Airport 5 mile geo fence disable?

[Darkfalz71]

Just had a question about the geofencing. According to Flysafe and FAA regulations, drone operations are permitted within 5 miles from an airport if the airport tower is informed and permission is granted. In this case can you disable the geofencing in the Yuneec Q500 4K so GPS handling can still be used?

Flysafe link:

Guidelines

Section E has the guidelines for Airports.

Please let me know. Thanks

 

[Colin]

In this case can you disable the geofencing in the Yuneec Q500 4K so GPS handling can still be used?

I'd like verification on that too. My local airport (literally 200 yards away - and the local rc club actually flies on one of their disused runways) only operated as such on weekdays but it's stupid safe zone is there 24x7 and a mile larger in diameter than UK law specifies. VERY embarrasing taking your brand spanking Q there to show the lads only for it to flatly refuse to take off. :-/

 

[Fleamac]

VERY embarrasing taking your brand spanking Q there to show the lads only for it to flatly refuse to take off. :-/

Oh, that would suck...
You may never live that down with your friends.

 

[Aeroflite]

Yes, this assertion is correct. Just contact your ATC and let them know that you'll be flying, where and at what altitude. If you live within that 5 miles of an airport and fly regularly, you can file a letter with the ATC that states this. As long as you do these things, ATC is very friendly and helpful. They're not the bad guys.

This isn't an FAA issue, it's a Yuneec issue! I had the same thing happen where I called the tower, got permission to fly after giving them my bearing, distance , and altitude. My coworkers all came out to see the Q and it wouldn't even start the motors. I disabled the gps thinking that would solve it, but no go! Had to pack up go home.

 

[Sticks]

Problem being is that there is no consistency with all the "No Fly Zones" maps that the FAA, Know Before You Fly, Yuneec, DJI, et al, have put out there. I've even found contradictions, and flat errors.

There is a list floating around somewhere that has all the Yuneec airport NFZs but it's almost a year old, and I don't know if it matches the latest firmware update. And as far as I know, Yuneec does not publicize their current list of NFZs, so like Obamacare, you have to get it to find out what's in it, and you can't find out until you go to a place to fly.

 

[Ren57]

Just had a question about the geofencing. According to Flysafe and FAA regulations, drone operations are permitted within 5 miles from an airport if the airport tower is informed and permission is granted. In this case can you disable the geofencing in the Yuneec Q500 4K so GPS handling can still be used?

Flysafe link:

Guidelines

Section E has the guidelines for Airports.

Please let me know. Thanks

Ren57 here in the UK. I am a professional UAV pilot, having passed all the Civil Aviation Authority exams and submitted and had passed my operations manual. My problem is with the Yuneec Q500 that I use for my work. As you have stated, this aircraft is geofenced not to fly within a 4 mile radius of airports here in the UK. As stated elsewhere in this discussion, it is perfectly acceptable to fly within this zone as long as you inform the ATC. This is really restricting the areas where I can work and is costing me money in lost jobs that I can't do because of this limit. The Q500 won't even fly within this limit even if you disable the GPS, motors won't even start! So my question is, just how do you disable this geofence feature? You've stated above that you can disable it if you have ATC permission but just how do you disable it? Anyone know? I have contacted Yuneec directly and they flatly refuse to tell me how to go about it, saying that it's only available for the Police and Fire Service. And yet I have the same flying qualification as these 2 services. It's a great aircraft but if you can't disable this feature, then I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy a Yuneec product if you intend to use it for your aerial work.

 

[Aeroflite]

I have to agree. As much as I love the Q500 it appears I will have to sell it to a pure hobbyist and purchase a true professional UAS. I have started recommending that people DO NOT purchase from Yuneec for professional use if they don't rectify this problem.

 

[Sticks]

I don't blame them for not telling you.

They tell you, you tell a buddy, he posts it on the web, and what ever tolerance the FAA had given Yuneec Imports just got flushed down the toilet, and then the rest of their shipping containers are held up for "Customs Inspection"

What this boils down to is that they did not anticipate a need to have to do this. Probably banking on the FAA failing to accomplish what they did.

Those of you that want to do this, offer to send your bird, ST10 and required paperwork (333 here in the US) to them to let them change the programming for you.

 

[Ren57]

Yuneec have slick advertising depicting production companies using their products for professional purposes. Well this is clearly not the case if their product won't fly within this geofenced limit. I think the words 'Professional Pilot and having passed all the Civil Aviation Authority examinations (the equivalent of your FAA) and having to write a 40 odd page operations manual' that has to be approved, should tell you all you need to know. All I want to do, is fly my Q500 for my work and this geofenced limit is really restricting where I can work. The UK isn't a big country like the US, over here you're never far from an Airport or ATC. Maybe Yuneec should have on their advertising and website the words in big red letters - "DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES BECAUSE IT WON'T WORK". That would save people a lot of time and wasted money. There are strict rules for flying here, and I stick to them and have all the qualifications to prove it....

 

[Colin]

Ren57 here in the UK. I am a professional UAV pilot, having passed all the Civil Aviation Authority exams and submitted and had passed my operations manual. My problem is with the Yuneec Q500 that I use for my work. As you have stated, this aircraft is geofenced not to fly within a 4 mile radius of airports here in the UK. As stated elsewhere in this discussion, it is perfectly acceptable to fly within this zone as long as you inform the ATC. This is really restricting the areas where I can work and is costing me money in lost jobs that I can't do because of this limit. The Q500 won't even fly within this limit even if you disable the GPS, motors won't even start! So my question is, just how do you disable this geofence feature? You've stated above that you can disable it if you have ATC permission but just how do you disable it? Anyone know? I have contacted Yuneec directly and they flatly refuse to tell me how to go about it, saying that it's only available for the Police and Fire Service. And yet I have the same flying qualification as these 2 services. It's a great aircraft but if you can't disable this feature, then I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy a Yuneec product if you intend to use it for your aerial work.

