Brace yourself for the next wave of legislation folks. This is terrible news for drone pilots. Some F**K tard had to go strap some C4 to a drone and try to blow up the president of Venezuela. Not that he is the nicest guy in the world and might have deserved it, but be that as it may, some tart had to go and weponize a drone. This is really not good news and a waste of a perfectly good drone.

  

  

I’ve been grounded due to President Trump being in town, and I mean when he’s in town he is 27.9 miles away golfing. DJI just shuts me off, I cannot start my motors. The TFR I am in lasts until 081418 so for the next 10 days or so no flying, at least not any ware near my home.

  

  

I’m not sure If being turned off by DJI is a good thing or a bad thing. I’m glad in the United States they protect VIP’s by geo fencing drones out. Its better then tons of legislation, but knowing that DJI could just turn off your device is a bit disturbing.

  

  

Although It is every pilots responsibility to know the environment they are fling in, and I won’t argue the responsibility of the pilot to have the craft on the ground before a TFR goes into place for VIP movement.

Are there any protections?

For instance, If I am flying at 4:58 and at 5:00 a Temporary Flight Restriction goes up, will I no longer have control of my craft?

If I have no control wouldn’t it crash and possibly injure someone?

Who would be liable for injuries sustained in a situation like this?

I Welcome your comments...

  

  

  

Well in situations like this, where dji blocks takeoff, i just love my parrot bebop2 even more ..

The best part about FPV Drones, no limitations placed by GPS tracking, and they can still get amazing footage by use of a GoPro/Action Cam.

I didn't know they could ground you when the President plays golf 30 miles away. That's really dumb.

Bing Err Posted at 2018-8-5 02:41
I didn't know they could ground you when the President plays golf 30 miles away. That's really dumb.

Agree. Seems a bit overkill for something with a limited range and battery life like the Spark.  But, I don't know if the geofencing programming is sophisticated enough to know what type of drone is flying, so they just block them all.

Tervist Posted at 2018-8-5 04:49
Agree. Seems a bit overkill for something with a limited range and battery life like the Spark.  But, I don't know if the geofencing programming is sophisticated enough to know what type of drone is flying, so they just block them all.

This is how big the no fly zone is around the President of the United States.

and the two dots represent our positions..

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 05:31
[view_image]

This is how big the no fly zone is around the President of the United States.

That's crazy. Apparently you can't fly anywhere in most of North Jersey, or eastern PA for that matter, when he decides to head to Bedminster for the day.

Tervist Posted at 2018-8-5 05:39
That's crazy. Apparently you can't fly anywhere in most of North Jersey, or eastern PA for that matter, when he decides to head to Bedminster for the day.

No....No you can't. it is almost all of north Jersey... Oh and PS he is here almost every weekend.

omg what a terrifying news

Joller79 DK Posted at 2018-8-5 00:57
Well in situations like this, where dji blocks takeoff, i just love my parrot bebop2 even more ..

The French are a bunch of losers, so are their drones.

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 05:42
No....No you can't. it is almost all of north Jersey... Oh and PS he is here almost every weekend.

Is there a park in Mahwah or West Milford where you can go fly?

Tervist Posted at 2018-8-5 05:52
Is there a park in Mahwah or West Milford where you can go fly?

West milford or greenwood lake yes.

jacksonnai Posted at 2018-8-5 05:49
omg what a terrifying news

ya it's all over the news today

well they will make a new drone rules for sure btw thanks for sharing

maddox Posted at 2018-8-5 06:19
well they will make a new drone rules for sure btw thanks for sharing

I hope not..

Bing Err Posted at 2018-8-5 02:41
I didn't know they could ground you when the President plays golf 30 miles away. That's really dumb.

In case DJI creates a America NFZ, they ground you everywhere.
As long you update your nfz, methinks.
To Carmenvail: How I understand that nfz system, your go4 checks on nfz updates.
If the version U use is not updating, ....

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-8-5 07:17
In case DJI creates a America NFZ, they ground you everywhere.
As long you update your nfz, methinks.
To Carmenvail: How I understand that nfz system, your go4 checks on nfz updates.

then it won't update...is this a good thing?

Maybe if the top 1% rich shared the wealth things like this wouldn't happen!

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 07:51
then it won't update...is this a good thing?

It would shift the responsibility to you: Oh, NFZ for 2 weeks, didn't know that, Mr. Secret Service Officer

Blellow Posted at 2018-8-5 08:02
Maybe if the top 1% rich shared the wealth things like this wouldn't happen!

Could you expand on that thought?

I'm confused with what you are trying to say.

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 05:42
No....No you can't. it is almost all of north Jersey... Oh and PS he is here almost every weekend.

Isn't he every other week in florida?

What if you try to fly using a different app? I'm thinking Litchi... I don't know if the apps share some NFZ database and won't let you fly?  That's also lame how it's in effect for 10 days!!!  Holy cow - doesn't golf only take a few hours?

