Upgrade Put Me In NFZ

[lertsek]

I just fired up my MP to check some settings and DJI GO4 prompted me update the safe fly zones. Now it says my house is in a no fly zone even though the FAA maps say I'm okay. Can this be reversed?

 

[zachschul22]

I just fired up my MP to check some settings and DJI GO4 prompted me update the safe fly zones. Now it says my house is in a no fly zone even though the FAA maps say I'm okay. Can this be reversed?

Is there a reason your area is is NFZ?

 

[lertsek]

Is there a reason your area is is NFZ?

There shouldn't be. I know the airspace rules are changing, but mostly for the better. They are going to be shaped more like an hourglass, reflecting the major runways path, instead of just a big circle. According to the FAA UAS DATA map I'm still in an area that allows the full 400 ft. but the controller won't let me take off.

 

[DanMan32]

You can enable the map to show the zones.

 

[lertsek]

You can enable the map to show the zones.

This is a close-up of the airspace governed by Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Medford Oregon. I'm near the intersection of Beall and Front streets. I'm clearly in the 400 ft. area and bordered by either 200 or 400 ft. ceilings. The main map is ArcGIS Web Application

 

[DanMan32]

I'm referring to the map in the Go app. Should have same in FlySafe.dji.com (I think that's the FQDN).

 

[lertsek]

I'm referring to the map in the Go app. Should have same in FlySafe.dji.com (I think that's the FQDN).

It now tells me I'm in an "Authorization Zone. You can unlock flight restrictions." I assume that means I need to GET an authorization.

 

[Towlem]

As I am not a fan of "rolling back software to previous versions" and I feel your pain after updates are installed...what I do is this..I can (as you know) and have used my iPhone to fly my MP. But that means every time I want to fly I have to take my phone out of its protective Otterbox set up etc.etc....then put it back in the case when I am done...so I bit the bullet and purchased an iPad mini 4 (love it for flying - hate it for being Apple). So on my iPhone, when updates come out I download to my phone only..test the app and then decide whether it is worth waiting for DJI to get it right or...is it safe to download...saves ME a lot of angst after the fact...

 

[lertsek]

As I am not a fan of "rolling back software to previous versions" and I feel your pain after updates are installed...what I do is this..I can (as you know) and have used my iPhone to fly my MP. But that means every time I want to fly I have to take my phone out of its protective Otterbox set up etc.etc....then put it back in the case when I am done...so I bit the bullet and purchased an iPad mini 4 (love it for flying - hate it for being Apple). So on my iPhone, when updates come out I download to my phone only..test the app and then decide whether it is worth waiting for DJI to get it right or...is it safe to download...saves ME a lot of angst after the fact...

Good idea. I'm not sure if it would work in this particular case since I had to be connected to the AC to download and figured it was modifying things on it as well.

 

[JFree]

To tag on here-similar scenario. Just got an NFZ message on RC-I can take off and fly, at least around the yard so far. I just looked at DJI's map and it does show a runway approach that I haven't seen before like you mentioned. I don't see this anywhere else, and on the FAA UAS map I'm still in a 400 block. I'm at 4.9 of the 5 mile radius. I am Part 107 and have a waiver for ongoing flight in this space. Not sure what this all means, I'm new to this drone.

 

[lertsek]

To tag on here-similar scenario. Just got an NFZ message on RC-I can take off and fly, at least around the yard so far. I just looked at DJI's map and it does show a runway approach that I haven't seen before like you mentioned. I don't see this anywhere else, and on the FAA UAS map I'm still in a 400 block. I'm at 4.9 of the 5 mile radius. I am Part 107 and have a waiver for ongoing flight in this space. Not sure what this all means, I'm new to this drone.

It used to be that I just received a warning that I was near an authorization zone and to be careful. Now it has almost my entire city in a NFZ and I have to unlock the zone every few days. I too have a Part 107 license and probably will apply for an ongoing waiver. My next door neighbor has a less sophisticated drone and flies anytime he wants because the FAA says we're okay to do so. To me, this is like the DMV deciding that your car can no longer go on the freeway and disables your starter unless you check in with them.

 

[JFree]

True that, it is kind of odd. Even with an ongoing waiver how do you bypass this nonsense? Cool profile pic btw Inspector.

 

[Kenneth Coe]

I know this won't make the drone police happy, but I'm sorry; I'm ready for this "refuse to take off" nonsense to stop. As I told DJI in a private message, I am pretty well aware of airports and hospital helicopter landing sites, and I'm pretty religious about staying clear of them. However, when software engineers start pulling this stuff, you get into what I just read about here; Pilots denied takeoff because some programmer goofed up.

