off?

The site today is 1.4 NNE of MKE, class "C" airspace. I am a private pilot and have my 333, the Inspire has an "N" number. I have a site specific COA and LOA for MKE. I filed the NOTAM as required and followed the LOA to the letter. The MKE Tower even nice enough to changed the traffic pattern on the field to make this work (calm winds). Power up the Inspire to find my self in a DJI "No Fly Zone" and there is no way to remove this restriction! You have got to be F&#CKING KIDDING ME? I could have rented a Cessna and circled the exact same site with less paperwork and hassle.

I am so F**king pissed with this situation. This HAS GOT TO CHANGE! I want to bill DJI for my lost time and the damage to my reputation caused by this in front of my client. This restriction is not published in any of the release notes. There was no notification of this restriction sent to me or posted anywhere. How the F&#K are supposed to know when something isn't going to be allowed by the manufacturer?. In this case, I have a ~$3,500 piece of equipment I can't reliably use for work.

BTW, If you are looking for a bit consistency, these settings can be turned of on the A2 controller.

Moral of the story, If you want to do aerial photography, buy a different platform. Buy from a vendor who hasn't sold to the masses of idiots who need this kind of supervision. Buy from a vendor who is tune with professionals need and HELPS them get that work done.
 
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The question remains. How do you turn this corporately imposed "policy" off?

The site today is 1.4 NNE of MKE, class "C" airspace. I am a private pilot and have my 333, the Inspire has an "N" number. I have a site specific COA and LOA for MKE. I filed the NOTAM as required and followed the LOA to the letter. The MKE Tower even nice enough to changed the traffic pattern on the field to make this work (calm winds). Power up the Inspire to find my self in a DJI "No Fly Zone" and there is no way to remove this restriction! You have got to be F&#CKING KIDDING ME? I could have rented a Cessna and circled the exact same site with less paperwork and hassle.

I am so F**king pissed with this situation. This HAS GOT TO CHANGE! I want to bill DJI for my lost time and the damage to my reputation caused by this in front of my client. This restriction is not published in any of the release notes. There was no notification of this restriction sent to me or posted anywhere. How the F&#K are supposed to know when something isn't going to be allowed by the manufacturer?. In this case, I have a ~$3,500 piece of equipment I can't reliably use for work.

BTW, If you are looking for a bit consistency, these settings can be turned of on the A2 controller.

Moral of the story, If you want to do aerial photography, buy a different platform. Buy from a vendor who hasn't sold to the masses of idiots who need this kind of supervision. Buy from a vendor who is tune with professionals need and HELPS them get that work done.
It cannot be turned off but v1.7 firmware with associated app facilitates the override of the NFZ's either via the app or on a PC where up to 30 zones can be pre unlocked for a period of 3 days in advance.
The firmware is currently in its second round of beta testing and is due to be released soon.

GeoFence restrictions are clearly shown and up to date - DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography

Oh, hello and welcome to the forum by the way - nice of you to introduce yourself.
 
The question remains. How do you turn this corporately imposed "policy" off?

This is in beta testing and is due to be released soon?!

Shouldn't this have been done BEFORE locking people out of areas?
 
The question remains. How do you turn this corporately imposed "policy" off?

This is in beta testing and is due to be released soon?!

Shouldn't this have been done BEFORE locking people out of areas?
And the answer remains the same - It cannot be turned off. (Thought I'd do some bold font since it seems to be all rage today)
NFZ 's have been part of the Inspire firmware for months.
A simple check on the website whilst flight planning will show where they currently are active.
Whilst getting angry will raise your blood pressure I'm afraid it will not unlock your NFZ's
It is possible to run the public beta (currently Android only) but there will be no support if you run into difficulty until the official public release of GeoFence.
GeoFence beta
 
Any ideas when beta will be complete?

On a side note off topic

Is DJI website having problems? Cant log in to change password.

Got sent a link to reset after forgetting(I think!) password.

Will not submit new password.

Sorry for going slightly off topic.
 
Any ideas when beta will be complete?

On a side note off topic

Is DJI website having problems? Cant log in to change password.

Got sent a link to reset after forgetting(I think!) password.

Will not submit new password.

Sorry for going slightly off topic.
Site seems OK here, but haven't specifically tried account reset. You don't have a DJI session open on another device do you? The other thing it can be is if you have been sent a link for a new password but you are actually mistakingly putting in your old/original password - it seems to throw a wobbly. Try changing it to something totally different and you can always swap it to whatever you want once you are in.
GeoFence v1.7 should!d be very soon as second phase is well under way. Original testing was Android only, now iOS is included. To date the Android version has been very successful/stable and reliable in the unlocking function.
The PM has the final say of course and I'm sure they will want to do a dual release that will incorporate the X5R which is also imminent.
 
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Just for the record, I'd like to understand "The Editors" relationship with DJI? Are you a paid employee?

I find your acceptance of how these "No Fly Zones" were implemented and managed disturbing and not in best interests of the Inspire owners in this forum.

While you are correct that expressing my outrage will not solve the problem, today. It will certainly do more than meekly accepting this situation and not saying anything in the long term. Particularly if I can influence people from buying DJI products in the future.

Does DJI realized what this does to people like me, who know what they are doing and have worked through getting all the legal requirements in place? Has DJI thought that these controls just might cripple the small businesses guys that have done everything right? I think the answer to both of these questions is a resounding "No". I'd guess that the only thing that really matters to DJI is making sales. I'd guess the controls went in to appease the government(s) so DJI could keep selling.
 
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Just for the record, I'd like to understand "The Editors" relationship with DJI? Are you a paid employee?

I find your acceptance of how these "No Fly Zones" were implemented and managed disturbing and not in best interests of the Inspire owners in this forum.

While you are correct that expressing my outrage will not solve the problem, today. It will certainly do more than meekly accepting this situation and not saying anything in the long term. Particularly if I can influence people from buying DJI products in the future.

Does DJI realized what this does to people like me, who know what they are doing and have worked through getting all the legal requirements in place? Has DJI thought that these controls just might cripple the small businesses guys that have done everything right? I think the answer to both of these questions is a resounding "No". I'd guess that the only thing that really matters to DJI is making sales. I'd guess the controls went in to appease the government(s) so DJI could keep selling.
I am afraid you have come very late to the party........
For the record this has been covered many times before on the forum as well as the NFZ situation.
However (for the record) I will repeat myself for the umpteenth time.
I am not employed, sponsored by, affiliated with or recompensed or rewarded by DJI in any way. I do not receive any consideration from the company for my help and advice on this forum. The forum itself is privately owned and not associated with DJI or any of its subsidiaries.
I am a beta tester for DJI and bound under a distinct separate NDA by them as I sometimes become privy to information that is not in the public domain. I share on this forum what I am able.
I have never been a fan of the restrictions DJI put on the Inspire and Phantom series by way of No Fly Zones and I was instrumental in discussions with DJI getting a process in place whereby the restrictions could be temporarily lifted for certified UAV operators to enable a flight to take place. Again this is well documented on the forum.
Usually when someone joins a forum/community, they take time to view/read posts pertinent to the subject or problem they maybe having. They would then become a member of that forum, introduce themselves to the community and ask if an issue can be solved. Not come straight into an existing thread ranting about something that has been explained and debated and currently has a solution that is just around the corner and can actually be solved using a public beta facility that is openly available.
A little bit of searching goes a long way and can be very enlightening.

Thank you.
 
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