DJI and "Pay for Play"

[Dave Pitman]

CERTIFIED AND LICENSED USERS:

DJI would like to know how much and how often you will be willing to pay to unlock your assets. (you knew it was coming)

You have the opportunity to take the survey and let DJI know (in a polite way please) how you feel about artificial restrictions placed upon properly certified users and then the scheme of charging a sizable fee, possibly annually, to remove them.

Industrial Unlocks

 

[BigAl07]

I filled it out and VIVIDLY voiced my opinion. We've already started using some Yuneec aircraft so it would be easy enough to just keep converting away from DJI.

 

[R Martin]

If DJI implements this, it will be the catalyst I need to dump their product and go with an American company that understands their role in the NAS. My final comment was this: "I look at it this way. I have already paid for the aircraft, the training, and the certification. I am not going to pay to DJI to fly an aircraft I already purchased. I am a commercial operator flying for a government institution and I do not need DJI's permission or blessing to operate within America's national airspace. I certainly am not going to pay DJI for holding that airspace hostage on a flight by flight basis. I will dump my DJI aircraft in a second if you attempt to implement this and go with an American UAS company."

Is that respectful enough Dave?

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

They got some *****....Here's a problem which our useless Congress can do something actually useful. This is restrain of trade.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Is that respectful enough Dave?

Perfect Buddy!

 

[philsmith76]

Oh no. Is this how dji is planning on integrating AirMap LAANC approvals within thier app? Paying to operate in the NAS, sad. They already just screwed up with the dji geo 2 and the runway altitude zones requiring contacting dji for a unlock.

 

[R Martin]

Perfect Buddy!

I'm in the process of switching aircraft anyway. My current one is just too limited in capabilities for the job at hand. This is the justification I needed to feel good about the switch. Once DJI tried to insinuate themselves as the NAS police and began requiring users to gain their approval for flight in certain areas, they lost me. I thought that was the whole reason we were certificated to begin with. So we would be able to interpret a sectional chart and know where we were authorized to fly and where we should avoid. The real sore point was having a foreign country dictate where I could fly in the US...

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

I want to know where the **** are the US dealers on this and why are they not fighting back to convince DJI they will lose sales over a few dollars.

 

[R Martin]

I want to know where the **** are the US dealers on this and why are they not fighting back to convince DJI they will lose sales over a few dollars.

DJI provides affordable low end products for a lot of hobbyist and small businesses to break into the field. They are pretty much synonymous with UAS/drone. I doubt their US division has a lot of sway when it comes to corporate policy. I doubt they are really worried about it. Face it; they pretty much have a monopoly on the low-end market in terms of technology and ease of use. There just aren't that many starter choices that balance features and cost for entry users....

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Agree, but the local dealers survive on customer service and repeat sales. "DJI provides affordable low end products for a lot of hobbyist and small businesses to break into the field." Yes...for now.

 

[dronecyclops]

DJI is going to lose my business for sure they are not the boss we meet FAA requirements not theirs

 

[ianwood]

It looks like an enterprise program and not a global unlock.

 

[Meta4]

If DJI implements this, it will be the catalyst I need to dump their product and go with an American company that understands their role in the NAS.
... I will dump my DJI aircraft in a second if you attempt to implement this and go with an American UAS company."

And what American drone company do you have in mind?
I'm not aware of any.

 

[Dave Pitman]

According to Tahoe Ed (DJI enterprise support), DJI will still offer unlocking like is available now for no cost. If you would like DJI to evaluate your operation to see if it meets "their standards" and pay the yet-to-be determined fee, they will allow you to turn GEO off until your next payment (should they decide on a subscription model).

Oh, and Ed says that the majority of commercial users support their geofencing scheme and have no problem with DJI maintaining a nanny position over certified operators in the same way as with casual hobby users. When asked for his data to support this claim he has no response.

Man we need Yuneec and others to step up their game.

