DJI has removed geofencing from all drones, meaning no more unlock requests. But that also means there’s no built-in safety net anymore—pilots are now fully responsible for staying legal and safe.
How are you making sure you’re not accidentally flying into restricted airspace? What apps do you use to check airspace, weather, and temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) before takeoff?
It was always up to pilots to stay legal and safe. The FlySafe database was never perfectly aligned with FAA restricted zones.
AltitudeAviator said:
It was always up to pilots to stay legal and safe. The FlySafe database was never perfectly aligned with FAA restricted zones.
This used to be a problem for me. I live near an airport, but I’m in a 400’ zone. My Mavic 4 Pro would randomly limit me to 200’.
@Jordan
Did they also remove altitude limits? I fly around mountains and need to know if this changes anything.
Teagan said:
@Jordan
Did they also remove altitude limits? I fly around mountains and need to know if this changes anything.
From what I’ve seen, altitude limits are still in place. I wish they’d fix the settings so they reflected actual AGL, then it wouldn’t be an issue.
@Dale
The only way to fix that properly is with radar altitude. Are you suggesting drones should come with a RadAlt?
Micah said:
@Dale
The only way to fix that properly is with radar altitude. Are you suggesting drones should come with a RadAlt?
It could be done with data points, like how GPS works. It wouldn’t need an actual reading, just a calculated estimate based on location. Some drones already do this.
@Teo
GPS alone doesn’t give you an accurate AGL altitude—it’s just an estimate. Radar altitude is the most precise. The problem is, GPS errors can be off by several feet, which isn’t ideal for altitude limits.
@Micah
You could integrate LiDAR cloud points with GPS to get a better reading. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be more practical than installing radar altimeters in consumer drones.
@Jordan
I live near a small hospital with a helicopter landing spot. In two years, I’ve only heard a helicopter once around 3 AM.
@Jordan
You think that’s bad? I have a 150’ ceiling near my home. At least I like where I live.
Caden said:
@Jordan
You think that’s bad? I have a 150’ ceiling near my home. At least I like where I live.
I’m in a 100’ zone, and if I cross the street, it drops to 50’.
Caden said:
@Jordan
You think that’s bad? I have a 150’ ceiling near my home. At least I like where I live.
I’m in a 100’ zone, and if I cross the street, it drops to 50’.
Must be a nightmare for flying balloons.
Caden said:
@Jordan
You think that’s bad? I have a 150’ ceiling near my home. At least I like where I live.
I’m in a 100’ zone, and if I cross the street, it drops to 50’.
You guys actually get to fly at home?
@Jules
Only inside my house.
@Jordan
My Mavic 4 Pro needed an unlock just to fly in my backyard, even though I was in a 200’ zone.
Branley said:
@Jordan
My Mavic 4 Pro needed an unlock just to fly in my backyard, even though I was in a 200’ zone.
You do need LAANC authorization up to 200’, right?
Branley said:
@Jordan
My Mavic 4 Pro needed an unlock just to fly in my backyard, even though I was in a 200’ zone.
You do need LAANC authorization up to 200’, right?
Yeah, I meant DJI’s geo-unlock. I know about LAANC. And no, I don’t need LAANC just to fly inside my house or garage.
Branley said:
@Jordan
My Mavic 4 Pro needed an unlock just to fly in my backyard, even though I was in a 200’ zone.
You do need LAANC authorization up to 200’, right?
No one needs LAANC to fly indoors.
DJI’s geofencing was inaccurate most of the time. Now it matches the FAA database better and provides a warning if you’re in restricted airspace. But pilots still need to check apps like Aloft for real-time updates and TFRs.