Blellow Posted at 2018-8-5 08:02
Maybe if the top 1% rich shared the wealth things like this wouldn't happen!

You mean if one billionaires with lets say 75 billion US$ can get all the people in the world just ~10 US, the richest 1% would make it 100000 US$ for everyone?
And the steak cost just the next day 1000 US$, don't you think?
They are just rich, because we are not!

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 05:49
The French are a bunch of losers, so are their drones.

Could you expand on this thought?  I hope this is just a joke done in poor taste?  Although, the exalted orange one would approve...

If I followed the narrative correctly, a blogger on one of the Spark forums complained about he took off in a restricted zone he unlocked. Thanks to poor planning, he flew out of the zone, unlock time expired and he could not direct the Spark back into the zone and it crashed.

So my understanding would be no...no more control.
OR, land only option - not directional as with a battery failsafe RTH for example.

Violence brings more violence... I disagree with President Maduro with the way he has ran his country. This being said, having gone near areas where massive riots have happened, this is NOT ok. UAS technology like that of which DJI makes should be used for its intended purpose. I explain to people almost everytime I am out flying that I have a respect for the machine and its capability, I do low risk flying habits so I dont create issues. I understand my countries photography and privacy laws, as well as recently getting certified as a part 107 pilot. I understand safety and emergency protocals when flying and know how to do things like first aid or incident reporting if anything ever happened. But I ultimately say to people, this is a tool to bring joy, wonder and awe to those that may not be able to have the same perspective I do. That being said, I understand that the overlying term of "drone" has negative conotations among some, based on news of them being used to aid criminals, surviellance and even in military operations to strike targets. This is the unfortunate side effect that occurs with every new technology. We as a community of UAS operators should be vocal about our hobby, our businesses, and our livelihoods. We should denounce the use of this technology in ways that are overtly evil, and institute a culture that shows that drones can be used safely and responsibly. I will leave off with my final thoughts about this report and a quote that I always use for people that think that ideas like this is good and reasonable. Violence will always cause suffering, and I have become more increasingly aware that some use violence to push a political agenda. (I dont want to get into whos right/wrong, thats a different discussion) I believe that social change should be done in a peaceable manner, especially in times where  there is tyranny and injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington DC to deliver his memorable speech about the injustices in america and was successful. We live through turbulent times, this I believe is clear to anyone who sees the news, but regardless of your opinon of politics or otherwise, act peaceably. be kind and courteous to others. you will be more likely to get your point across if you do not rush to anger or hatred against your fellow man. I will leave you with a quote, to remember what I have said here. "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."  Matthew 26:52. Thank you all for reading, and fly safe. Alpha

I'm seeing reports now that the bang might have been from a gas explosion nearby and not from weaponized drones. A fine, upstanding fellow like the leader of Venezuela wouldn't be using a random explosion for propaganda purposes, would he?

jacksonnai Posted at 2018-8-5 05:49
omg what a terrifying news

Yep, I'd be terrified if Trump landed in my hometown, too.;)

Let me say this video clip is NOT real .... but it could be real in the not too distant future.  If you remember the Olympics and saw the Intel drones, and with even the current state of AI, you can see this is plausible.  I hope the incident in Venezuela does not cause recreational drone pilots get over regulated or restricted.  Maybe the perpetrators saw this video as their inspiration.  It worries me others will follow.

Actually I am not sure if I fully understand the Trump NFZ thing. My DJI Go 4 app runs on an old dedicated iPad mini 2 with no cellular connection. I only turn on WiFi to either update the GO 4 app if and when I decide to do so, or to get a map. If a clear area I normally fly in suddenly became a NFZ, how would the app know that?

Mark S Posted at 2018-8-5 17:49
Let me say this video clip is NOT real .... but it could be real in the not too distant future.  If you remember the Olympics and saw the Intel drones, and with even the current state of AI, you can see this is plausible.  I hope the incident in Venezuela does not cause recreational drone pilots get over regulated or restricted.  Maybe the perpetrators saw this video as their inspiration.  It worries me others will follow.

Drone wars are here and real!!

Mix some AI with a bit of facial recognition, then weaponize the fuc**R ,give it a three  inch airframe so they can't see it coming in while it blasts its target, and  for your viewing pleasure, do it all on 4K video so we wont miss a seccond of the carnage .

Ill bet China has a billion of these things hanging around.   

Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 05:49
The French are a bunch of losers, so are their drones.

Might be you think those frogeaters are loosers, but they make great and stable drones, not what we can say on the dji spark..

pmshop Posted at 2018-8-5 13:04
If I followed the narrative correctly, a blogger on one of the Spark forums complained about he took off in a restricted zone he unlocked. Thanks to poor planning, he flew out of the zone, unlock time expired and he could not direct the Spark back into the zone and it crashed.

So my understanding would be no...no more control.

