zone unlocking

[mavic53]

Has anybody in the UK managed to unlock a geozone ?

 

[MAL20040]

Has anybody in the UK managed to unlock a geozone ?

Yes. Last done in Edinburgh Airport Authorisation Zone with Mavic3. With ATC permission of course.

 

[millbah]

No, but have in Indonesia. Point being it is different with my MA2 & M3.

 

[twickers14]

No never done it myself (only in the US) but I do recall a post a couple of years ago when a fellow MA2 pilot said he had got speedy approval from Bristol ATC and then unlocked the geozone. Bon chance.

 

[archoptical]

Quite a bit, but always areas that shouldn't need unlocking, but are locked by DJI's over-generous zones. In these cases, I usually state it isn't in a restricted area and upload a blank file, as instructed by DJI, because it's not possible to get permission to fly in an unrestricted area. They get approved quite quickly, although I then have to seem to tick a load of boxes again when trying to fly in that area.

 

[mavic53]

Quite a bit, but always areas that shouldn't need unlocking, but are locked by DJI's over-generous zones. In these cases, I usually state it isn't in a restricted area and upload a blank file, as instructed by DJI, because it's not possible to get permission to fly in an unrestricted area. They get approved quite quickly, although I then have to seem to tick a load of boxes again when trying to fly in that area.

The blank form worked bingo.

 

[archoptical]

Great. So, I did do this, but the last time I tried to use it, I found I couldn't take off. I had to do something where I went into the app and had to somehow activate the the thing and tick some boxes to accept responsibility. It wasn't enough to just import it to the device and fly. Just to be aware. I spent a long time battling this and trying to contact DJI, and making more applications in the field - which was quite hard work with the DJI controller, as it doesn't have any connectivity to the interweb. Used phone hotspot etc...

 

[mavic53]

Great. So, I did do this, but the last time I tried to use it, I found I couldn't take off. I had to do something where I went into the app and had to somehow activate the the thing and tick some boxes to accept responsibility. It wasn't enough to just import it to the device and fly. Just to be aware. I spent a long time battling this and trying to contact DJI, and making more applications in the field - which was quite hard work with the DJI controller, as it doesn't have any connectivity to the interweb. Used phone hotspot etc...

The proof of the pudding will be in the flying.How you thought of the blank file I do not know.

 

[archoptical]

DJI told me to do it.

I wanted to fly the drone (mini 2 at the time) along the banks of the Thames near the O2, so I could fly over the river and take some pictures of Canary Wharf. There is a bit to the south, on the path near the golf driving range, where it's outside of the exclusion zone for City Airport and there is no warning about the river being a route for helicopters. Unfortunately, DJI set the zone much wider, so I couldn't fly there and when I tried to look into unlocking I needed to upload permission. Obviously, there is no way to get permission from City Airport to fly outside of their zone, so I emailed DJI, asked them about it and they told me to upload the blank document.

Never have flown there. I went and it was far too windy and the drone was wobbling around all over the place when I took off, so I ended up going to Bexley and flying around some gas holders instead.

But, I was able to take off, so that seemed to be all there was to it. But then, I unlocked another bit of the City Airport zone that DJI had expanded, in Poplar for months and months and when I flew there, I was able to take off fine, but had some trouble. I was right on the edge of this wider zone and when I tried to bring the drone back, it wouldn't come back to me and it was hovering over the edge of the big road that goes down to the Blackwall Tunnel. It was getting a bit scary tbh and I was worried I might not be able to bring it back in, but thankfully got it back to me. It just would not move at one point, like there was a barrier, although I had taken off a few metres further in and moved it back a bit for the photo.

I now think that I got away with it because I was right on the edge of the zone and one minute it thought I was trying to enter a restricted area and the next it was ok, as the GPS isn't accurate to the centimeter.

Because, when I went to another Gas Holder near Barking, which is also close the edge of the City Airport zone, I had unlocked the area so I could take off from the road to the south, but it wouldn't take off. I was inside DJI's more expansive exclusion zone, but I had permission and it was imported to the drone/ controller. Finally, I discovered I had to accept the further permissions by ticking boxes. I think I had to select the unlock permission itself and tick those boxes to accept responsibility and confirm I had permission.

So, at some point, I think DJI added another layer of restriction, because I was definitely able to just take off near the O2 a few years ago (with the mini 2), and probably got away with it in Poplar (with the mini 3 pro) but was right at the edge and I could not get it to take off near Barking.

Which is why I say, make sure you activate the permission in the app, as well as importing it, because you don't want to find out the drone suddenly decides it's in a restricted area and will not come back to you if you manage to take off. This is especially important if you are right at the edge of their zone, as one minute it might be down the road and the next you could be in it. It's not fixed in stone.

All in all, it can be a pretty nervy experience flying in these areas. You aren't breaking any laws, but by god it feels like you are up to something naughty.

Pics, if you're interested:

Poplar:


Former Bromley Hall School for the Physically Handicapped by Archoptical, on Flickr

Barking:


Leigh Road Gas Holder, East Ham by Archoptical, on Flickr

 

[mavic53]

DJI told me to do it.

