Help with DJI Self Unlock

[michaeltate]

Hi guys (and gals), I'm a newly licensed pilot in the Omaha, NE area. My company was hired to film a project that includes a newly built high school football field which falls in the very southwest corner of the red zone seen in the attached images. The DJI self-unlock web site shows Eppley Airfield with both a blue pin with unlock authorization available and a red pin with unlock unavailable. When I tried to submit for an application to unlock the zone we were still unable to fly in this area. Am I missing something here or are the red zones not unlock-able at all even with authorization? Why does it show both a red and blue pin if you're not able to unlock this area? The main building for the high school is mostly in a blue authorization zone but the new football field is completely in the red zone. Are we just out of luck here?

 

[BigAl07]

You might be looking for a Custom Unlock...

Try this post and see if it helps any:

How many 107 Licensed Users are prevented from taking off

I am now at wits end. Cannot take off it is not the drone it is the DJI go app. I have bought an Autel evo but its unlevel horizen cannot be corrected. How many 107 operators are prevented from doing legitimate jobs because of this. I would willingly and love to spend necessary mony to get...

mavicpilots.com

 

[michaeltate]

You might be looking for a Custom Unlock...

Try this post and see if it helps any:

How many 107 Licensed Users are prevented from taking off

I am now at wits end. Cannot take off it is not the drone it is the DJI go app. I have bought an Autel evo but its unlevel horizen cannot be corrected. How many 107 operators are prevented from doing legitimate jobs because of this. I would willingly and love to spend necessary mony to get...

mavicpilots.com

Thanks! I was just reading that post as well but apparently I didn't read far enough

 

[BigAl07]

Also WELCOME to the forum and to the Part 107 High Life LOL

 

[michaeltate]

Thanks Big Al! From the images I posted does it look like I would need to get authorization from Eppley airfield directly as well? I tried a LAANC approval with the Kittyhawk app but it's telling me further authorization is required. To me it seems like the red zones are just DJI being overly cautious but the football field does fall with in a yellow caution zone in the Kittyhawk app saying "Eligble for Further Coordination".

 

[sar104]

Thanks Big Al! From the images I posted does it look like I would need to get authorization from Eppley airfield directly as well? I tried a LAANC approval with the Kittyhawk app but it's telling me further authorization is required. To me it seems like the red zones are just DJI being overly cautious but the football field does fall with in a yellow caution zone in the Kittyhawk app saying "Eligble for Further Coordination".

That's a zero altitude LAANC grid, which is why you cannot get automated authorization.

 

[michaeltate]

Yeah, that’s what I was seeing in the Kittyhawk app too. Which web site is this information found? I went ahead and filled out a waiver on the Drone Zone site earlier today with a 1 NM radius flight plan staying under 100 feet in that area. Do you think that’s a frivolous attempt or is it even possible to get clearance for an Airspace authorization that close to a Class C airport?

 

[sar104]

Yeah, that’s what I was seeing in the Kittyhawk app too. Which web site is this information found? I went ahead and filled out a waiver on the Drone Zone site earlier today with a 1 NM radius flight plan staying under 100 feet in that area. Do you think that’s a frivolous attempt or is it even possible to get clearance for an Airspace authorization that close to a Class C airport?

ArcGIS Web Application

faa.maps.arcgis.com

I doubt that they will give you that height on the end of a runway.

 

[PHZ]

Go to the DroneZone site at FAA.gov and apply for an authorization. I have done this in Class B airspace just off to the side of a runway flight path and was able to get it approved.
If you are able to get the authorization you enter it through the DJI Go4 app and it will unlock for you. Last time I applied for this particular auth, it took about a week and permission was granted.

Good luck.

 

[michaeltate]

Thanks for all the tips and info! @PHZ, I did submit for an Airspace Authorization yesterday on the Drone Zone site. @sar104, I hope you are wrong. Ha! Technically it's not at the 'end' of the runway but it is very close. Our flight plan is on the very edge between a 200 foot grid and a 0 feet grid so I'm hoping they'll at least grant us 100 feet of altitude in that area. Fingers crossed! I'll let you know what the FAA says once they make a decision.

 

[PHZ]

Very good. I wish you luck. Be very thorough in your flight plans and safety backup plans. If you get a few approved, fly them with no issues, I think they take that in to account in approving future ones.

 

[GFields]

If you need to use the DJI Fly Safe Custom Unlock, I wrote a "how-to" article. Hope this helps

 

[michaeltate]

Thanks everyone for your help! Just a follow up, we received FAA Authorization for this flight today (at the very last minute). The FAA Contractor handling our request was very polite and helped push our authorization through. The DJI custom unlock process went very quickly and we now have approval to fly within a .25 NM radius up to 100ft around the athletic complex.

 

[Jerry Campbell]

Go to the DroneZone site at FAA.gov and apply for an authorization. I have done this in Class B airspace just off to the side of a runway flight path and was able to get it approved.
If you are able to get the authorization you enter it through the DJI Go4 app and it will unlock for you. Last time I applied for this particular auth, it took about a week and permission was granted.

Good luck.

Where in the DJI go4 app do you go I have not been able to find

 

[Thomas B]

Where in the DJI go4 app do you go I have not been able to find

It’s not in the app. Go to:

FAADroneZone

faadronezone.faa.gov