I'm gonna go with that PMSHOP best to plan around them rather then tempt faith ½ mile down range over the ocean when the TFR goes up.

AlphaFlightNW Posted at 2018-8-5 14:49
Violence brings more violence... I disagree with President Maduro with the way he has ran his country. This being said, having gone near areas where massive riots have happened, this is NOT ok. UAS technology like that of which DJI makes should be used for its intended purpose. I explain to people almost everytime I am out flying that I have a respect for the machine and its capability, I do low risk flying habits so I dont create issues. I understand my countries photography and privacy laws, as well as recently getting certified as a part 107 pilot. I understand safety and emergency protocals when flying and know how to do things like first aid or incident reporting if anything ever happened. But I ultimately say to people, this is a tool to bring joy, wonder and awe to those that may not be able to have the same perspective I do. That being said, I understand that the overlying term of "drone" has negative conotations among some, based on news of them being used to aid criminals, surviellance and even in military operations to strike targets. This is the unfortunate side effect that occurs with every new technology. We as a community of UAS operators should be vocal about our hobby, our businesses, and our livelihoods. We should denounce the use of this technology in ways that are overtly evil, and institute a culture that shows that drones can be used safely and responsibly. I will leave off with my final thoughts about this report and a quote that I always use for people that think that ideas like this is good and reasonable. Violence will always cause suffering, and I have become more increasingly aware that some use violence to push a political agenda. (I dont want to get into whos right/wrong, thats a different discussion) I believe that social change should be done in a peaceable manner, especially in times where  there is tyranny and injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington DC to deliver his memorable speech about the injustices in america and was successful. We live through turbulent times, this I believe is clear to anyone who sees the news, but regardless of your opinon of politics or otherwise, act peaceably. be kind and courteous to others. you will be more likely to get your point across if you do not rush to anger or hatred against your fellow man. I will leave you with a quote, to remember what I have said here. "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."  Matthew 26:52. Thank you all for reading, and fly safe. Alpha

#namaste

marlowe Posted at 2018-8-5 20:02
Actually I am not sure if I fully understand the Trump NFZ thing. My DJI Go 4 app runs on an old dedicated iPad mini 2 with no cellular connection. I only turn on WiFi to either update the GO 4 app if and when I decide to do so, or to get a map. If a clear area I normally fly in suddenly became a NFZ, how would the app know that?

Ok I see that you have lots of drone experience so Ill be brief. if you have been updating your app you most likely have the most current firmware. if so then the app also updates a NFZ data base. I have been declining to update this every time it asks me to because i see it as DJI just adding to the map of already restricted zones.  DJI works off the published NATOM that can be found on the This FAA Site

I also check Know before You Fly Just click on the map of where you want to fly and you will see a list of restrictions if there are any.

ALWAYS Check this it has saved me from having drifting issues in atti mode at altitude. 1. Click on the EARTH button to expand then 2. click a place on the map that you will be flying. Then unless you are a rocket scientest only concern yourself with with the wind speed catagory. You can click on SFC for surface wind speed thats wind spped to roughly the 500' ( foot ) level and then click on the 1000 hpa button for speeds above 500' its calibrated in  HPA (hectopascals; yet another reson to hate the french. ) the higher the value the lower the altitude Earth wind speed and direction  your drone will never reach the 850 layer of the atmospher so I only use the first two.
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Carmenvail Posted at 2018-8-5 20:47
Ok I see that you have lots of drone experience so Ill be brief. if you have been updating your app you most likely have the most current firmware. if so then the app also updates a NFZ data base. I have been declining to update this every time it asks me to because i see it as DJI just adding to the map of already restricted zones.  DJI works off the published NATOM that can be found on the This FAA Site

I also check Know before You Fly Just click on the map of where you want to flu and you will see a list of restrictions if there are any.

Yeah thanks - that is what I thought. So if you haven't updated, why would you be blocked from flying by Trump's visit?

marlowe Posted at 2018-8-5 20:02
Actually I am not sure if I fully understand the Trump NFZ thing. My DJI Go 4 app runs on an old dedicated iPad mini 2 with no cellular connection. I only turn on WiFi to either update the GO 4 app if and when I decide to do so, or to get a map. If a clear area I normally fly in suddenly became a NFZ, how would the app know that?

The go4 , if online, checks on nfz updates automaticly
And if downloaded, it loads em up into the Spark (DJI drones) imho

Joller79 DK Posted at 2018-8-5 20:28
Might be you think those frogeaters are loosers, but they make great and stable drones, not what we can say on the dji spark..

And frogs are, actually, not bad. Just so very little, mostly

S-e-ven Posted at 2018-8-5 21:01
The go4 , if online, checks on nfz updates automaticly
And if downloaded, it loads em uo into the Spark (DJI drones) imho

Yes that is my point, if an NFZ has been added but since then, if you are never online when GO 4 is running, you won't be blocked.

Yes, but if you arent online for too long, the app will not work, too.