A warning is fine because I have a pretty good idea that my 1 1/2 pound Mavic Pro would lose big in a collision with a Piper Cub (which is the only fixed wing plane that should be flying under 400 feet a mile from the airport). I will certainly take every step to ensure that I don't lose my $1000 investment by flying where the big boys play. But I don't need software engineers trying to second-guess me. DJI, please stop it.

 

[Johnmcl7]

I know this won't make the drone police happy, but I'm sorry; I'm ready for this "refuse to take off" nonsense to stop. As I told DJI in a private message, I am pretty well aware of airports and hospital helicopter landing sites, and I'm pretty religious about staying clear of them. However, when software engineers start pulling this stuff, you get into what I just read about here; Pilots denied takeoff because some programmer goofed up.

That's exactly the same reason the 'drone police' get annoyed as well though because as people continually flout the rules, we're doing to see more restrictions put in place by the drone manufacturers which are going to make it more hassle for those who fly legally. I've seen people claim the drone manufacturers shouldn't do this because drone users can be trusted to self police but they really can't, there's people posting in here every day who are flying their drone completely breaching the rules and even boasting about it.

I can't blame DJI for implementing restrictions because they're being forced to, I blame all the users who know the rules and choose to completely ignore them or just don't even bother checking the rules because they're the reason why we're going to see more and more software restrictions particularly as the technology comes down in price. It's rarely worth commenting as you just get shot down in flames and it's futile anyway, people will continue to break the rules anyway unfortunately until software restrictions force them to comply.

 

[Kenneth Coe]

John, I appreciate your quiet and thoughtful answers. However, I must respectfully continue to disagree on many of your points. To me, this is one of those cases of "Punish the innocent for the crimes of the guilty". I think we would both agree that most drone owners simply want to fly their drones safely and maybe take some video and photos. As I said earlier, I know that my 1.6 lb. Mavic Pro would lose big to a Piper Cub (or even a large predatory bird). I certainly don't want that. Most (probably virtually all of us) just want to get along.

I don't even object to a friendly warning from GO 4 if I find myself close to an airport while on vacation (I KNOW where the airports are in my area). My problem is a company that writes into their software (that I am paying to use) that I cannot use my drone because they THINK I'm in a dangerous area. They may be right, but, as you can read here and in other posts, too often they are wrong and on the basis of what they think, they deny their customers the right to use the product the customers paid for. A warning would achieve the desired result without prohibiting the customer's rightful use of their drone when they are mistaken.

As to DJI "being forced to do this", I know of no law or regulation that requires a company to "Play Police" like this. DJI is not alone in this, but there are many companies building drones who do not attempt to control their customers. Speaking of police, they are the appropriate ones to control misuse of drones. Software vigilantes are not.

Personally, we fly under 400 feet (generally a LOT under 400 feet) and we keep the drone in sight at all times. In my area, any aircraft pilot would be insane to fly under 500 feet, not to mention illegal (although I doubt that their avionics force them to immediately land if they do). I watch and listen because helicopters can generally fly anywhere at very low altitude. If I see or hear a helicopter, I immediately reduce altitude as much as I safely can and put it on the ground at the first safe opportunity.

I say this last so that you will understand that I don't want to cause trouble and I certainly don't want to bring an airliner down by flying into his engine (although the chances of that are so slim it would be difficult to calculate). We enjoy our little Pro (my wife calls it our baby drone) and we just want to get along. We just want DJI and others to continue to make the superior product they do and stay out of law enforcement.

 

[JFree]

I get the NFZ warning at home, fortunately I can fly still. I have a waiver, so if they really feel a need to build this into their software (which I don't agree with either) why can't I add my FAA ref. number to eliminate the warning?

 

[Kenneth Coe]

Well, I find myself in the same situation. I receive a warning in my backyard, but I can override it. Apparently, it relates to the Benton, AR airport several miles away. It's a private airport servicing only small private planes. Since I'm not on an approach path, I have never seen any low-flying aircraft other than the occasional military or medical helicopter and they appear to be over 1500 feet. They are not related to the warning zone.

Interestingly, I just pulled up the map on the DJI flysafe page, and it has changed considerably since the last time I looked at it. Believe it or not, it appears to have changed for the better. I guess I need to upgrade my flysafe database because it appears that I am not in any kind of warning zone now.

 

[Fullassault]

I got grounded by this also. I was just outside the Authorizations zone, now my entire town is a NFZ. It made the decision on getting a MV2 very easy.

 

[seowashdc]

Same here. DJI decided that even thought the Washington DC airspace has a permanent TFR, SFRA, No Drone Zone, that's already policed by the FAA, USSS, DHS, etc., they decided to extend their airmap restrictions all the way out to the Chesapeake Bay, which is total ********.

 

[Kingram]

I have always hit ignore with that update and now I'm glad I did.