Big update to geozones?

[scro]

Has DJI done a big update to its geozone database?

I recently updated my mini3pro database and it was a big download. I now notice the restriction zones around my local airport have changed slightly, and look to be much closer to the official UK CAA restrictions, rather than DJI's loose approximation. Also the altitude restrictions along the approach paths to the airport have gone. Again, these were a DJI thing rather than any official restriction.

 

[old man mavic]

@scro basically DJI have decided to hand control of geofenced areas, to the countries own airspace authorities ,and let them decide where a drone can be flown.
this has been a bone of contention for quite a long time now ,because often the flysafe database was wildly inacurate and out of date, and contradicted the official airspace restrictions, also if you think about it ,it frees DJI up from having to take responcibilty ,if their drones are in restricted airspace ,because their database was wrong

 

[SethB]

@scro basically DJI have decided to hand control of geofenced areas, to the countries own airspace authorities ,and let them decide where a drone can be flown.
this has been a bone of contention for quite a long time now ,because often the flysafe database was wildly inacurate and out of date, and contradicted the official airspace restrictions, also if you think about it ,it frees DJI up from having to take responcibilty ,if their drones are in restricted airspace ,because their database was wrong

@old man mavic the only news I was able to find out about this related to EU and UK:

DJI’s updates to geo system, EU and UK

DJI, the world’s leading civilian drone manufacturer, has begun to gradually update its GEO system with UAS geographical zone data from national aviation authorities.…

www.suasnews.com

Sadly this doesn’t seem to be rolled out in the USA. Is that your understanding as well?

 

[scro]

@old man mavic the only news I was able to find out about this related to EU and UK:

DJI’s updates to geo system, EU and UK

DJI, the world’s leading civilian drone manufacturer, has begun to gradually update its GEO system with UAS geographical zone data from national aviation authorities.…

www.suasnews.com

Sadly this doesn’t seem to be rolled out in the USA. Is that your understanding as well?

Thanks for the link @SethB I did find myself wishing the DJI geozone database more accurately reflected the legally binding one, and it looks like exactly that has happened - for at least a few countries.

 

[old man mavic]

@SethB maybe they are saving the US till last ?,given the current relationship between the two countries ,with regards to DJI drone use

 

[scro]

Interestingly pretty much all the "restrictions" DJI have put in for UK airspace have now changed to what they call "enhanced warning zones" which can be unlocked without an internet connection or email address. Essentially this means the onus is much more on the pilot to fly legally rather than DJIs geozones forcibly preventing flight in restricted airspace.

It's good to see the zones matching the official ones much better, and some special case users may welcome the more straight forward process for enabling flight in restricted airspace. I'm not sure the ease at which a DJI drone "can" now be flown in restricted airspace by anyone is necessarily a good thing though.

Snips from the DJI site: DJI FlySafe

 

[Looking Down On You]

Throw in my experience 2 days ago, I fly the Salt River here close to Mesa on regular basis, because of its proximity to a local airport I always get the stay under 400 ft Warning when taking off. 2 days ago I took my (new) Mini 4 out and that message change to (paraphrased) You are flying in a controlled airspace of Falcon Field. Request permission / Cancel.
I canceled and went further away where I got the 400 ft warning again.

I have not updated the DB since I bought the 4 so, it was already updated?

 

[Red Pyro]

That's good news, don't need to search up some underground national agency website anymore to find nofly zones in a weird pfd format.

 

[Red Pyro]

Interestingly pretty much all the "restrictions" DJI have put in for UK airspace have now changed to what they call "enhanced warning zones" which can be unlocked without an internet connection or email address. Essentially this means the onus is much more on the pilot to fly legally rather than DJIs geozones forcibly preventing flight in restricted airspace.

It's good to see the zones matching the official ones much better, and some special case users may welcome the more straight forward process for enabling flight in restricted airspace. I'm not sure the ease at which a DJI drone "can" now be flown in restricted airspace by anyone is necessarily a good thing though.

Snips from the DJI site: DJI FlySafe

View attachment 171719

View attachment 171720

It's about time, sometimes my mp3 would refuse to fly in zones that were only restricted for heavier drones, and when I was flying drones in the military I couldn't do my job in my own barracks.

 

[EssenYVR]

@SethB maybe they are saving the US till last ?,given the current relationship between the two countries ,with regards to DJI drone use

I think the US officials are too busy with 787 Max problems....

 

[SethB]

I think the US officials are too busy with 787 Max problems....

As someone living a couple miles from where the door plug hit and who travels from PDX it’s difficult to find humor in it.

Regardless, any action on Geozones is entirely on DJI

 

[EssenYVR]

As someone living a couple miles from where the door plug hit and who travels from PDX it’s difficult to find humor in it.

Yeah, that was not a smiley face emoji.

I flew from New Orleans to Seattle on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 on January 4, the day before the incident occurred. It was not the aircraft that lost the door plug, but it still feels a bit "too close to home". I keep wondering if it was one of the aircraft that they found loose bolts on...

This is the one we flew down to NOLA on before Christmas, again not the aircraft that experienced the problem: