DJI will no longer stop drones from flying over airports, wildfires, and the White House

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For more than a decade, you couldn’t easily fly a DJI drone over restricted areas in the United States. DJI’s software will automatically prevent you from flying over runways, power plants, and public emergencies like wildfires and the White House.

But confusingly, amidst the greatest distrust of drones in the United States in years, an incident occurred A DJI drone operator impedes efforts to fight wildfires in Los AngelesDJI is getting rid of its powerful geofencing. DJI will no longer be enforcing “no-fly zones”, instead only offering a dismissive warning – meaning that common sense, empathy and fear of being caught by the authorities will prevent people from flying where they shouldn’t.

In a blog post, DJI Distinguish this Such as “putting control back into the hands of drone operators.” DJI suggests that technologies like Remote ID, which publicly broadcast the location of the drone and its operator during flight, “provide authorities with the tools to enforce existing rules,” said Adam Welsh, head of global policy for DJI. Edge.

But it turns out it was a DJI drone that destroyed a Super Scooper that was fighting wildfires in Los Angeles It was a sub-250g model Which may not require a remote ID to operate, and the FBI expects it will have to “work backwards through investigative means” to find out who flew it there.

DJI voluntarily created its own geolocation feature, so it makes sense for the company to get rid of it now that the US government no longer seems to appreciate its help, is banning some of its drone imports, and is calling DJI the “Chinese military” company. Countdown to imposing an effective ban on imports.

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“The FAA does not require geolocation from drone manufacturers,” confirms FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. Edge.

But DJI’s former head of global policy, Brendan Schulman, doesn’t seem to think this is a step for the better. Here are some choice phrases It was published in X:

This is a notable shift in drone safety strategy with potentially huge impact, especially among drone pilots who are less aware of airspace restrictions and high-risk areas.

There has been strong evidence over the years that automatic geolocation of drones, implemented using a risk-based approach, has contributed significantly to aviation safety.

Interesting timing: Nearly ten years to the day after a DJI drone crashed on the White House lawn, DJI has removed the built-in geotagging feature that automatically flagged such an accident, replacing it with warnings the user can choose to ignore.

Here are the questions we sent DJI and the company’s answers:

1) Can you confirm that DJI no longer prohibits its drones from taking off/flying to any locations whatsoever in the US, including but not limited to military installations, public emergency areas such as wildfires, and important government buildings such as the White House ?

Yes, this GEO update applies to all locations in the United States and is compliant with the FAA’s Remote Control ID goals. With this update, DJI’s previous geolocation datasets have been replaced to display official FAA data. Areas previously designated as restricted areas (also known as no-fly zones) will be displayed as enhanced warning areas, consistent with areas designated by the FAA.

2) If drones are still prohibited from taking off/flying in some locations, what are those locations?

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3) Did DJI make this decision in consultation with or at the direction of the U.S. Government or any designated government bodies, agencies or representatives? If so, which? If not, why not?

This GEO update is consistent with the principle advanced by aviation regulators around the world – including the FAA – that the operator is responsible for complying with the rules.

4) Has DJI conducted any risk analysis studies previously, and if so, has it noted the potential for abuse? What possibility did he see? If not, why not?

The previously existing geofencing system was a voluntary safety measure introduced by DJI more than 10 years ago when small, mass-produced drones were a newcomer to the airspace, and regulators needed time to establish rules for their safe use.

Since then, the FAA has introduced remote identification requirements, meaning drones flying in the United States must broadcast the equivalent of a drone “license plate.” This requirement came into effect in early 2024, providing authorities with the tools to enforce existing rules.

“This update has been in development for some time, following similar changes successfully implemented in the EU last year, which showed no evidence of increased risk,” says Welsh. However, changes last year It has reportedly maintained mandatory no-fly zones around UK airports.

Here in the US, Welch seems to be signaling that its apps won’t go that far. “To be clear: DJI flight apps will continue to voluntarily issue warnings if pilots attempt to fly in restricted airspace as defined by the FAA, provided pilots keep their flight apps updated.” Edge.

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