As a part 107 pilot, I’m involved in a survey which involves launching from a point that’s 1000’ MSL And flying to the tower that is it 3227’ MSL... under  current FAA regulations we are permitted to be up to 400 feet above the obstruction within a 400 foot radius.

I got on DJI’s Flysafe site and submitted a request including a sectional map and the appropriate FAA regulations  and described the operation in detail.

After two days I did not get an unlock; I subsequently emailed Flysafe  and the response was we are limited to 500 m above the takeoff point.... except for law-enforcement and specific authorizations from the FAA.

In my custom unlock request I pointed out this wasn’t a restricted zone, and included the applicable FAA memorandum showing that flight in E5 airspace did not require a specific authorization for a commercial remote pilot.

I’m wondering at this point in time after exchanging emails with Flysafe if I should just take my old Mavic  Pro with modified firmware to remove altitude limitations and complete this job.

Can DJI really not remove the 500 m altitude limit for authorized pilots?

They definitely are ABLE to remove the altitude limit, but aren't known for being quick or reliable about it. And yes, if I were you and didn't have an unlimited amount of time to wait, I would consider alternatives.

Hi rangemaster728,

I am no sort of expert on this but I did see in another thread very recently regarding removal of the 500m height restriction. The answer from DJI was that the maximum altitude approved for the Mavic pro2 aircraft was 500m above take off point and this was a hard wired restriction.

This may not be a problem regarding regulation but more to do with the intended design capability of the Mavic Pro 2. The thread only appeared a few days ago on this site so should be easy to track down.
I hope this helps

Cheers

Tolly

Found the link

https://forum.dji.com/thread-177593-1-1.html


Hope this helps

Cheers

Tolly

Tollytastic Posted at 8-24 12:59
Hi rangemaster728,

I am no sort of expert on this but I did see in another thread very recently regarding removal of the 500m height restriction. The answer from DJI was that the maximum altitude approved for the Mavic pro2 aircraft was 500m above take off point and this was a hard wired restriction.

Latest response from DJI:

Kindly note that the GEO zone is designed to provide some general protection to sensitive locations around the world, not to match any particular set of regulations that apply to a certain user. We appreciate your kind understanding. Please offer the authorization from the aviation authority or a public safety agency if you need to unlock the height which exceeds 500m.

And yes, Mavic Pro cannot be unlocked for operation above 500m; All Mavic 2 series including Mavic 2 Enterprise can be unlocked for operation above 500m.”

So it appears the M2s CAN be unlocked!

rangemaster728 Posted at 8-24 19:15
Latest response from DJI:

Kindly note that the GEO zone is designed to provide some general protection to sensitive locations around the world, not to match any particular set of regulations that apply to a certain user. We appreciate your kind understanding. Please offer the authorization from the aviation authority or a public safety agency if you need to unlock the height which exceeds 500m.

Well that's good news then!

rangemaster728 Posted at 8-24 19:15
Latest response from DJI:

Kindly note that the GEO zone is designed to provide some general protection to sensitive locations around the world, not to match any particular set of regulations that apply to a certain user. We appreciate your kind understanding. Please offer the authorization from the aviation authority or a public safety agency if you need to unlock the height which exceeds 500m.

Thanks for the follow-up.