DJI geo fence and stadiums - not right?

[Rob Levine]

So I got caught up in a DJI geo fence the other day - it was for a TFR around a stadium. Thing is - that TFR is not in effect. Worse, you can only see the geo fence from the DJI Go app, NOT on the online version of the geo fence.

I'm not close to an expert - but those TFRs around stadiums here that show up in Go (In Minneapolis) don't show up on iFlightPlanner or Airmap, either, and I've seen them there before. When I look up the notam for stadium TFRs I see this language, which if I'm reading correctly specifies the time of the TFR from one hour before the event until one hour after its end.

PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS, COMMENCING ONE HOUR BEFORE THE SCHEDULED TIME OF THE EVENT UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER THE END OF THE EVENT. ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS; INCLUDING PARACHUTE JUMPING, UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND REMOTE CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT, ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN A 1410271420-PERM END PART 1 OF 3 FDC 4/3621 FDC PART 2 OF 3 SPECIAL 3NMR UP TO AND INCLUDING 3000FT AGL OF ANY STADIUM HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 30,000 OR MORE PEOPLE WHERE EITHER A REGULAR OR POST SEASON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OR NCAA DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL GAME IS OCCURRING. THIS NOTAM ALSO APPLIES TO NASCAR SPRINT CUP, INDY CAR, AND CHAMP SERIES RACES EXCLUDING QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE EVENTS.

4/3621 NOTAM Details

I know that's from 2014 - but it seems to still be the one in effect.

Maybe that's too much work for DJI to get correct hours for TFRs around stadiums so they just keep them in effect always? Or is that a bug? Or am I wrong??

 

[Richard R]

DJI probably took the low effort route. Think about it. In order to time geofence around an active TFR, they would have to access the calendar for the subject stadium, confirm that there is/isn't an event when you are trying to fly and figure out when the TFR should be active to fence you out. Don't see that ever happening. So DJI just chops out that hunk of sky anytime a TFR is published.

 

[Rob Levine]

Well yes, that's what I was thinking. Thing is, these TFRs near stadiums are kind of big. Plus - they seem to be on the geo fence all the time. There can be weeks, months between events at these stadiums. Airmap & iFlightPlanner get it right.

 

[Richard R]

Makes sense, these other apps are connected realtime via the Internet so it's relatively easy to maintain a database of active TFR's that the apps can access. DJI could do that too in Go, it would require the app to 'check in' to scan th database. Could probably do it when you accessed and cached a map, but it would take a big commitment from DJI and some major programming for the app. Doubt DJI will make the investment.

 

[Rob Levine]

Maybe it could default to blocking off the areas; then when you connected to the Internet it could check to see if they are valid for the current day; if not - remove the block for a day.