Responsible people

[TR Ganey]

And how do you think the currently aggravated public will feel when they find drone forums teaching how to remove geofencing? Yes, I get that some of the NFZs cover areas that they don't need to, but this is not the answer, this is something to take up with your aviation authority.

I get the point your trying to make but the sad truth is aside from those who have experience with drones or are actually aircraft pilots there are very few people in the "currently aggravated public" that know anything about drones, NFZ's, 107's, ect. Kinda goes with the old adage "If you have to ask you wouldn't understand". You can bet regardless of what we do or say there will be fall out from the current events that we all will not like. All that being said I am personally against DJI or any other company grounding a piece of equipment bought and paid for by a private individual. The car manufactures don't do it. The aircraft manufactures don't do it. The heavy truck manufactures don't do it. All these manufactures realize it is the responsibility of the end consumer to operate their equipment with the law and they alone will be held responsible, not the manufacture.

 

[FoxhallGH]

And how do you think the currently aggravated public will feel when they find drone forums teaching how to remove geofencing? Yes, I get that some of the NFZs cover areas that they don't need to, but this is not the answer, this is something to take up with your aviation authority.

I'm not sure if that was a reply to the video I posted @ataraxia ... If it is, then you don't understand how Geo-Fencing and No Fly Zones work. DJI have (responsibly in my opinion) not only incorporated 'Resticted' zones where drones are not allowed to fly at all (within the boundaries of airports, prisons, nuclear facilities etc.), but have extended the areas around these zones into a second 'Authorization' tier, where they ask the owner of the drone to go through an on-line un-lock process enabling them to fly in that 'amber' zone. Then a further layer of 'Enhanced Warning' and 'Warning' zones - that can be OK'd to unlock from the DJI Go 4 app' running at the time. The unlock process ensures that the owner of the drone KNOWS that they are flying in an area of 'more than average' risk, and that they are taking RESPONSIBILITY for that flight. There is a process that a Commercial drone operator (part 107 or PfCO qualified), can do to unlock the drone to do work inside a 'red' 'Restricted' zone - but that is no way open to recreational drone flyers.
If the general public actually understood that process, then I think they MUST then come away from this thinking that we are just a bunch of vandals & perverts who don't know what we are doing! This is not something you need to do when you 'play with toys!'
If you are referring to YouTube producers who advocate downgrading to previous versions of firmware and blocking DJI updates to prevent geo-fencing being loaded - then I'm 100% with you on that one ...

 

[FoxhallGH]

All that being said I am personally against DJI or any other company grounding a piece of equipment bought and paid for by a private individual. The car manufactures don't do it. The aircraft manufactures don't do it. The heavy truck manufactures don't do it. All these manufactures realize it is the responsibility of the end consumer to operate their equipment with the law and they alone will be held responsible, not the manufacture.

I hear what you are saying, but the big difference - here in the UK anyway - is that you need to go through a program of driver/pilot training then written and practical testing to get a license to then use your vehicle/aircraft in a way that is responsible etc. as you stated above ... Recreational Drone users in the UK - just unpack the box, charge the batteries and Go!
DJI are having to cater to the lowest common denominator ... You know, I bet if they could close down the department that has to deal with all the geo-fencing and political cr*p - and know that Governments would sort it all out amicably for drone users - DJI would love it, 'cause they could get on with designing and building drones! But as long as little Johnny can see a YouTube video of how he 'could' fly a drone at 10,000 ft above the clouds, and track aircraft as they take-off and land - then DJI have to protect their market and livelihood by building hardware and software that's idiot proof!!!