This isn't really the place for this discussion since hobby flyers are specifically prohibited from using rc aircraft for reward. And it certianly wasn't maketed to me as being for "professional purposes", I would have expected it to be quadruple the price and a lot more paperwork if it was.

 

[Colin]

I don't blame them for not telling you.

*snip*
What this boils down to is that they did not anticipate a need to have to do this. Probably banking on the FAA failing to accomplish what they did.

I'm afraid I disagree, What Yuneec shouldn't have done is anticipate a need for a restriction the law doesn't require.

 

[Ren57]

This isn't really the place for this discussion since hobby flyers are specifically prohibited from using rc aircraft for reward. And it certianly wasn't maketed to me as being for "professional purposes", I would have expected it to be quadruple the price and a lot more paperwork if it was.

I'm a hobby flyer as well. I just decided to take my hobby to the next level (since it's something I enjoy doing) and get the qualifications that are required to do that. And you're right, moving to the next level (from a hobbyist to a professional) does require a lot of paperwork and a lot of expense! The Q500 might not have been marketed to you as a professional product but Yuneec's advertising certainly promotes their products for professional purposes. I understand why Yuneec have invoked this geofence limit, they want to be seen as responsible manufacturers, I completely get that. But as it has already been said, they have invoked a limit that IS NOT REQUIRED by law. If it was required by law then I would have to go along with that. And a forum like this is completely the place to discuss this.

 

[Sticks]

I'm afraid I disagree, What Yuneec shouldn't have done is anticipate a need for a restriction the law doesn't require.

Yup, and that law/illegal regulation FAA and EU versions of the FAA put out, has absolutely nothing to do with 40 containers full of their product sitting on a dock locked up in customs due to some "paperwork error". But you can bet your britches that is the kind of crap that goes on behind doors.

That is why DJI want's your info OTA to give you a temporary unlock, in trade for knowing every single time your bird goes up in the air, and where it is at every single time it's powered up.

Blame the product manufacturer all you want, cause we all know that the Government would never do anything to restrict what the average person does with their time.

 

[Ren57]

Yup, and that law/illegal regulation FAA and EU versions of the FAA put out, has absolutely nothing to do with 40 containers full of their product sitting on a dock locked up in customs due to some "paperwork error". But you can bet your britches that is the kind of crap that goes on behind doors.

That is why DJI want's your info OTA to give you a temporary unlock, in trade for knowing every single time your bird goes up in the air, and where it is at every single time it's powered up.

Blame the product manufacturer all you want, cause we all know that the Government would never do anything to restrict what the average person does with their time.

A good point, well made. But it still sucks...!

 

[Doug Gould]

I really love the 4k...but was extremely disappointed with their 'solution' to the No Fly Zone. Realistically it is unmaintainable from a firmware standpoint. They cannot imbed all the necessary data to properly enforce real legal requirements world wide...and are driving customers away. What they should do is turn this problem into a benefit to their customers. I think it SHOULD WARN the pilot of a nearby airport or airports and identify them by name and distance to the airport(s). It should NOT disable the ability of the drone to be flown. Ultimately, the pilot is always going to be the responsible party in any situation. The Yuneec lockout is a poor solution.

 

[Colin]

Although I love it to bits, when my time is up with my current Typhoon 4K instead of upgrading to the Typhoon H as I'd planned I'll be turning my back on Yuneec and going with some other manufacturer if they insist on enforcing no-fly-zones that don't exist as such in law.

 

[Ren57]

Let's not knock Yuneec too much on this subject. The reason Yuneec put this geofence in their drone firmware is to make them look like responsible manufactures. DJI are now doing the same. The reason that I don't like it is because it severely restricts where I can work as a professional pilot. I contacted Yuneec in Europe (because I live in Europe) their offices are Germany, I asked them if they could disable the firmware. They said that they will only disable the geofence for the police or fire service and no, they wouldn't do it for me! I told them I had a better flying qualification than these agencies, but still no go! After chewing it over for a few days, I contacted Yuneec in the USA, I asked the same question. They asked me for proof of where I lived and wanted the serial number of my Q500. That done, the next e-mail I got from them contained an attachment with the firmware to disable the geofence. I have installed it via the GUI and it works! My problem is solved. Now they're not going to do this for hobby flyers but if you're a professional pilot contact Yuneec in the USA, at least they are willing to listen. So I say, well done Yuneec, their customer service really is a cut above other drone manufactures.

 

[Colin]

For me it's as simple as this... the law says I can fly near an airfield, air traffic control says I can fly near an airfiled, but Yuneec not only says I CAN'T fly there they pysically prevent me from doing so. Sure, they suck up to the authoraties, but it's all too often at the expense of perfetly responsible and law abiding flyers like me.

 

[Sticks]

For me it's as simple as this... the law says I can fly near an airfield, air traffic control says I can fly near an airfiled, but Yuneec not only says I CAN'T fly there they pysically prevent me from doing so. Sure, they suck up to the authoraties, but it's all too often at the expense of perfetly responsible and law abiding flyers like me.

Like it or not, we are subject to the ones that screw it for everybody. Don't blame Yuneec, Blame the Media for making this a bigger deal than it is. Blame the jackslaps fly stupid, then post their stupidity on youtube. Blame the bureaucrats that say - you will disable your imports from flying regardless, or you will not be allowed to import your product into our country. Just be grateful that Yuneec's NFZ list is tiny compared to DJI.

 

[Colin]

Neither the idiots or the lawmakers forced Yuneec to implement a NFZ rule that doesn't exist in law, it was a kneejerk reaction all their own doing.