DJI software no longer prevents drones from flying over military sites and airports

DJI, a Chinese drone manufacturer Changed geofencing restrictions on its drones in the USand removed no-fly zones from its programs after they had been in place for nearly 10 years. The company says this follows a Similar software update a year ago In Europe and comply with US Federal Aviation Administration rules for drone pilots in the United States.

The company said in Blog post About the update The changes occurred on January 13, and from now on, users of the Fly and Pilot apps will see FAA data instead of DJI’s geolocation data regarding what are now called “Enhanced Warning Zones,” where operators can see Locations designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as controlled airspace.

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Instead of disrupting flight in what DJI previously called restricted areas or no-fly zones, pilots will get a safety warning they can override.

In the post, DJI said that rules regarding the flight zone were sparse when the company introduced the feature in 2013.

“The geofencing system was created as a voluntary, built-in safety feature to help promote responsible aviation practices and prevent DJI drone operators from unintentionally flying into restricted airspace, such as government buildings, airports, or prisons,” the post read.

The timing of the update is as follows California is grappling with A Forest fire disaster Which brought drones back into the spotlight. Incident in That disabled a firefighting drone and Arrests related to drones flying in forest fire areas It’s not the reputation of drones that helps during the crisis, it’s the drones It has proven useful in past bushfire incidents In helping track property damage and capturing footage of the devastation.

the The company told The Verge That the geofence update applies to the entire United States, and that it complies with FAA rules and a new system that made geofencing redundant.

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Since introducing geofencing, the company said in a statement: “The F.A.A Remote ID requirements, which means that drones flying in the United States must broadcast the equivalent of a drone “license plate.” This requirement comes into effect in early 2024, providing authorities with the tools to enforce existing rules.

The Verge noted that the former head of global policy at DJI, Brendan ShulmanHe criticized the decision in a series of posts on X, writing“There has been strong evidence over the years that automatic geolocation of drones, implemented using a risk-based approach, has made a significant contribution to aviation safety.”