Unlocking DJI No-fly Zones
DJI GEO Zones can prohibit flight and trigger warnings; these are the 3 main GEO Zones that you should be familiar with.
Have you ever noticed that your drone just stops flying in a particular direction while you are in the middle of a flight? Or perhaps it won’t take off at all? It’s very possible that you are experiencing DJI’s geofencing.
DJI geofencing is not the same thing as FAA controlled airspace. Even if you have an airspace authorization, your DJI drone may still prohibit flight or trigger warnings because of a DJI no-fly zone. Read more…
DJI has a database that fences off areas where you may need authorization to fly and prevents their products from flying there altogether. This may seem like a nuisance, but it can actually protect you from flying into controlled airspace unknowingly at low altitudes, and in most cases, it’s fairly easy to unlock.
DJI has many GEO Zones, but there are only 3 main GEO Zones that you should be familiar with:
1) Enhanced Warning Zones:
Enhanced Warning Zones are the least restrictive and simply require you to “check a box” and agree to bear responsibility for your flight from a pop-up warning that will appear automatically in the DJI Go 4 app, before you fly.
In Enhanced Warning Zones, you will be prompted by GEO at the time of flight to unlock the zone using the same steps as in an Authorization Zone, but you do not require a verified account or an internet connection at the time of your flight.
2) Authorization Zones:
In Authorization Zones, which appear blue in the DJI GO map, users will be prompted with a warning and flight is limited by default. Authorization Zones may be unlocked by authorized users using a DJI verified account.
These areas require you to log into your DJI account on a web browser, https://www.dji.com/flysafe/self-unlock and use the drones specific “flight controller serial number” to unlock the zone and it will require a phone number for verification before they can be unlocked.
3) Restricted Zones:
In Restricted Zones, which appear red the DJI GO app, users will be prompted with a warning and flight is prevented. If you believe you have the authorization to operate in a Restricted Zone, please contact flysafe@dji.com or Online Unlocking.
These zones are usually located around military areas, prisons, and immediate or directly adjacent airport property. These zones require written permission from the controlling agency to be submitted to DJI before they will unlock the geofencing. The specific instructions on exactly what is required can be found here; https://www.dji.com/flysafe/custom-unlock.
For more detailed procedural instructions, visit https://www.aerotas.com/unlocking-dji-nofly-zones
It is important to note that simply unlocking a DJI geozone and being able to fly your drone does not mean you have official FAA authorization to fly if you are near an airport. And, vice versa; just because you have FAA authorization, does not mean that DJI’s geofencing will go away.
The FAA and DJI are, and should be treated as, two procedurally different parts of your workflow when you are trying to fly in controlled airspace.
Questions? Contact us anytime at (949) 386-2277, or FlightOps@aerotas.com