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Recent issues unlocking Authorization Zone via DJI FlySafe

Brockrock

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Part of what follows was totally my fault - which I want to share to avoid others making the same mistake - and part of it, I discovered through trial and error, and it also may be useful to know.

I was pre-planning a flight with my Mavic Air 2 yesterday. This flight was going to be in the area of a Class D airport not currently supported by LAANC, and I have an FAA Airspace Authorization for the airspace at or below the altitudes listed in the airport's UAS Facility Map.

Parts of this airspace are also listed as an Authorization Zone in DJI's NFZ database, so I went into the FlySafe website on my PC in order to unlock this airspace prior to this flight. I logged in, selected 'Self Unlocking', selected the area of airspace on the map, and then I made my first error. I entered my Remote Controller S/N into the form, and after going through the next steps, I got the confirmation that I was all set. When I went flying however, I was still locked out of the airspace, and although when I went into the Unlocked GeoZones portion of the Fly App, it showed that I had a valid Authorization for the airspace, on the right, it showed 'Aircraft Disconnected'. I logged out and back into the Fly App, I deleted and reinstalled the app, and I finally gave up when nothing seemed to work.

Back home, I again attempted to unlock this airspace via FlySafe on my PC, and after doing so, I now had two Authorizations showing in the Fly App. Then, I took a closer look at the application form. The S/N requested is that of the Flight Controller which is a module on the aircraft itself - and its S/N can be found in the 'About' section of the Fly App where the RC's S/N is also listed, as long as the copter is on and connected to the RC.

So, I went through the process again using the Flight Controller S/N, and although it eventually showed up as a valid Authorization, it - like the other two still listed - showed Aircraft Disconnected' on the right. What I did next was to delete all three Authorizations from the Fly App, followed by one final application in FlySafe using the Flight Controller S/N, and this one showed up right away with the icon on the right showing Import to Aircraft - or something similar. Problem solved.

So, it is the Flight Controller S/N that the form requires, and if there are Authorizations showing in the Fly App that are linked to your account but still have errors in them, delete them from the Fly App prior to going any further.

Hopefully this will save somebody from the frustrations that I experienced...
 
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I did the same as I’m sure I read somewhere you entered the remote controller SN.
But in my case it said incorrect serial number
 
Wow! I made this same mistake a few days ago and could not figure out what I was doing wrong! Thank you for posting! I'll try the number you mentioned in the ABOUT section next time.
 
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Then, I took a closer look at the application form. The S/N requested is that of the Flight Controller which is a module on the aircraft itself - and its S/N can be found in the 'About' section of the Fly App where the RC's S/N is also listed, as long as the copter is on and connected to the RC.

I tried this tonight, and it still doesn't work for me.

I used AIRMAP to register a flight with LAANC, that worked great, and I got a "Automated FAA Controlled Airspace authorization" with a confirmation number.

I registered my drone for a "self-unlock" at: https://www.dji.com/flysafe/self-unlock.

When it asked for my flight controller serial number, I have tried the serial number located under the battery in the aircraft, the serial number located in "About" section of the DJI Go 4 app, and both "said" they worked.

1599363650022.png

But I never received an authorization code that showed up in the "self-unlock" section.
 
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I tried this tonight, and it still doesn't work for me.

I used AIRMAP to register a flight with LAANC, that worked great, and I got a "Automated FAA Controlled Airspace authorization" with a confirmation number.

I registered my drone for a "self-unlock" at: https://www.dji.com/flysafe/self-unlock.

When it asked for my flight controller serial number, I have tried the serial number located under the battery in the aircraft, the serial number located in "About" section of the DJI Go 4 app, and both "said" they worked.

View attachment 112486

But I never received an authorization code that showed up in the "self-unlock" section.
So you never received the text on your phone? The phone number has to be entered in its 10 digit sequence with no dashes. You only have a short time to enter the code, so it's best to have your text app opened and ready.
 
I tried this tonight, and it still doesn't work for me.

I used AIRMAP to register a flight with LAANC, that worked great, and I got a "Automated FAA Controlled Airspace authorization" with a confirmation number.

I registered my drone for a "self-unlock" at: https://www.dji.com/flysafe/self-unlock.

When it asked for my flight controller serial number, I have tried the serial number located under the battery in the aircraft, the serial number located in "About" section of the DJI Go 4 app, and both "said" they worked.

View attachment 112486

But I never received an authorization code that showed up in the "self-unlock" section.
When I put in my smart controller serial # and it didnt work, DJI tech finally told me its the flight controller serisl #. Why have two different #s for the same device? I never did get my Mavic unlocked on site.
 
Hey there! Drone noob here, and I'm about to have the exact same issue. I just got an Air2S today. I haven't taken it out of the box yet, because I live in a Class E2 authorization area, and am literally less than 100 feet North of a Class D area and it's a military airport, so no LAANC. The small park right by my house is about 1/3 in E2 and 2/3 in D. Do I request authorization on the Drone Zone, and then do a self-unlock after I have authorization?
 
Hey there! Drone noob here, and I'm about to have the exact same issue. I just got an Air2S today. I haven't taken it out of the box yet, because I live in a Class E2 authorization area, and am literally less than 100 feet North of a Class D area and it's a military airport, so no LAANC. The small park right by my house is about 1/3 in E2 and 2/3 in D. Do I request authorization on the Drone Zone, and then do a self-unlock after I have authorization?
If a facility is not serviced by LAANC, you need to request a use authorization via Drone Zone. Many non LAANC airports still have the UAS Facility Map published showing altitude caps, and authorization is usually granted below these caps. I'm not sure what extra caution is involved due to military ops, so you will have to see.
 
If a facility is not serviced by LAANC, you need to request a use authorization via Drone Zone. Many non LAANC airports still have the UAS Facility Map published showing altitude caps, and authorization is usually granted below these caps. I'm not sure what extra caution is involved due to military ops, so you will have to see.
Thanks, I put the request in on the Drone Zone on Tuesday and got rejected on Thursday. One problem was I requested "wide area" because I didn't want to have to submit a zillion requests for the same area, but I have no problem making it a quarter mile or smaller radius. The other thing was the altitude. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the limit around the army airfield is ZERO. Which means I can't fly at all. Although maybe if I get my 107 I could change that. The area I want to fly in is, roughly, the pink marked area.Screen Shot 2021-05-27 at 9.55.27 PM.png
 
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