Entering a NFZ During Flight - What Happens?

[Bill Ballard]

I've seen (on YouTube) and read (various places) of a huge range of bad things that can happen when the Mini 2 enters a NFZ during flight; everything from going into RTH automatically, to repeated disconnects with loss of control, to a fly-away, with the little Mini 2 never to be seen again. I've not ever crossed into a NFZ, but I'm now in an area where the possibility is a real one.

Has anyone ever done this? What actually happened?

 

[Meta4]

I've seen (on YouTube) and read (various places) of a huge range of bad things that can happen when the Mini 2 enters a NFZ during flight; everything from going into RTH automatically, to repeated disconnects with loss of control, to a fly-away, with the little Mini 2 never to be seen again. I've not ever crossed into a NFZ, but I'm now in an area where the possibility is a real one.

Has anyone ever done this? What actually happened?

None of those sound believable. (there's a lot of misinformation on Youtube).
If you have GPS so the drone knows where it is, it can't enter the NFZ.
It's like hitting a soft, invisible wall.
You can fly up, down, left and right but you can't get through it.

 

[Meta4]

Has anyone ever done this? What actually happened?

If you managed to fly into an NFZ by launching close to the boundary before getting GPS, when the drone gets GPS, if you are inside, then the drone will commence autolanding.
But none of the things you asked about would happen.

 

[Bill Ballard]

Thanks for the replies - that info makes much more sense.

 

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

I've seen (on YouTube) and read (various places) of a huge range of bad things that can happen when the Mini 2 enters a NFZ during flight; everything from going into RTH automatically, to repeated disconnects with loss of control, to a fly-away, with the little Mini 2 never to be seen again. I've not ever crossed into a NFZ, but I'm now in an area where the possibility is a real one.

Has anyone ever done this? What actually happened?

I took off on the very edge of a red zone one day. No warnings. Flew around in the blue zone for a few minutes. When I approached the exact spot I had taken off from the drone hit an invisible wall. I actually had to climb down the rock face I took off from so I could hand catch the drone as it was landing as there was no suitable terrain for it to land safely on.

My advice: Do not take off on the edge of restricted areas.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I inadvertently launched just outside a circle zone I had created and approved by DJI, likely before a proper GPS was acquired, and then flew inside of that zone for the duration of the flight. Upon trying to land, the drone would not fly past an invisible wall some 100 feet away from me over water! I also could not turn off the GEO zone, which created an NFZ everywhere outside the circle. I had to fly the drone at a 90° angle to the nearest dry land, over a block away, landing on a side street, as I tried to reach that point on foot, before a car ran over it! DJI now warns that if you some how fly into a DJI approved circle zone from outside of it, you will not be able to fly outside of it! Beware!

 

[Bodkin's Best Photography]

I inadvertently launched just outside a circle zone I had created and approved by DJI, apparently before a proper GPS was acquired, and then flew inside of that zone for the duration of the flight. Upon trying to land, the drone would not fly past an invisible wall some 100 feet away from me over water! I also could not turn off the GEO zone, which creates an NFZ everywhere outside the circle. I had to fly the drone at a 90° angle to the nearest dry land, over a block away, landing on a side street, as I tried to reach that point on foot, before a car ran over it! DJI now warns that if you fly into a DJI approved circle zone from outside, you will not be able to fly outside of it! Beware!

Crazy stuff. I think that stuff defines the unexpected.

 

[Bill Ballard]

I inadvertently launched just outside a circle zone I had created and approved by DJI, likely before a proper GPS was acquired, and then flew inside of that zone for the duration of the flight. Upon trying to land, the drone would not fly past an invisible wall some 100 feet away from me over water! I also could not turn off the GEO zone, which created an NFZ everywhere outside the circle. I had to fly the drone at a 90° angle to the nearest dry land, over a block away, landing on a side street, as I tried to reach that point on foot, before a car ran over it! DJI now warns that if you some how fly into a DJI approved circle zone from outside of it, you will not be able to fly outside of it! Beware!

