New firmware released for P3P and P3A under Geo systems page. Requires you to register and tell DJI where you fly and ask for permission to unlock a newly updated maps with more detailed restricted areas.. Can't wait to hear the uproar.

EDIT:  It's in BETA testing now. APP update too.

Before downloading it for my P3P, I would really like to have some feedback from users flying with it here in Europe. In particular, I would like to know how the system works (in practice) when you are flying without a Wi-Fi connection to the tablet. Also it’s a bit unclear from their page how the zones around smaller airports are treated.

johnsr Posted at 2016-1-3 11:37
Before downloading it for my P3P, I would really like to have some feedback from users flying with i ...

I´ve installed firmware 1.07.0043 in my P3P and updated the DJI Go version.
When I want to "unlock" some restricted area, al I need is to log into my account in DJI and create a new unlock.
I ca read:
Authorization Zone Flight PlanningUnlock History

Only Authorization Zones, which are yellow highlighted areas, can be unlocked. You may create a plan to unlock a yellow highlighted area by clicking on it. Red Areas are Restricted Zones that cannot be unlocked. Green areas are Warning Zones that do not need to be unlocked but are still subject to safety precautions. You can display or hide different areas by selecting or deselecting the appropriate checkbox.

IMPORTANT: By unlocking an Authorization Zone, you agree to all terms and conditions of use. The content in the flight planner is not provided on a current, real-time basis. Airspace conditions are by their nature subject to change without prior notice, and earlier airspace checks do not guarantee that a given location will be free of flight restrictions, including any temporary flight restrictions.

After selecting the continent and country you can select Restricted, Authorization and Warning zones that you want to unclock. Press submit and after receiving a verification token (a 6-digit number you must write in)  you are done.
The unlock works for 3 days and after it you must request to unlock again if you need.
I think it's a right way of doing right things.

So your device needs an internet connection before you can apply for the use of your quad? Prohibiting you from flying your own aircraft in a lot of rural areas where internet is not accessible?

ops Posted at 2016-1-3 10:05
I´ve installed firmware 1.07.0043 in my P3P and updated the DJI Go version.
When I want to "unloc ...

Is there a way to see exactly where these red/yellow/green areas are without downloading and installing the update? Is there a website where the map is available?

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-3 16:38
So your device needs an internet connection before you can apply for the use of your quad? Prohibiti ...

Exactly my concern.  I'm assuming I'll be able to unlock an area before leaving home & losing signal.  However, if a new restriction comes into force i won't know about it & I'm assuming the app won't either.

If I have understood correctly, I set up a flight plan using an internet connection and unlock a yellow Authorization zone if necessary before going out in the country to fly. The idea of the 3 day unlock is to keep  track of recent changes. As Nigel points out however, I will not be aware of any new changes until I reconnect to internet. Like reading the NOTAM before flying, with no real time updating.

Ops, have you flown with this update yet?

In other words, like at least half my flights you're driving along in the country side and spot some really sweet scenery and get The Urge to fly.
You cant. Not as long as you're a DJI customer.

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-3 18:43
In other words, like at least half my flights you're driving along in the country side and spot some ...

Not exactly, only if your "really sweet scenery" is in a yellow Authorization zone. Otherwise, if I understand correctly, you can fly.

johnsr Posted at 2016-1-3 19:22
Not exactly, only if your "really sweet scenery" is in a yellow Authorization zone. Otherwise, if  ...

This is where I live and work...

No military, no nuclear power plants, I dont think our king or our president has even been here for years, no oil fields in this region, and more important huge areas with no cell coverage.
The only reason for having these HUGE zones I can think of is if a competing company is making trouble for DJI's customers.

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-3 19:41
This is where I live and work...

That's a very impressive and saddening map. This raises the issue of how the Authorization zones are defined and by whom. Thanks for sharing this.

Please read my concernes before upgrading:
http://forum.dji.com/thread-38482-1-1.html

I wrote it also here, and many of people sharing my concernes:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2572275

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-4 04:54
No military, no nuclear power plants, I dont think our king or our president has even been here for  ...

No cell phone coverage , no way will I update to this I want to fly in very remote areas that has no cell phone at all .

Im still waiting for my P3P to arrive and everyday I read this and other forums on the Phantom and the vast majority of big problems seems to be related to updated firmware .
Is no different than any other software program where the fix a bug creates a different bug , for this very reason I dont update any of my 3 PCs or installed programs unless something on my system is broke or a new feature I must have comes out  and then I still wait to see how people go with a new update , Im still running Win7 on all my PCs and have over 200 updates that want to install and I wont install them because my machines are rock stable and fast and well protected from malware .

I see the Phantom as hardware with software controllers and unlike a PC that crashes the Phantom crashes and is destroyed , for me the software updates are coming out to fast while each update is causing lots  of people big trouble , maybe the DJI coders are not so good or beta  testing the software is sloppy .

