DJI GEO Coming to Your P3 Soon

ianwood

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New no fly zones that comply with FAA guidelines along with further limitations will be implemented in an upcoming firmware release in Dec. This will implement real-time exclusion zones around prisons, power stations, and other facilities in addition to airports and other flight facilities. It will incorporate TFRs and other temporary restrictions.

An opt out system will be available once you register with your credit card but it will still not allow you access to sensitive areas like Washington DC. No further specifics are available and it is unclear what DJI will do with your registration and credit card information should you decide to bypass the system. Will they pass that information to the FAA?

The restriction data will be provided by AirMap, a company that shares ownership with another company called noflyzone.org that allows people to request personal no fly zones over their property. It is not clear if the personal no fly zones will also be included.

I doubt this will go down well. DJI continues to move the goal posts for customers who already bought the product.

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DJI rolling out a new system to keep drones out of restricted areas

AirMap

No Fly Zone
 
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This is most unwelcome news. Particularly the thought that personal no fly zones are available to the public. I am still not sure how this geofencing system will restrict your entry into these zones. My guess is that if it is similar to other systems, it will simply warn the operator that a no fly zone has been established in that area. However, if it physically cuts your engines that would be a much more difficult pill to swallow.
 
Ok. It appears this is nothing more than a notification system that pops up a yellow clear overlay when you enter or are in a registered zone. It does NOT control your access. Sounds like a pretty decent idea. Better info makes for safer flying.
 
I just checked my address near Sacramento, California. It showed half of my city covered with one of the yellow warning circles. Touching the circle shows why it's there and who to call. AirMap says its Marv Skie–Lincoln County Airport in Tea, South Dakota. That's 1650 miles away. Yikes! If their database is so inaccurate, this should be interesting to say the least.
 
Interesting. 3DR did the same. Seems there are other ways to opt out other than a credit card...

"DJI will be letting people bypass the system if they so choose, but only on one condition: users must have a verified account with the company, including a credit card, debit card, or phone number, although the system will be free."
 
Easy fix... Do not update to new firmwares from now on... Unless DJI add something really really cool like bringing the old GS/Waypoint system back like on the P2V+... There is no reason to update ever again.... Keep your device on Airplane mode and turn off automatic updates and never never ever connect your drone to a pc... Problem fixed.
 
I look forward to updates. I enjoy the procedure I guess. Downloading a zipped bag of goodies. Not knowing what all is in there, but eager to tear it open and find all the best bits and bites.

Go and new firmware, kept improving the Phantom flight experience and now our first class seats may get degraded?
That's disappointing. Well let's see how it all turns out.

RedHotPoker
 
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Well, unfortunately, and only after hours of searching, it would appear that the No Fly Zone Database, when coupled with a drone maker's firmware WILL either STOP you from taking off in or entering a "NO FLY ZONE" even one that a landowner puts on the database. It seems as if the firmware will put you into a hover if you attempt to enter into such a zone.
The problem with this is that now every Tom **** and Harry can control the airspace above and around his or her property despite the legislative structure that provides that only the FAA can control US airspace.
I see some serious problems with this.
The opt-out issue is particularly vexing since you are required to REGISTER with private companies before being allowed to fly through airspace not already officially designated as controlled. Essentially this creates private FAAs.
 
Stop the speculation. I would be willing to wager a P3 that the personal NFZ's on nyflyzone.org are not part of GEO. This move is a step in the right direction because a) it allows one to fly in a location that as of now is strictly not allowed (ie, a seldom used private airport even when you have permission) and b) it holds those that choose to fly in such areas accountable for their actions by having some skin in the game (credit card and/or phone number registered).
 
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A publicly managed Personal No Fly Zone database where a property owner can log in and create an NFZ????

How would that be possible, how will the database be managed, who is going to verify that the property owner is really the owner of the property? What will keep me or anyone else from logging into the database and creating hundreds of NFZs at will?

Personal NFZs will not happen...relax...stop spreading FUD.
 