Wow!

 

[Bill Ballard]

I took off on the very edge of a red zone one day. No warnings. Flew around in the blue zone for a few minutes. When I approached the exact spot I had taken off from the drone hit an invisible wall. I actually had to climb down the rock face I took off from so I could hand catch the drone as it was landing as there was no suitable terrain for it to land safely on.

My advice: Do not take off on the edge of restricted areas.

I try to avoid being close to any NFZ. In my current location, there are three very close by - one military, one a state park, and the third, a National Park.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I try to avoid being close to any NFZ. In my current location, there are three very close by - one military, one a state park, and the third, a National Park.

Just be aware that activating any custom GEO zone turns the rest of the world outside the custom GEO zone into an NFZ! The custom GEO zone activations also survive a reboot, so that if you later try and fly from somewhere outside the custom GEO zone, the app won't let you launch, telling you that you are in an NFZ, until you turn the custom GEO zone off!

 

[Faster]

I find this DJI NFZ stuff surrealistic and what bothers me the most is many users accept this as a normal thing.
Fly your drone following your country rules and laws and fly responsibly or face the legal consequences of your actions like everything else in this world. You are responsible for driving your car, flying your plane, sail your boat, operate a machinery, operate a patient, teach at school, sell or buy a car, swim at the beach, you name it, under your country laws and rules, your training, qualifications and personal responsibility as a grown human being. Whatever DJI is doing with NFZ is a redundancy. IMHO DJI has not right to define or dictate how or when we fly our drones.

 

[Meta4]

I try to avoid being close to any NFZ. In my current location, there are three very close by - one military, one a state park, and the third, a National Park.

The military area might be a DJI NFZ, but the parks probably won't be.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

I fly responsibly, I use LAANC where required and do not fly where legally restricted. However, I do not agree with DJI controlling my flights. Sometimes I do need to cross DJI's GEO fences as they may divide a legal flight path, and that causes the problems mentioned above. And sometimes DJI has restrictions where there should be none. (i.e. prohibiting a flight where there once was a heliport that no longer exists.) For this reason, I used DroneHacks to remove the GEO fencing on my M2P. For under $50 it is well worth it. Yes this may/may not void a warranty, however, I have flown this bird since it came out and it has more than paid for itself. Losing a job/contract could cost a lot more. DJI can pound sound, I will follow the FAA's rules and appropriate legal rules and guidelines of State and Local agencies.

 

[Zbip57]

[...] a huge range of bad things that can happen when the Mini 2 enters a NFZ during flight; everything from going into RTH automatically, [...]

The NFZ won't trigger a RTH. The danger is if a RTH causes the drone to try to enter a NFZ.

Its dangerous to fly around outside the perimeter of any GEO zone in such a way that the NFZ comes between your drone and the Home Point. If for any reason (low battery, loss of signal, whatever) RTH is triggered, the drone will fly a straight line back to the Home Point. It will come to a dead stop when it encounters the boundary of the NFZ, leaving your drone stranded on the far side of the GEO zone.

If you do have a good control signal, you can [cancel RTH and] slide the drone left or right around the perimeter of the blocked zone, or retrace your original route, until finding a path back home. But if for whatever reason you have no control signal, the drone will be stuck there until the battery runs out. It will not cross a NFZ when flying in automated RTH mode.

 

[Zbip57]

I find this DJI NFZ stuff surrealistic and what bothers me the most is many users accept this as a normal thing.
[...]
IMHO DJI has no right to define or dictate how or when we fly our drones.

DJI's GEO system is often frustrating and inaccurate. However, not just many users accept this.

Actually, EVERY user of DJI's modern drones voluntarily agrees to give DJI the right to define or dictate how their system functions.