I wanted to fly the drone (mini 2 at the time) along the banks of the Thames near the O2, so I could fly over the river and take some pictures of Canary Wharf. There is a bit to the south, on the path near the golf driving range, where it's outside of the exclusion zone for City Airport and there is no warning about the river being a route for helicopters. Unfortunately, DJI set the zone much wider, so I couldn't fly there and when I tried to look into unlocking I needed to upload permission. Obviously, there is no way to get permission from City Airport to fly outside of their zone, so I emailed DJI, asked them about it and they told me to upload the blank document.

Never have flown there. I went and it was far too windy and the drone was wobbling around all over the place when I took off, so I ended up going to Bexley and flying around some gas holders instead.

But, I was able to take off, so that seemed to be all there was to it. But then, I unlocked another bit of the City Airport zone that DJI had expanded, in Poplar for months and months and when I flew there, I was able to take off fine, but had some trouble. I was right on the edge of this wider zone and when I tried to bring the drone back, it wouldn't come back to me and it was hovering over the edge of the big road that goes down to the Blackwall Tunnel. It was getting a bit scary tbh and I was worried I might not be able to bring it back in, but thankfully got it back to me. It just would not move at one point, like there was a barrier, although I had taken off a few metres further in and moved it back a bit for the photo.

I now think that I got away with it because I was right on the edge of the zone and one minute it thought I was trying to enter a restricted area and the next it was ok, as the GPS isn't accurate to the centimeter.

Because, when I went to another Gas Holder near Barking, which is also close the edge of the City Airport zone, I had unlocked the area so I could take off from the road to the south, but it wouldn't take off. I was inside DJI's more expansive exclusion zone, but I had permission and it was imported to the drone/ controller. Finally, I discovered I had to accept the further permissions by ticking boxes. I think I had to select the unlock permission itself and tick those boxes to accept responsibility and confirm I had permission.

So, at some point, I think DJI added another layer of restriction, because I was definitely able to just take off near the O2 a few years ago (with the mini 2), and probably got away with it in Poplar (with the mini 3 pro) but was right at the edge and I could not get it to take off near Barking.

Which is why I say, make sure you activate the permission in the app, as well as importing it, because you don't want to find out the drone suddenly decides it's in a restricted area and will not come back to you if you manage to take off. This is especially important if you are right at the edge of their zone, as one minute it might be down the road and the next you could be in it. It's not fixed in stone.

All in all, it can be a pretty nervy experience flying in these areas. You aren't breaking any laws, but by god it feels like you are up to something naughty.

Pics, if you're interested:

Poplar:


Former Bromley Hall School for the Physically Handicapped by Archoptical, on Flickr

Barking:


Leigh Road Gas Holder, East Ham by Archoptical, on Flickr

Nice pics especially the gas holder. My zones are near the south bank . A helpful swedish bloke said that if the GPS lock is good the drone will hit an invisible wall and stop. If the GPS lock is not good and you stray outside it will land immediately if in a NFZ. I will post a pic when I try.

 

[archoptical]

Nice pics especially the gas holder. My zones are near the south bank . A helpful swedish bloke said that if the GPS lock is good the drone will hit an invisible wall and stop. If the GPS lock is not good and you stray outside it will land immediately if in a NFZ. I will post a pic when I try.

This seems worrying too. Be *very* careful when drawing your GeoZone for unlocking... (almost lost Mavic 3 Pro)

When I went to that gas holder, once I'd managed to get it up, it kept flagging that it had entered a restricted area when I tried to move forwards. I usually aim for a picture directly above the gas holder. It came back to me ok, but it was puzzling as I was firmly within the unlocked area, both in take off position and the area the drone was in. In fact, the gas holder itself isn't even in the restricted area DJI have set, it was just the bit where I was taking off, but I'd drawn a large polygon covering the whole site. I just brought it back and settled for what I had.

But now a bit worried about getting into a scenario like in Poplar, where it might refuse to come home and ultimately land in the middle of a 6 lane road. Doesn't bear thinking about and makes me feel very unconfident in the technology.

And now most of central London seems to need unlocking.

So wondering whether to bother any more or just sell up. I suppose hacking it would get rid of these worries and be the safest option, but doesn't seem to be anything available for the mini 3 pro as of yet.

 

[mavic53]

This seems worrying too. Be *very* careful when drawing your GeoZone for unlocking... (almost lost Mavic 3 Pro)

When I went to that gas holder, once I'd managed to get it up, it kept flagging that it had entered a restricted area when I tried to move forwards. I usually aim for a picture directly above the gas holder. It came back to me ok, but it was puzzling as I was firmly within the unlocked area, both in take off position and the area the drone was in. In fact, the gas holder itself isn't even in the restricted area DJI have set, it was just the bit where I was taking off, but I'd drawn a large polygon covering the whole site. I just brought it back and settled for what I had.

But now a bit worried about getting into a scenario like in Poplar, where it might refuse to come home and ultimately land in the middle of a 6 lane road. Doesn't bear thinking about and makes me feel very unconfident in the technology.

And now most of central London seems to need unlocking.

So wondering whether to bother any more or just sell up. I suppose hacking it would get rid of these worries and be the safest option, but doesn't seem to be anything available for the mini 3 pro as of yet.

I got the zones OK and the drone has accepted them. We shall see.