Been having fun with my Spark lately, tonight we are having our fireworks and decided to get my P3 ready. Just barely moved into our new place which is about 2-3 miles away from our old house.

Updated everything, installed a new ND filter, calibrated compass, go to launch and f*n bango.... Just moved right inside of the White House no fly zone. How's that!? The White House is like 25 miles away, how the hell do they think my P3 is going to get that far?

My old place was apparently like 1 mile outside the zone so never had any problems. Just moved into a historical prison turned community and wanted to record with more than my Spark. Good thing I didn't order the Mavic instead of the Spark considering I wouldn't been able to fly it here as well. So stupid having a zone this big, am I SOL?

When I look at that picture I can't help but to giggle a little too myself....It's like an angry giggle actually at myself and DJI. I bet if I were to buy the Mavic they wouldn't have said anything about being in the red NFZ.

Chrismau808 Posted at 2017-7-1 07:04
When I look at that picture I can't help but to giggle a little too myself....It's like an angry giggle actually at myself and DJI. I bet if I were to buy the Mavic they wouldn't have said anything about being in the red NFZ.

Why would they? Nothing is stopping you from driving outside the zone and flying.

Also if you have been flying for awhile already, and lived just outside the NFZ  the whole time, it seems more than reasonable that you should have known of it's existence already.  I mean, how could you not have known there was a big red NFZ on your map a mile or so away?

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-7-1 18:12
Also if you have been flying for awhile already, and lived just outside the NFZ  the whole time, it seems more than reasonable that you should have known of it's existence already.  I mean, how could you not have known there was a big red NFZ on your map a mile or so away?

can one fly without gps?

Alxy Posted at 2017-7-1 21:49
can one fly without gps?

Sure, but there is no switch to turn it off. You have to put a blocking cover on the top of the aircraft.

Would be just like flying in ATTI mode, except that RTH would not work at all. Come to think of it, would be in OPTI mode if low enough, and enough light (using VPS to hold position). Just like flying indoors but with wind

Chrismau808 Posted at 2017-7-1 07:04
When I look at that picture I can't help but to giggle a little too myself....It's like an angry giggle actually at myself and DJI. I bet if I were to buy the Mavic they wouldn't have said anything about being in the red NFZ.

You could always send a tweet to the Whitehouse:- 'NFZ is huge...DT please fix...'

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-7-1 18:08
Why would they? Nothing is stopping you from driving outside the zone and flying.

Why would they? If I'm spending the money to purchase something that they ultimately have control of then they should. Especially when they are only kind of going off the White House NFZ. If they actually used the NFZ area is would be able to fly considering the NFZ is more of an egg shape that clears my location instead of their basic circle which does not.

Also do they really think I'm going to be able to fly 25 miles with my P3? At 25 miles it should be unlockable, especially if they are not using the actual NFZ area. And of course I could drive out of the area but that's besides the point, I would like to fly what I spent my money on in front of my place. I mean why is my P3 grounded but my Spark isn't? I'm 2-3 miles from a military base flight line and it's unlockable, but grounded 25 miles from the White House!?

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-7-1 18:12
Also if you have been flying for awhile already, and lived just outside the NFZ  the whole time, it seems more than reasonable that you should have known of it's existence already.  I mean, how could you not have known there was a big red NFZ on your map a mile or so away?

And to answer this question, it's simple, the furthest away I've flown was maybe 1/2 a mile and apparently not in that direction. I knew of the NFZ but again the actual NFZ versus Dji's NFZ differs, and just enough that my location is locked when it should not be.

Aardvark Posted at 2017-7-2 04:50
You could always send a tweet to the Whitehouse:- 'NFZ is huge...DT please fix...'

Well it's not necessarily the White House or even the FAA, it's DJI choice to implement such a huge NFZ in their firmware.

Chrismau808 Posted at 2017-7-7 17:36
Well it's not necessarily the White House or even the FAA, it's DJI choice to implement such a huge NFZ in their firmware.

You could always flash downgrade to a previous pre nfz update,that may well solve it ? Only if it does don't go telling Mr Trump that I told you ! He will have my little country blocked off with another of his walls,a bit like a nfz but made out of concrete,(0;

Suggest you read this thread it may be of some assistance.

http://forum.dji.com/thread-96762-1-1.html

That map is extremely difficult to view.  Looks like you have it posted sideways, upside down, inside out, and backwards all at the same time.  It appears that's the DJI NFZ for the DC area which is supposed to line up fairly closely with the actual DC FRZ but it's not perfect because the DC FRZ is not a perfect circle.  The center of that red circle is actually from Reagan National Airport, not the White House.  The radius is actually 25 km, not 25 miles.  That's about a 15 mile radius as the bird flies.  Due to the odd shape of the actual DC FRZ, it's possible you could fly legally at your location but it doesn't matter because there's no way to make DJI unlock that particular NFZ that I've ever heard of.  So you'd have to block the top and fly in ATTI if you're legal at your house.

Here's another thread if you want more info:  http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... typeid%3D333&page=1

There is a DUGN DC area user group you might want to join - they discuss good places to fly in the DC area.  It's not particularly active though.  https://www.meetup.com/DC-Area-Drone-User-Group/

Mark The Droner Posted at 2017-7-8 03:46
That map is extremely difficult to view.  Looks like you have it posted sideways, upside down, inside out, and backwards all at the same time.  It appears that's the DJI NFZ for the DC area which is supposed to line up fairly closely with the actual DC FRZ but it's not perfect because the DC FRZ is not a perfect circle.  The center of that red circle is actually from Reagan National Airport, not the White House.  The radius is actually 25 km, not 25 miles.  That's about a 15 mile radius as the bird flies.  Due to the odd shape of the actual DC FRZ, it's possible you could fly legally at your location but it doesn't matter because there's no way to make DJI unlock that particular NFZ that I've ever heard of.  So you'd have to block the top and fly in ATTI if you're legal at your house.

Here's another thread if you want more info:  http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... typeid%3D333&page=1

Lol, I took the picture straight on. It saved sideways and apparently my map shows North is south. I will check them out thank you.