DJI requires you to create an account with them in order to initially activate your drone. In the process of activation you are offered a chance to read and agree to their Terms of Service. You really should read all of that before clicking to agree. If you don't agree to those Terms, you are given the option to decline and abort the activation process. Then buy a non-DJI drone.

 

[Faster]

DJI's GEO system is often frustrating and inaccurate. However, not just many users accept this.

Actually, EVERY user of DJI's modern drones voluntarily agrees to give DJI the right to define or dictate how their system functions.

DJI requires you to create an account with them in order to initially activate your drone. In the process of activation you are offered a chance to read and agree to their Terms of Service. You really should read all of that before clicking to agree. If you don't agree to those Terms, you are given the option to decline and abort the activation process. Then buy a non-DJI drone.

When I buy a DJI drone and paid for it, I become its legit owner. Not DJI. Which term of service do I have to agree for using it? The Chinese terms or my country/state and local rules and laws? Other than for warranty purposes I see no reason to follow their terms. I find this arbitrary. Is the same as buying a new car from any manufacturer. As its new owner I have all the right to drive it the way I like it as far as I follow my country laws. The manufacturer has no right to define or dictate how or when I use or modify my car but only for warranty purposes. Even for those warranty claims sometimes (depending of what kind of modification I made ) I'm still protected under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. In simple words, the drone is mine and as far as I don't brake any rule, I do with it whatever I like.

 

[Zbip57]

Which term of service do I have to agree for using it?

Before using your DJI drone, you first need to "activate" it. That requires an internet connection to create/login using a DJI account. The process of using/creating the account to activate your drone requires you to check mark a box to acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted DJI's terms of service and privacy policy.

If you are currently flying your Mini-2, you must have clicked on those boxes and chosen to agree with those terms. Whether or not you bothered to actually read the details, clicking that box indicates that you accept the terms.

When I buy a DJI drone and paid for it, I become its legit owner. Not DJI. Which term of service do I have to agree for using it? The Chinese terms or my country/state and local rules and laws? Other than for warranty purposes I see no reason to follow their terms.

According to your forum profile, your country is the USA, correct?

You really should have a quick read through DJI's Terms of Use just for using their website. Note, this is strictly for their website and forum, but their hardware and software terms [which you accepted when activating your drone] are worded very much the same way.
www.dji.com/terms

If you choose not to read the whole thing, you should at least jump to Sections 15 and 17.

15. Governing Law​

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of law principles. If a lawsuit or court proceeding is permitted under these Terms, then you and DJI agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the state courts and federal courts located within San Francisco County, California for the purpose of litigating any dispute. We make no representation that the Site or any Materials included in the Site are appropriate or available for use in your location.

 

[Faster]

Before using your DJI drone, you first need to "activate" it. That requires an internet connection to create/login using a DJI account. The process of using/creating the account to activate your drone requires you to check mark a box to acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted DJI's terms of service and privacy policy.

If you are currently flying your Mini-2, you must have clicked on those boxes and chosen to agree with those terms. Whether or not you bothered to actually read the details, clicking that box indicates that you accept the terms.



According to your forum profile, your country is the USA, correct?

You really should have a quick read through DJI's Terms of Use just for using their website. Note, this is strictly for their website and forum, but their hardware and software terms [which you accepted when activating your drone] are worded very much the same way.
www.dji.com/terms

If you choose not to read the whole thing, you should at least jump to Sections 15 and 17.

That's the terms for their website, NOT my drone.

 

[Zbip57]

That's the terms for their website, NOT my drone.

Ah, yup.

"You really should have a quick read through DJI's Terms of Use just for using their website. Note, this is strictly for their website and forum, but their hardware and software terms [which you accepted when activating your drone] are worded very much the same way."

 

[Faster]

Ah, yup.

What are you trying to prove? I don't understand. I'm telling you that I do whatever I want with my drone and I don'tcare what DJI or the Chinese government says. In USA I just fly under the FAA rules. Period!!!!