I see this a s a very positive step. It will help to make us fly responsible. And that will keep more draconian measures from being legislated.

I have been part of the Beta Testing B4youFly SW from the FAA. It is very similar, except it works on your phone or tablet. It shows where you are and the restricted zones very clearly and it allows you to file a flight plan into a database over the phone/tablet. In the future it will also contact air traffic control towers/centers and enter you in the system. And then you will either get permission or not digitally. Right now it just gives you the info so you can contact the proper facilities.

I think this is where we need to go in order to keep larger more capable MRs flying legally. The only time you are affected by this is in sensitive areas and 99% of the USA is not in these restricted areas.

You need a license to drive a car or a motorcycle and you are restricted as to where and how you can drive them, and this is a good thing. These larger MRs are really aircraft so they should be registered and have to comply with FAA rules. They are very different from standard RC model planes that are only flown in designated areas and below 400', or at least should be.

Civil and commercial airplanes need permission and need to be in communication with ATC when flying in these areas, so why should these MRs be exempt?

This is just my take on it. Fly safe and have fun. Lets make sure this great hobby is not shut down or severely restricted by obeying common sense rules and practices.
 
A publicly managed Personal No Fly Zone database where a property owner can log in and create an NFZ????

How would that be possible, how will the database be managed, who is going to verify that the property owner is really the owner of the property? What will keep me or anyone else from logging into the database and creating hundreds of NFZs at will?

Personal NFZs will not happen...relax...stop spreading FUD.


Sorry but they already have happened
No Fly Zone
and DJI through is association with Airmap (a client of NFZ) is helping to implement a vigilante FAA.
This is way more than simple registration as envisioned by the FAA.
 
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As @olof Ekbergh said, it does appear to be very similar to the beta program.

One thing that will need to figured out is how to implement for the many who fly without Internet access. I'd guess the AirMap would still be available via smartphone as it is today, but that won't help to systematically restrict flight. Perhaps being able to cache the AirMap data in the GO app like we can do today with maps. One thing that concerns me is would they force every P3 owner to fly only with a wifi and GPS enabled device? We can only speculate, but I'd have to think that some work around will be implemented for wifi only devices.

As for personal NFZ's. When I checked AirMap last night, I was surprised to see several homes already registered in my area, as well as a couple of entire neighborhoods. One home is near a park in which I routinely fly, so I wonder if my P3 was that homeowners reason for registering. I sure hope that I wasn't bothering anyone!

Lastly, I think it's fantastic that we have been allowed to discuss this amongst ourselves as P3 owners without the thread being suddenly moved somewhere. Thanks!
 
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Lastly, I think it's fantastic that we have been allowed to discuss this amongst ourselves as P3 owners without the thread being suddenly moved somewhere
Give it time :) See you over in general discussion.
 
As @olof Ekbergh said, it does appear to be very similar to the beta program.

One thing that will need to figured out is how to implement for the many who fly without Internet access. I'd guess the AirMap would still be available via smartphone as it is today, but that won't help to systematically restrict flight. Perhaps being able to cache the AirMap data in the GO app like we can do today with maps. One thing that concerns me is would they force every P3 owner to fly only with a wifi and GPS enabled device? We can only speculate, but I'd have to think that some work around will be implemented for wifi only devices.

As for personal NFZ's. When I checked AirMap last night, I was surprised to see several homes already registered in my area, as well as a couple of entire neighborhoods. One home is near a park in which I routinely fly, so I wonder if my P3 was that homeowners reason for registering. I sure hope that I wasn't bothering anyone!

Lastly, I think it's fantastic that we have been allowed to discuss this amongst ourselves as P3 owners without the thread being suddenly moved somewhere. Thanks!
All of the restricted areas in a persons registered country can be simply added to a database of GPS coords. A very small file can contain hundreds of thousands of locations. Simple, small, and easily modified in each subsequent update.
 
Yikes there are already a bunch of private addresses registered all around me. :(
 

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