DJI to limit flights over DC and US Borders

[Tahoe Ed]

Please note the following that appeared in the WSJ this morning:

DJI Announces New Safe Flight Features Limiting Flight in DC Metropolitan Area
- Restrictions are in accordance with FAA guidelines
- Additional limits will prohibit flight across borders
Hong Kong, (28 January 2015) – DJI will release a mandatory firmware update for the Phantom 2, Phantom 2 Vision, and Phantom 2 Vision+ to help users comply with the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) 0/8326, which restricts unmanned flight around the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
The updated firmware (V3.10) will be released in coming days and adds a No-Fly Zone centered on downtown Washington, DC and extends for a 25 kilometer (15.5 mile) radius in all directions. Phantom pilots in this area will not be able to take off from or fly into this airspace.
The restriction is part of a planned extension of DJI’s No Fly Zone system that prohibits flight near airports and other locations where flight is restricted by local authorities. These extended no fly zones will include over 10,000 airports registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and will expand no fly zones to ensure they cover the runways at major international airports.
DJI is also continuing to update its no fly zone list in compliance with local regulations to include additional sensitive locations and to prevent flight across national borders.
These new safety features will be released across DJI’s flying platforms in the near future.
“With the unmanned aerial systems community growing on a daily basis, we feel it is important to provide pilots additional tools to help them fly safely and responsibly,” said Michael Perry, DJI’s company spokesperson. “We will continue cooperating with regulators and lawmakers to ensure the skies stay safe and open for innovation.”

Here is the link to the full story: http://www.wsj.com/articles/drone-m...ts-after-white-house-crash-1422451954?tesla=y

DJI is being proactive in this matter.

 

[Kilby]

What about their line of flight controllers? Will this same "feature" come to the A2 & Wookong? To bad this wouldn't have stopped the White House incident, that was a Phantom 1 which doesn't seem to be getting the same update.

 

[Tahoe Ed]

This will apply to all our controllers that use GPS. In my opinion it is better that DJI imposes the restriction as a responsible manufacturer rather than have regulators draft more restrictive regulations. The P1 has been discontinued as of 12/31. They can no longer update their firmware. You have to start somewhere.

 

[Kilby]

I agree with you, the only thing I find troubling is that the firmware update will be mandatory. I think most of us here agree that DJI hasn't always released the most stable firmware, so to be forced to update is a little crazy. What happens when a forced update has bugs? I've always waited till other "early adopters" have kicked the tires for a few weeks before I update, and it sounds like that may not be an option any longer. Will all future updates be mandatory, or just the one to implement the no fly zone feature?

 

[Tahoe Ed]

If you are in the US and near DC then the upgrade applies to you. If not you should see no difference.

 

[Nola26]

What if the no fly zone does not apply to a user? For example, Law Enforcement using an S900 with an A2?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Carapau]

As long as you can turn the feature off in the A2 then I have no problems with this. There are times when professionals do get asked to fly in what would normally be a restricted area so a blanket ban that cant be turned off would be bad news. I do like DJI's proactive stance though, it shows that they are trying to make the use of MRs safer for all concerned.

 

[Motopreserve]

Will this firmware update be named after the putz who flew into the White House???

 

[cootertwo]

"Sign sign, everywhere a sign" can't do this, can't do that, everywhere a sign...............

 

[Bartman]

Will this firmware update be named after the putz who flew into the White House???

that's a brilliant idea!

 

[Motopreserve]

He will be the most popular guy on the [cell] block...

 

[rwilabee]

So just don't update the firmware. Unless something comes along that you just can't live without just stay with your old version. There is no way that it will stop working if you don't.

 

[Carapau]

Inspire locks down if you dont update the firmware I believe.

 

[Tahoe Ed]

That is correct. Three days is the number.

 

[Motopreserve]

Ed, 3 days from what? It uses an internal clock to time from first battery power up?

How would the inspire know that there is a need for an update at all? That sounds like some AI sh*t

Seriously though, I'm just curious how this would work.

 

[Carapau]

I think it works by updating when ever you plug into the laptop. So if you don't want to update the firmware, never plug it in again to the laptop or what ever you use to programme the machine.

 

[Motopreserve]

That's what I figured. But it sounded like it would have some way of knowing that it needed the update - which is downright scary!

 

[bluefin]

Does the DJI website show the 15.5 mile no fly zone around DC? All I found were the airport exclusion zones.

 

[Tahoe Ed]

Not yet. It will shortly. We just concluded the initial test of the NOTAM.

 

[Banana Furikake]

Hey Ed- the press release notes "10,000 airports registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)" - how do we know which ones are listed? What is the radius? or does it depend on type of airport.