I’m up in northern Germany and bought a couple of drones (the Neo and Mini 4K) for a summer road trip. One reason I went with DJI was because I thought the DJI Fly app would help show me where I could and couldn’t fly. But now I’m realizing it’s kinda misleading.
For example, the app says my home area is an ‘enhanced warning zone.’ I click for more info and all it says is “confirm warning message in DJI app.” No real explanation. But when I checked droniq and dipul (which are official sources), it turns out my area is actually a restricted zone and I’d need ATC clearance.
I even looked up maps for Spain, France, and Italy — places I plan to visit — and yeah, the DJI app is way off there too. Lots of those places need permission, but DJI Fly makes it look like you’re good to go.
What really annoys me is that I only learned all this after I’d already bought the drones and insurance. I kinda assumed DJI would have worked those official maps into the app by now. Clearly not.
Anyway, maybe it’s my own fault for not doing more research first, but it’s still frustrating. I’m honestly thinking of returning everything. Just disappointed overall.
It’s not just DJI’s fault. Every country has their own system for drone rules, and they’re not always easy to figure out. DJI mostly warns you about places like airports or military zones. But yeah, it’s still on us to double-check with local apps.
Just FYI: In Germany, the Droniq app is what you should use to check flight zones. It’s run by a DFS subsidiary and recommended. DJI Fly mostly shows warnings for airports and helipads. I don’t think they ever said it would cover all local laws.
Sounds like you don’t have your Operator ID or A1/A3 certificate yet, which are required to fly legally. You should definitely take care of that.
Also, DJI removed geofencing in Jan 2024. Their app won’t stop you from flying even if it’s illegal — it’s up to you now. For Germany, always use the Droniq app.
Same deal in the Netherlands. The DJI Fly app gives vague warnings, even in areas where it’s totally illegal to fly a mini drone. You always gotta check the official app. For us, that’s the GoDrone app.