DJI won't unlock geo zone

[petercade]

I tried to us the Unlocking procedure through DJI that I used all last year.
The zone I want unlocked is classed as a restricted zone. See Map and red 'X' is flight area.
DJI say that my Mavic 3 won't need to be unlocked in this area. But 6 months ago I needed to get it unlocked.
Surely their statement is wrong.
Any views?
Peter Cade

 

[old man mavic]

@petercade are you refering to the flysafe database map
DJI have recently made changes to there goezone maps, and removed a lot of the areas that they used to show as requiering an unlock from them, if you go into about in the App, with the drone connected then check for any flysafe updates there should be one

 

[petercade]

Thanks for such a quick response!
Flabbergasted! my flight is at the end of the runway restricted zone for the London City Airport.

 

[old man mavic]

@petercade ,just because DJI no longer says it is a restricted zone ,you still need to check with something, like the drone assist app to make sure you can fly there or the drone scene app from Grey arrows is also very helpfull ,basically DJI have decided to let each country decide on what airspace restictions apply ,instead of imposing their own versions, which were often inacurate and wrong

 

[petercade]

Thats very interesting. I have all the NATS NSF, London Port Authority etc permits in place.
You are a mine of information. Many thanks. I reckon the unlocking administrative overhead must have become a real pain in the a... for them and they have given up.!

 

[old man mavic]

@petercade ,it is a positive move, away from DJI self imposing flight restictions ,which has been a pain in the butt for many ,as it added another layer of unlocking before flight ,and it was often not allowing areas to be accessed, because of server conectivity being down, even though other approvals were in place ,and prevented the drone from flying ,and as a bonus for DJI its taken away any responcibility from them, if the flight restictions are ignored by the PIC

 

[TonyPHX]

@petercade ,it is a positive move, away from DJI self imposing flight restictions ,which has been a pain in the butt for many ,as it added another layer of unlocking before flight ,and it was often not allowing areas to be accessed, because of server conectivity being down, even though other approvals were in place ,and prevented the drone from flying ,and as a bonus for DJI its taken away any responcibility from them, if the flight restictions are ignored by the PIC

Well said as always @old man mavic!

 

[petercade]

What I dont understand is that 3 weeks ago I asked for 4 areas close to where I live (Cornwall) to be unlocked...and they did unlock them and I unlocked them in the App. Why did they make me go through that, and now not be arsed about central London?

 

[old man mavic]

@petercade this change has only happened in the last few days, and is UK wide not just in London

 

[petercade]

OK. Well thank you for all your guidance on this. I appreciate the patience and time you took this evening. I am going to bed still flabbergasted!

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Will be nice if they expand this new policy to the US.

 

[petercade]

They probably walking on thin ice in the US....dont want their exports banned by the federal Government!

 

[Fort Pierce Pilot]

@petercade this change has only happened in the last few days, and is UK wide not just in London

Guess it didn't make it in the US, I just had to unlock zones near an airport that the FAA has a 500ft AGL resrtiction on but are otherwise class G airspace. Same DJI invented areas we see along the approach and departure paths of many smaller airports.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Guess it didn't make it in the US, I just had to unlock zones near an airport that the FAA has a 500ft AGL resrtiction on but are otherwise class G airspace. Same DJI invented areas we see along the approach and departure paths of many smaller airports.

Was that a typo? Don't you mean 400' AGL.
As far as the smaller airports, they even have areas locked out for short dirt runways on farm lands way out in the country. Checked them out, private driveway used for landing at home. Rarely flies.

 

[archoptical]

I had some zones I'd unlocked last year, when DJI put a big NFZ in covering most of central London. I got them to extend the time limit on them a few weeks ago, but couldn't import the new licences without updating the drone, controller and maps.

After going out and never once being asked to use once of the licences, I checked the map and the London NFZ was gone. So I didn't need them after all. Nobody at DJI mentioned this.

Glad it's like this now, as I was literally never going to buy another DJI drone, because it was getting so restrictive. I was having to unlock zones that needed no authorisation any way. Sucked all the enthusiasm out of it, having to unlock, import licences, work out how to use them and then get all kinds of weird message and behaviour from the drone, which was still convinced it was going into NFZ's.