FAA Approves DJI To Authorize Customer Flights In Controlled Airspace

[BigAl07]

This should be interesting. I'm looking forward to trying this out soon

FAA Approves DJI To Authorize Customer Flights In Controlled Airspace



DJI Selected As LAANC Supplier, Opening Up More Airspace For Professional

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Thanks for the link @BigAl07, we look forward to seeing it fully functional.

 

[Mike Nevins]

IDK, I have a problem with a foreign, non-USA private company being granted this type of authorization. MAybe I'm missing something here, but China is not our friend, and IMHO has already overstepped their bounds with restrictions imbedded into their DJIgo 4 app.

 

[Earnest Ward]

This should be interesting. I'm looking forward to trying this out soon

FAA Approves DJI To Authorize Customer Flights In Controlled Airspace



DJI Selected As LAANC Supplier, Opening Up More Airspace For Professional

Have you seen any mention yet with regards to an implementation timeline? I haven't seen anything from DJI, but may have overlooked a statement release.

 

[Dave Pitman]

IDK, I have a problem with a foreign, non-USA private company being granted this type of authorization. MAybe I'm missing something here, but China is not our friend, and IMHO has already overstepped their bounds with restrictions imbedded into their DJIgo 4 app.

The FAA authorization to be a LAANC provider doesn't really "give" anything special to the applicant (DJI in this case). If DJI handles it as well as their own geofencing platform, it will probably be a mess anyway.

In addition, DJI has gotten a lot of deserved bad press for their app's privacy issues and they have tried to assure everyone that the "phoning home" nonsense is able to be turned off by the user. If they then layer LAANC access into GO (and it works) then they have the "phoning home" issue all over again because LAANC would need to connect with the FAA and while it's doing that, who else is it connecting to? And you would need a data connection that many tablets, even DJI's own, don't have.

Let's face it. DJI's software is generally pretty poor other than their actual flight and gimbal control which is obviously pretty darn good.

DJI is working on their "Flight Hub" platform. Hopefully that's where they want to include LAANC access and not in GO.

 

[Mike Nevins]

BigA107, I have not seen anything yet regarding implementation. All I can tell you is that I have been involved in the electronics business (Systems Analyst) since the 80's and with the recent spy chips found in server boards this is a huge problem, and I suspect much more imbedded that we currently understand.

Dave Ptiman; If the FAA authorizes DJI to permit flights in controlled airspace, then they have been given the same authority as the current FAA does through DroneZone or manually. Who else provides authorization? No one.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Mike, the LAANC system is run by FAA ATC. The "providers" are only "providing" the portal to that ATC system. The "providers" don't authorize anything themselves, just the access to it.

 

[Mike Nevins]

Are you saying they will be like Skyward? That's who I currently use to get LAANC authorization.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Yes, exactly. All of the "Providers" are accessing the same FAA system. They are just providing their own unique interface. But it is the FAA that is still doing the approving or not.

With DJI, if their app developers were a bit (lot) better, then perhaps being able to get an FAA authorization and dji unlock all from within GO would be handy.

Unfortunately, DJI can't even get their own unlocking working 100% and GO is already getting unruly. In theory, it sounds good though. That pesky privacy issue would still exist.

 

[Mike Nevins]

Ok, from the sound of things, it was like the FAA was granting them the authorization, not just the passthrough or interface for flight authorization. The LAANC system is still not fully functional as my area still will not work. GJT. There are other in Western Colorado that also do not work. You would think they (FAA) would have a fully functional system in place before they authorize third parties (DJI) to interface with a system that is not fully operational. But it is the government right.

 

[Dave Pitman]

Yes. Some of the airports are not under direct control of the FAA. They are contracted ATC or Military in some cases and those are taking longer to come online.

 

[BigAl07]

Yes. Some of the airports are not under direct control of the FAA. They are contracted ATC or Military in some cases and those are taking longer to come online.

I think many people have missed that point since day one. I think every has just assumed that ATC is ATC is ATC but that is not the case.

 

[BryanD]

What? This makes no sense to me. I hope D. Pittman is correct, they will just be providing a portal (like Airmap and SkyVector) and not actually providing approvals. Surely a company based in China will not making decisions on our Airspace!

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Yes, exactly. All of the "Providers" are accessing the same FAA system. They are just providing their own unique interface. But it is the FAA that is still doing the approving or not.

With DJI, if their app developers were a bit (lot) better, then perhaps being able to get an FAA authorization and dji unlock all from within GO would be handy.

Unfortunately, DJI can't even get their own unlocking working 100% and GO is already getting unruly. In theory, it sounds good though. That pesky privacy issue would still exist.

"With DJI, if their app developers were a bit (lot) better, then perhaps being able to get an FAA authorization and dji unlock all from within GO would be handy. " I would give my right testicle for that feature.

 

[R Martin]

"With DJI, if their app developers were a bit (lot) better, then perhaps being able to get an FAA authorization and dji unlock all from within GO would be handy. " I would give my right testicle for that feature.

I think its pretty safe to say that the jewels are not in jeopardy in the near future.

 

[BigAl07]

DJI is merely providing an INTERFACE for the process. They aren't making any decisions etc. They are just trying to make it easier for their customers to get access to the system within DJI Go.