New posts today are starting to show that limitations and restrictions are fast coming worldwide. Hopefully, the calamity will settle down and DJI will take a responsible position to counter-act any anti "Drone" push beyond common sense and protect its customers from privacy invasion by any Govt entity.  

Whenever new technology  takes off this fast it becomes an unruly, evil tiger in the eyes of the omnipotent...they must protect us from ourselves The problem we face now is that the product has gone beyond hobbyists and early adopters...as the Industry category explodes the push for marketshare and $$ places this product into the masses exponentially.

Hopefully, our investments will be protected by DJI so that they won't be relegated to the trash heap in the future.

Fly safe and responsibly for now!!!

Haven't you figured it out by now, it should be obvious to even the most casual observer!  It's a global conspiracy created, planned and funded by the Military-Industrial-Complex in an attempt to keep control of the drones for themselves!

The sudden rash of incidents appearing across the globe in the last few weeks have been carefully orchestrated to manipulate public opinion by tapping into their greatest fears and to get the biggest reaction from government officials so they will rush more and more restrictive legislation into law!

Just you wait, before you know it all those insidious minions will have spread out far and wide and soon they'll be knocking on YOUR door, demanding your papers and taking away your Phantom!

(This is the point in the movie where the villain curls his mustache, lowers his head and laughs in that evil, semi-insane, Muuu-Ahhhhh-HaaaaHaaaaHaaaa kinda way)

I can just picture Snidley Whiplash standing there twisting his mustache and laughing.

For starters may I humbly suggest we begin to avoid the word "drone"?
For better or worse this term is associated by the general public with Predator type beasts raining death and destruction remotely from above. May I suggest we try to use the terms UAV or quad/hexacopter instead? These are after all the correct terms for what we fly. Drone is a word invented and popularised by the press, it is neithert a legal nor technical definition and IMHO should be avoided by us at all costs due to its severe negative connotations.  

PS: DJI take note!

In the midst of all of this, Obama sat down at an interview and praised the possibilities of consumer drones....

And, yes, I will use the word drone as it's what most people understand. I will also use the word helicopter for toy helicopters, boat for R/C boats, etc.

No one will be confused. I have lots of politically correct friends who know I am in the "drone" biz and none of them has made even one comment other than positive when they see a nice pic or possible future use in ag, search and rescue, etc
The internet is not "cyberspace" either and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the world from using that term!

Wasn't it Shakespeare who said " a drone by any other name is still a drone" or words to that effect.

trailtec.email Posted at 2015-1-30 18:25
For starters may I humbly suggest we begin to avoid the word "drone"?
For better or worse this term  ...

I think DJI has already taken note...  Nowhere on my box does it say "drone."  My P2V+ is "My Flying Camera."  Nothing more.  Absolutely nothing less.

trailtec.email Posted at 2015-1-30 18:25
For starters may I humbly suggest we begin to avoid the word "drone"?
For better or worse this term  ...

According to the dictionary drone is technically accurate:

"a remote-controlled pilotless aircraft or missile"

I don't know what you guys are talking about.
I love my RC quad-copter.

TXWally Posted at 2015-1-30 23:12
I don't know what you guys are talking about.
I love my RC quad-copter.

I've gotta say...  In my household we differentiate.  We use "quadcopter" to refer to one of our fleet of V262's.  We do, in fact, use "drone" to refer to the Phantom.  The V262's are so much fun!  We have a blast with them!  The Phantom, while still a lot of fun, is for more... practical purposes.  Although filming everybody flying their V262's from above makes for fun video.

for me, the distinction between drone and quad is simply the ability to fly itself (not just hover but navigate) without human interaction

Unfortunately, this is the kind of response our representatives in government are quick to propose...

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfr ... n_types=og.comments

abe.abekleinfel Posted at 2015-1-30 23:40
Unfortunately, this is the kind of response our representatives in government are quick to propose.. ...

Consider the source... another legislator from San Francisco.....she's more concerned to create a knee jerk reaction since the WH incident, against limited # of hobbyists who may "invade" citizen's privacy. ..Hypocrite...another do-gooder who knows what's best for everyone..she should stay focused on the bigger picture...Gov't abuse of our privacy.{:2_28:}

"Hopefully, our investments will be protected by DJI..."

You hope DJI will protect your investment?  They are just following the laws that are going because too many people in this hobby don't care.  Search YouTube and what do you see..."Highest flight above clouds", "DJI flown 3km 6Km round trip on one battery", "some a-hole flying over Turkey's airport.

Sadly DJI is not our problem here it is us.

trailtec.email Posted at 2015-1-30 18:25
For starters may I humbly suggest we begin to avoid the word "drone"?
For better or worse this term  ...

It's a drone.

JATO Posted at 2015-1-31 07:09
It's a drone.

Strange DJI do not mention the word drone in any of it's material. I've Never described any of my birds as drones, it seems a USA media term for their weapon platforms.  

It's a drone by definition. I always refer to it as a drone. Just because the media decided to give the term drone a negative meaning doesn't mean I think of them that way. One day I was out flying and a guy pulled up and ask "What kind of drone is that?"

Just type drone into Google and see what gets returned

Funny..
My neighbors asked my wife a few days after I startrd flying it..Hey, did you guys get a drone?..my wife said, no, not me, he did...and they said cool, just wanted to make sure it was not some freak spying on them..we have never had an issue and I am over 30 flights from my yard now.
Later that evening I sent my neighbors a message and specifically stated that if they ever felt I was spying on them or in their airspace and or peering Into their windows, they could take whatever actions the deemed necessary to remove it from the sky!
As a rule, I do not fly any closer to the ground than 150' unless the people in tha area can see me actually flying it.
Frankly, the Phantom looks like a Seagul that lost a paintball fight at that distance and the camera could not make out two hippos humping from 150'!.
Now funny enough, my wife who was originally skeptical about the Phantom is now asking me to do flybys as she is out training her horses to take PIcts and Video as she feels the noise etc. is good for them as it is just one more thing for them to get used to it and less likely to spook them.

All good here.

Friffy1 Posted at 2015-1-30 22:36
I think DJI has already taken note...  Nowhere on my box does it say "drone."  My P2V+ is "My Flyi ...

Funny you should say that.

The first time I was asked to show my Phantom to some let's say mature people of the gadget impaired variety and was asked "WHAT IS IT?", the first thing that came to my mind was "It's a flying camera!".

I bought my Phantom for precisely that reason, it gives one the ability to photograph from angles not possible before and it would be a great shame if it was banned.

Here in Australia we need a license to fly for commercial gain otherwise free to fly within height and location limits.

Regards

Guy MacDonald