DJI Removes US Drone Flight Restrictions Over Airports, Wildfires (theverge.com) 30
Chinese drone maker DJI has removed software restrictions that previously prevented its drones from flying over sensitive areas in the United States, including airports, wildfires, and government buildings like the White House, replacing them with dismissible warnings.
The policy shift comes amid rising U.S. distrust of Chinese drones and follows a recent incident where a DJI drone disrupted firefighting efforts in Los Angeles. The company defended the change, saying drone regulations have matured with the FAA's new Remote ID tracking requirement, which functions like a digital license plate.
The policy shift comes amid rising U.S. distrust of Chinese drones and follows a recent incident where a DJI drone disrupted firefighting efforts in Los Angeles. The company defended the change, saying drone regulations have matured with the FAA's new Remote ID tracking requirement, which functions like a digital license plate.
cruisin for a bruisin (Score:3)
DJI is cruisin' for a bruisin'.
The headline is misleading (Score:5, Insightful)
The new software warns the operator that they are in a restricted area, but allows the operator to decide what to do. This is consistent with aviation philosophy that the pilot is in command and is responsible for their actions
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These are toys that don't need a license that requires hours and hours of training. If DJI wants to press their luck with being banned outright, good for them.
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But that philosophy is made with the assumption that the pilot or a person is on board.
Precisely, and even that's not a 100% deterrent for undesirable behaviors. Plenty of examples on how that's failed in history.
These are toys that don't need a license that requires hours and hours of training. If DJI wants to press their luck with being banned outright, good for them.
I don't know how other markets/nations feel about geo-fencing but this could be a damned-if-you-do kind of situation. If they have geo-fencing to make the FAA or some other American three letter agencies happy then that could mean losing elsewhere as they are opposed to the technology. Even if the technology is only enabled on a market by market basis there could be some concern t
Re: The headline is misleading (Score:1)
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But that philosophy is made with the assumption that the pilot or a person is on board.
Precisely, and even that's not a 100% deterrent for undesirable behaviors. Plenty of examples on how that's failed in history.
This isn't a binary situation where a deterrent is either 100% effective or its useless. A regulation assuming that someone doesn't want to intentional put themselves in danger is generally pretty effective. With a drone that aspect is gone though so its a reasonable stance to subject drone operators to some rules that an in-person pilot may not have to adhere to.
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This isn't a binary situation where a deterrent is either 100% effective or its useless.
I agree, my intent was to emphasize that point.
A regulation assuming that someone doesn't want to intentional put themselves in danger is generally pretty effective. With a drone that aspect is gone though so its a reasonable stance to subject drone operators to some rules that an in-person pilot may not have to adhere to.
Would not the potential loss of the drone be at least some of a deterrent to doing something stupid? I'd think so. Not the same kind of deterrent as the pilot in the aircraft but still a deterrent. It doesn't have to be 100%, it just has to be effective "enough".
Re:The headline is misleading (Score:4, Informative)
Not really.
Not really.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/commer... [faa.gov]
In fact, in the US you can fly an ultralight (under 254 lbs not including pilot or safety gear) with no license or training at all if you're dumb enough. But you require one for any drone over 250 grams.
DJI's new policy is consistent with the law in most places, including the US, and is also consistent with what American drone makers do. Their old policy seems to be kind of an over-restriction made in response to US government threats. It doesn't seem to have worked.
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So it allows someone operating in bad faith to willingly disregard regulations that are there specifically to prevent endangering life of other pilots and air passengers.
That sounds like an update that absolutely needed to be released, and in no way invites someone to do the worst possible thing with a (relatively) cheap drone.
I look forward to a news report of a 767's engine ingesting a drone during takeoff and crashing / killing everyone on board.
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Someone in bad faith doesn't need DJI and it's drone that is broadcasting a license. Why spend that kind of money when you can do it at a fraction of the cost?
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The problem isn't terrorists, it's idiots flying drones in dangerous places. Like that one that forced the fire-fighting planes to be grounded.
Re:The headline is misleading (Score:5, Interesting)
DJI is the only manufacturer that enforced no-fly zones. None of the others have ever done that, including domestic companies.
In all the years of drone hysteria, there is only one documented case of a toy drone colliding with a full-scale aircraft, and that was just last week. Before that, every single reported case turned out to be bogus, some egregiously bogus. Besides that, the FAA solved the problem with requiring drone licensing, tail numbers, and radio id, right?
There are several model aircraft clubs that meet at and fly from small airports with permission. So a blanket technological enforcement of a no-fly zone near airports is a bit of over-reach.
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So it allows someone operating in bad faith to willingly disregard regulations that are there specifically to prevent endangering
Someone operating in bad faith always could. DJI ALONE put in place restrictions hard-enforced by the software. None of the other drone makers did, And it's evident that DJI's extra care did not pay off, since US is in the process of banning them anyways regardless of their efforts. It doesn't make sense for them to undertake the extra effort the US-based drone manufac
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You should watch some disaster investigation TV; quite a few are due to the electronic controls overriding the pilot.
Pilots of large aircraft were reduced to an advisory position quite a while ago. Everything is fly by wire, with limits and input responses imposed by software.
Are they looking to be banned from sale in the US? (Score:3)
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Then they'd have to ban every other competitor to DJI too, as none of them force restricted airspace and never have. For the last 10 years DJI was the only manufacturer making it almost impossible to fly in restricted airspace.
The FAA could. A dumb-fuck has already caused problems by damaging a plane that was fire the LA fires -- I'd really rather the FAA not wait until one damages a civilian plane and kills everyone on board.
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And that goes to why that brand should be banned, because they have the ability to do it, but they are just looking to cause problems. It's a lot easier to say, "we don't have the ability to do what you want" than, "we can do it, and have been doing it, but we just refuse to do it".
DJI giving the US the finger (in return) (Score:3)
The US is sticking it to DJI, and DJI is sticking it to the US in return.
DJI claims, "This GEO update aligns with the principle advanced by aviation regulators around the globe — including the FAA — that the operator is responsible for complying with rules." Hmm, sure. I wonder if this principle applies to DJI drones operating in China. Uh ... yeah.
Trusting the drone pilots to do the right thing (Score:3)
Car Drivers (Score:2)
Could it be related to always connected (Score:3)
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Could be. DJI is in a tight spot due to nonsensical US demands. Requiring a connection to the Internet is bad. Drones must be connect to the Internet to update airspace restrictions. Uploading data is bad. Drones must upload their location and identification to internet databases. Etc.
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That's just a double bind. Your software must continuously update airspace data to ensure it is up-to-date at all times and upload location data for tracking by authorities. Also, your software must not connect to servers or the internet, because that would mean you are allowing the Chinese government to in theory control the drones and spy on data.
DJI be trolling (Score:2)
DJI be trolling us right now. Why should DJI be compelled to help the U.S. monitor its own air space? They are letting go the reins and letting their devices be controlled by the good people of Amurica. They know the US doesn't trust the CCP so this is proof that these drones will not be restricted or controlled by DJI/CCP.
Almost Nowhere in Bay Area to Fly a Drone (Score:2)