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-3 19:54
No military, no nuclear power plants, I dont think our king or our president has even been here for  ...

I have taken some time to check things here in France. I have compared the DJI Authorization Zone Flight Planning map for a few regions here with a restriction map produced by AIP-Drones (based on current aeronautical information publications & the ministerial directive valid in 2015). I find the map used by DJI to be somewhat simplified: all significant airports are shown with an 8 km radius yellow Authorization zone, whereas smaller airfields and heliports are missing. The DJI map has large regions covered with yellow Authorization zones; these correspond exactly with known flight restriction zones (P, R, D, ZIT, ZRT, etc.) shown also on the AIP-Drones map. I checked one of the zones covered by a corridor for military low altitude training flights: only the section extending down to the ground has been included. Finally, Paris, for example, is correctly marked as a Restricted zone.
My conclusions? I do not know about other countries, but here the DJI map reflects a large part of the reality that we will have to learn to deal with. We are sharing a crowded and complex airspace. In those large yellow zones one should really have a look at the aeronautical information service (here the SIA) information (NOTAM and AIP SUP) to know whether or not it is safe to fly on a given day (plans of military activity are posted in the evening of the day before, other activities are known on a more regular basis). On the practical side, it’s quite a burden. I believe that it will be difficult to work with this system without a daily internet connection while traveling. I’ll certainly wait to update it…

I don't mind being tracked by DJI, in fact I already gave them all my data probably in real time by syncing my flight logs.
My credit card, phone number, address and all that they also got (or at least their dealer) the day I bought the first, second, third and so on DJI drone.
There are only two things bothering me, the third party lockout features and the German customer service.
The AirMap I could probably get used to as it hopefully improves a bit when they realize what they're actually locking.
Not so sure about the Germans though.

Thanks for this policies and the fact o lost a perfect control since 1.4, that i will NEVER update my P3....

Make me....

Good luck guys with the tests, but i get the limit.

Has this version been pulled from the download section?

I want to see a map of what will be what before updating.  I live near a small airport with commercial service, but no FAA at all.  It looks like a big airport, but is in a rural area without much traffic.  Currently there is not much said about this location, but changes could be forced with over-enthusiastic geo-fencing.

Nope, I'm going to treat these updates like I treat updates for windows. Wait until its forced on me or dont update at all.  Hopefully this beta fails and they DJI comes to their senses with this.

AG0N-Gary Posted at 2016-1-6 02:40
I want to see a map of what will be what before updating.  I live near a small airport with commerci ...

If you want see what the map looks like: go to the DJI GEO System Flight Planning page, open the menu Unlock now and select your region on the map below.

Thanks, will give it a look.  Yep, I'm under the circle, which is clearly just a 5 mile circle, the same as the old pink one was on some maps.

Achha... Looks like Finland is almost completely in Authorizatin Zone (Yellow).
That means that I need to authorized myself every time when I want to fly in finland.
Any reason for this?

Northern Finland

sami Posted at 2016-1-6 18:33
Achha... Looks like Finland is almost completely in Authorizatin Zone (Yellow).  
That means that  ...

Try to find a civil aviation map; the region(s) should be marked as to what type of restrictions and you can follow it up from there.
Best of luck!

sami Posted at 2016-1-6 18:33
Achha... Looks like Finland is almost completely in Authorizatin Zone (Yellow).  
That means that  ...

Yes it means that you have to authorize your own flights over the internet every 3 days.
Unless you stay on FW 1.6

This will be quiet annoying to have to do this every 3 days. I understand the idea behind it but is DJI doing the research to check on how restrictive this is going to become? Today I was looking in the US and 1/4th of the east coast (most vacation spots) are all yellow. If I am on vacation I have no plan to be on internet so I can actually rest, but then I can't use my drone either. I find this to be a pain in the ass. I am also not cool with having a reporting system collect my every single movement when I want to use my drone. No other drone company other than military are implementing this right now.

If it is an update in the application we might be forced to do it or risk not being able to use the APP.  I was thinking the other day, "Can I fly this aircraft without the app?"   I don't think I can.  Physically I can but technically I do not think I can.  Are the other brands doing this, 3DR, YUNEEC, etc.

Boolean Posted at 2016-1-7 07:05
If it is an update in the application we might be forced to do it or risk not being able to use the  ...

I know the forced update will come at some point, it always happens. This firmware will be published and the others will be removed. I will just keep a copy of 1.6 around and I will be happy. With regards to the app someone else was telling me they were flying the drone without using the GO app, I just need to find the thread.

This is total crap. i wouldnt mind the authorization but this 3 day validity is total BS.. I could be in a place for more than 3 days with no internet access. What would i do after 3 days...
Authorization should have been left for "sensitive" areas. I've looked around on various maps in Canada and mexico and entire islands are yellow. With no airports or anything around them for 100 miles...What kind of shitty zones are those?

