DJI no longer prevents US users from flying drones in restricted areas

DJI has lifted its geofence that prevents users in the United States from flying over restricted areas such as nuclear power plants, airports and fires, the company wrote in a blog post on Monday Starting January 13, areas previously called “restricted areas” or no-fly zones will be shown as “enhanced warning areas” that correspond to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated areas. DJI’s Fly app will display a warning about these areas, but will no longer prevent users from flying in them, the company said.

In the article, DJI wrote that the “in-app notifications will notify operators flying near FAA-designated controlled airspace, putting control in the hands of drone operators, in accordance with the regulatory principles of the operator who bears the final responsibility”. He added that technology like Remote ID (introduced after DJI implemented geofencing) gives authorities “the tools needed to enforce existing rules,” DJI’s global policy chief Adam Welsh said. The Virgin.

However, the update is a strange one, given that DJI is already on shaky ground in the United States and it could be banned to sell its products in the United States from next year. DJI’s former head of policy, Brendon Schulman, criticized the move on Twitter in a series of posts. “There has been substantial evidence over the years that automatic drone geofencing, implemented using a risk-based approach, has contributed significantly to aviation security,” he wrote.

There is also a problem with drones that weigh less than 250 grams. Those models were previously geofenced via GEO in restricted areas to prevent inadvertent flight in restricted areas. However, the update will remove that geofencing, and the Remote ID can be disabled on those lightweight drones.

In fact, this is exactly what happened last week when the DJI model under 250 grams damaged the wing of a Canadair Super Scooper plane fighting the Los Angeles fires, putting it temporarily out of commission. That drone may not have transmitted a remote ID, so the FBI said it will need to use “investigative means” instead to find the pilot.

DJI first implemented geofencing (called GEO) around airports in 2013, and added new areas in 2015. and 2016after a drone landed on the White House lawn. He did this voluntarily, as the FAA only requires that operators be warned of restricted areas where flight is prohibited. Now, however, the onus will be 100 percent on the operator to keep out of the no-fly zones.

“DJI reminds pilots to always ensure that flights are conducted safely and in compliance with all local laws and regulations. For flights conducted in Enhanced Warning Areas, drone operators must obtain airspace authorization directly from the FAA and consult the FAA. No Drone Zone resource for more information,” he wrote.