 

[philsmith76]

Not sure of any 107 pilot who wants a third party telling them where and when to fly. Isn’t that why we have a certificate to be able to determine that for ourselves? Sems like dji makes no account for who is a certified operator and who is a hobbiest.

 

[Tennessee Drone Services]

We were hired for a job several States away. Waited 120+ days for airspace authorization as it was less than a mile away from the international airport. Got the authorization, coordinated with the client and production crew on timing, contacted DJI to "unlock" the phantom 4 pro+ and was approved. Add in the unlock and show up on site the next day and what do you know, I can't take off. Tried with the backup Mavic and that too can't take off-was grasping at straws here all the while the crew is waiting on me.

Thankfully I was able to film with my DSLR and gimbal and fly at their second headquarters, but that one event led me to purchase Parrot Anafi's as backups since they don't have geo fencing.

 

[Kristina Fowler]

If DJI implements this, it will be the catalyst I need to dump their product and go with an American company that understands their role in the NAS. My final comment was this: "I look at it this way. I have already paid for the aircraft, the training, and the certification. I am not going to pay to DJI to fly an aircraft I already purchased. I am a commercial operator flying for a government institution and I do not need DJI's permission or blessing to operate within America's national airspace. I certainly am not going to pay DJI for holding that airspace hostage on a flight by flight basis. I will dump my DJI aircraft in a second if you attempt to implement this and go with an American UAS company."

Is that respectful enough Dave?

Well said. It's such an affront by DJI that it's hard to even compose a proper response. It's like asking someone if it's ok to breath. This will cause such an uproar that DJI is sure to wind up with egg on their face. What consequences would other 800-pound gorillas incur (Ford/Toyota/Apple/Microsoft) if they charged you for using products you already paid for? DJI better re-think this.

 

[924]

Agree, but the local dealers survive on customer service and repeat sales. "DJI provides affordable low end products for a lot of hobbyist and small businesses to break into the field." Yes...for now.

Actually, I have to wonder if execs at DJI are as concerned about "repeat" sales as they are about a whole lot of "initial" sales. I should think that if they were serious about KEEPING customers their customer service would be better (it's awful). I think maybe they might also be slower to release these products until they had worked out more of the flaws, particularly in the software. The dealers might depend on repeat customers but they are not world-wide - not really - but DJI are. There may be 100,00 complaints, but there are 100 million potential customers. Having taken such a high percentage of the non-military markets, I don't think DJI has much to worry about. I know I keep buying their stuff, ( Mod Removed )..... and it IS pretty cool stuff.

 

[John Githens]

We were hired for a job several States away. Waited 120+ days for airspace authorization as it was less than a mile away from the international airport. Got the authorization, coordinated with the client and production crew on timing, contacted DJI to "unlock" the phantom 4 pro+ and was approved. Add in the unlock and show up on site the next day and what do you know, I can't take off. Tried with the backup Mavic and that too can't take off-was grasping at straws here all the while the crew is waiting on me.

Thankfully I was able to film with my DSLR and gimbal and fly at their second headquarters, but that one event led me to purchase Parrot Anafi's as backups since they don't have geo fencing.

For similar reasons I also bring a Parrot ANAFI. Plus it is much safer to operate than any of my other drones. You never know for sure what's ahead at a new job site.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

According to Tahoe Ed (DJI enterprise support), DJI will still offer unlocking like is available now for no cost. If you would like DJI to evaluate your operation to see if it meets "their standards" and pay the yet-to-be determined fee, they will allow you to turn GEO off until your next payment (should they decide on a subscription model).

Oh, and Ed says that the majority of commercial users support their geofencing scheme and have no problem with DJI maintaining a nanny position over certified operators in the same way as with casual hobby users. When asked for his data to support this claim he has no response.

Man we need Yuneec and others to step up their game.

"Ed says that the majority of commercial users support their geofencing scheme and have no problem with DJI maintaining a nanny position over certified operators in the same way as with casual hobby users. "
I own a bridge at Lake Havasu I will sell cheap to anyone who believes that. Love to see the results of DJI's survey above.