LAANC, DJI Geozones, argis map, and small airports

[dwolfe002]

It's badly worded. It will allow you to take off but you have to self-unlock via your DJI account. You don't need any kind of authorization to do that.

Authorization Zones. In these Zones, which appear blue in the DJI GO map, users will be prompted with a warning and flight is limited by default. Authorization Zones may be unlocked by authorized users using a DJI verified account.​

Flight is not limited. It is not allowed without getting an unlock license from DJI. Since there is no internet at the site, I came back home and applied for a custom unlock. Then went back to see if it would work and it did. The only problem with that was when I got back home I couldn't fly at my house. Thus the reason I don't want to use custom unlocking again, especially since last time it took over a week of talking with DJI to get it straightened out and they wouldn't tell me what went wrong.

 

[dwolfe002]

Self unlock can be uploaded to the aircraft where there is a connection so long as you know where you are going to fly.
Make sure to have it switched off so you can fly elsewhere.
So long as the self unlocking is turned on, you cannot fly anywhere else.

I used custom unlocking because of no internet at the flying site. I did leave the site without turning off the license but when I discovered I couldn't fly at home, I went back to the site, checked that I could fly, then turned the license off and came back home. Then tried to fly again at home and it still wouldn't and didn't for over a week.

 

[sar104]

I used custom unlocking because of no internet at the flying site. I did leave the site without turning off the license but when I discovered I couldn't fly at home, I went back to the site, checked that I could fly, then turned the license off and came back home. Then tried to fly again at home and it still wouldn't and didn't for over a week.

No cell service?

 

[pmshop]

I got back home I couldn't fly at my house

All you have to do is turn off the unlock to fly at home or anywhere else:
Step 6 on page 4

 

[dwolfe002]

No cell service?

Yes, but I use a flip phone.

 

[dwolfe002]

All you have to do is turn off the unlock to fly at home or anywhere else:
Step 6 on page 4

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have any problems so I went back to the flying site that the license was for and turned it off while there. I do not know what it would have done if I turned it off outside of the requested area.

 

[sar104]

Yes, but I use a flip phone.

A what phone?

OK - then you have a problem. These systems rather assume connectivity in areas with restrictions.

 

[dwolfe002]

A what phone?

OK - then you have a problem. These systems rather assume connectivity in areas with restrictions.

Yep, a flip phone! That's why I did the custom unlock at home the only time I tried it.

I've got to have something that isn't as smart as I am and my dog ran off so I kept the phone.​

 

[pmshop]

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have any problems so I went back to the flying site that the license was for and turned it off while there. I do not know what it would have done if I turned it off outside of the requested area.

Here is what I found,
If it is on and I am outside the zone, it will not fly
If it is off and I am inside the zone, it will not fly

On and inside, fly
Off and outside, fly

I flew to capture rocket launches this past May up to 3000ft authorized by the launch team, Systems GO!
I got the custom unlock set with coordinates provided by the director way in advance so if there was trouble it could be fixed.
Got out to the site, turned on the unlock and the craft would not fly.
Turns out, they moved launch sites at the last minute.
I wasn't where I was "supposed to be"

But thanks to the rapid responses from the Fly Safe crew, I was up and away in no time.

 

[dwolfe002]

Here is what I found,
If it is on and I am outside the zone, it will not fly
If it is off and I am inside the zone, it will not fly

On and inside, fly
Off and outside, fly

I flew to capture rocket launches this past May up to 3000ft authorized by the launch team, Systems GO!
I got the custom unlock set with coordinates provided by the director way in advance so if there was trouble it could be fixed.
Got out to the site, turned on the unlock and the craft would not fly.
Turns out, they moved launch sites at the last minute.
I wasn't where I was "supposed to be"

But thanks to the rapid responses from the Fly Safe crew, I was up and away in no time.

Off and outside didn't work for me. The one time it took off it flew up about 2 ft. then straight to my left and down to the ground. That three second flight was all I got for over a week. My response from Flysafe was quick but unproductive for over a week.

 

[pmshop]

Off and outside didn't work for me. The one time it took off it flew up about 2 ft. then straight to my left and down to the ground. That three second flight was all I got for over a week. My response from Flysafe was quick but unproductive for over a week.

Interesting to say the least

 

[Drone on]

Yep, a flip phone! That's why I did the custom unlock at home the only time I tried it.
I've got to have something that isn't as smart as I am and my dog ran off so I kept the phone.

Thanks, I needed that

 

[rottielover]

I'm glad I found this thread as I just had a similar issue to this and I am a new owner. I've been working on my 107 materials but have not taken the test yet.

As I understand it EVENTUALLY, DJI will have the ability for you to do a LAANC request via the control app but if you want to do it NOW you have to use something else like AirMap. (And as I write this Rec still isn't able to use LAANC only 107, so if you are rec for the moment you have to go to an AMA field, but SOON (trademark), the FAA will open up LAANC to Rec pilots.

That said my situation is/was that there is a small (1 runway, ~100 planes) airport approx 4.5 miles east of me (no tower). The only runway there runs approx N/S DJI's map has the blue bowtie oriented E/W. I submitted an email to them with links to the airport website, the sectional chart for the area, as well as link to airnav's website for the area and I asked them to please adjust the bowtie. I got a response in less than 24 hours telling me that they are escalating the ticket, and gave me an unlock for the area so that I could go ahead and fly while they work on it.

I get it they are trying to be extra careful and the bowties represent the airspace where manned aircraft could be as/descending thru, but in my case they have it oriented the wrong way.

Now I'm still a bit of a newbie, but AirMap says I'm good to fly here, and from what I can tell right now I believe I'm in Class G airspace.

So this I think is an excellent example of why the drone pilot regulations (at least as they are here in the US) are getting better IMHO. I ran into a situation of conflicting information, and I was able enough to read the official source of truth (sectional chart) to determine what's going on for this space.