This article indicated that DJI has voluntarily grounded its quads in Washington D.C.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7927423/dji-drone-no-fly-white-house-d-c


DJI has indicated that it will mandate that users of its quads must update firmware/software
so as to impose this limitation. I understand DJI's concern to not become a pariah in the
UAS, UAV, quadcopter "world", but the following is what really has me concerned.


What concerns me with this is that after this DJI mandated firmware update has been imposed,
the US Gov't could then require DJI to hand over a list of its customers who HAVE and HAVE NOT
updated their quads. From that point on, our imaginations could run wild with what the US Gov't,
probably through the FAA, could do to enforce this mandate.


Furthermore, there is the looming possibility that with the "cooperation" of DJI and other manufacturers
of GPS enabled quads, a signal could be sent out disabling the use of these quads, grounding them permanently
until each quad's owner registers, complies, pays, whatever, to re-enable their quad, and at which point
further firmware updates could severly limit their capabilities and render them flyable only up to let's say, 50ft AGL,
50ft flying distance, any further up or away, they auto-land, even if its over water.


I understand responsible quad use is the best thing all around, but the genie has been out of the bottle for years in regards to the explosion in quad sales, with not limitations or registration required. And what about all the manufacturers of other brands of quads?
What about home-built quads?


Call your senator and congressman, make sure this doesn't happen.

This article indicated that DJI has voluntarily grounded its quads in Washington D.C.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7927423/dji-drone-no-fly-white-house-d-c


DJI has indicated that it will mandate that users of its quads must update firmware/software
so as to impose this limitation. I understand DJI's concern to not become a pariah in the
UAS, UAV, quadcopter "world", but the following is what really has me concerned.


What concerns me with this is that after this DJI mandated firmware update has been imposed,
the US Gov't could then require DJI to hand over a list of its customers who HAVE and HAVE NOT
updated their quads. From that point on, our imaginations could run wild with what the US Gov't,
probably through the FAA, could do to enforce this mandate.


Furthermore, there is the looming possibility that with the "cooperation" of DJI and other manufacturers
of GPS enabled quads, a signal could be sent out disabling the use of these quads, grounding them permanently
until each quad's owner registers, complies, pays, whatever, to re-enable their quad, and at which point
further firmware updates could severly limit their capabilities and render them flyable only up to let's say, 50ft AGL,
50ft flying distance, any further up or away, they auto-land, even if its over water.


I understand responsible quad use is the best thing all around, but the genie has been out of the bottle for years in regards to the explosion in quad sales, with not limitations or registration required. And what about all the manufacturers of other brands of quads?
What about home-built quads?


Call your senator and congressman, make sure this doesn't happen.