Yes, it looks like a real burden. I was thinking about taking mine backpacking next summer... Organizing spare batteries & recharging them is one thing, this is quite another.
Another point they should think about concerning the large "Authorization zones" is that many UAV pilots spend a lot of time flying at very low altitudes for videos, testing or learning. Like below 30 meters.

alirz1 Posted at 2016-1-7 02:49
This is total crap. i wouldnt mind the authorization but this 3 day validity is total BS.. I could b ...

Worth noting, Canada is not currently part of the Beta.. US and Europe only. Some european countries seem a little off.. This was mentioned by Brendan ( DJI Legal ) a few days back.

He also mentioned that they were still looking into clearing up bad data from the maps.

The Public beta I think was meant to allow people to try it and report on things that were not correct via the App ( the App has a reporting feature ). But instead it seems people are just bitching and moaning..

I really do hope more people are actually testing/reporting on it properly so it can be bettered. There are some key aspects of the system that me and a few others are pushing for like extended zone unlock time instead of 3 days as well as adding an "offline" option to the App that then syncs the request at a later time so people in the field with no data can still unlock. No idea if it will be implemented but its been pushed for.
To show that people ( DJI ) are listening.. It was mentioned that Crimea was a RED zone.. Its now not.. Same with Cyprus.. It was all RED now its not.. People really need to start using it and reporting on the areas they live in. This way it will get much betrer.

Regardless of what people think, this system IS coming even if you don't like it. You can choose not to update but that will be all you can do to avoid it. Also future systems will likely have it already. Be part of the beta testing, shape the system a little to make it better.

sploodge Posted at 2016-1-7 11:02
Worth noting, Canada is not currently part of the Beta.. US and Europe only. Some european countrie ...

Thanks for the comment concerning the ongoing work on the maps. Your point about testing the Beta version is well taken. Have you been flying with this?

will be using different apps to fly the bird...i will not update...still on 1.4

[RCG]Balthazar Posted at 2016-1-3 12:43
In other words, like at least half my flights you're driving along in the country side and spot some ...

Exactly a large concern I have, too.

Would some representative from DJI PLEASE tell us how this update is being enabled?

First and foremost, all the restrictions on flying now more or less force us to be in NON-POPULATED areas....that typically means NO WIFI service, either.

What criteria is being used for the YELLOW areas that need to be unlocked and why are they restricted in the first place?!

I would like an official answer on this one.

Make this hobby too restrictive and you'll completely lose your customer base.

I don't think a lot of people understand what this all means....!

Authorization means THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE PERMISSION TO FLY YOUR OWN QUADCOPTER ANY MORE!!!!!

DJI Have To Give You Permission Everytime you want to Fly It!!!...

......And you have to keep asking for permission...Every 3 days - If you have been a Good Boy!


BUT if you don't have wifi or cell connectivity when you ask for THEIR permission to fly YOUR quad then basically...you are Screwed! ....., Go Home And Sleep! No quad flying Allowed that day!

......... Now tell me who wants in... ??????
Please Rush in! .. and form a Neat LOOOONG Queue to load the new firmware... :-)

sifu128 Posted at 2016-1-6 19:35
I know the forced update will come at some point, it always happens. This firmware will be publish ...

You *can* fly without the app, but you'll have no video feed. So you would be flying "blind."
There are other apps available. Litchi immediately comes to mind. I'm not using anything other than the GO app myself, but there are several "regulars" on this forum who fly Litchi, Auto Pilot, etc. with their Phantoms.

Art - N4PJ
Leesburg, FL

NoFlyZone.org will only succeed if drone makers get on-board with it. So far HEXO+, Yuneec, and a few others have decided to honor the geo-fences deployed by NoFlyZone.org, but big players like Parrot and JDI haven’t made any moves yet. It’s not going to be an easy problem to solve, even if companies want to play nice with privacy. Before I got my drone there were 3 houses within 10 miles that had setup a privacy zone. After 1 week of flying now when I check the list there are 25 homes. So what is someone to do with their drone as more civies learn how to add their homes and make your flying zone look like Swiss cheese?

Great article: http://www.gizmag.com/noflyzone-airspace-drone-free/36030/ -> mentions DJI

johnsr Posted at 2016-1-7 12:38
Thanks for the comment concerning the ongoing work on the maps. Your point about testing the Beta  ...

Yes been using it since day 1.. My main concern is not being able to authorize zones "offline". Where I live/work is just terrible for cell data connection.

Another is the length of time the requests stays valid for. I have voiced my thoughts on this as have others.. So hope it changes.
On the whole I agree with the system. This is something being forced into life because of the unsettled political thinking over in America.
Europe seem to have got their act together ( although some crazy ideas have been thrown about ) and balanced the freedom to fly with enforcing the law.. 'Merica on the other-hand, seem incapable of doing that.