Forced to Take DJI Exam?!?

[Pete Leare]

I didn't have to take a test the last time I bought a firearm either. Seems to me that there are more pressing things that you should have to take a test for.

Like piloting an aircraft perhaps?

 

[Helihover]

I feel everyone should have to test before they are even allowed to purchase any GPS controlled flying aircraft. Included in the test should be a background check.

I’m sure many of you complaining about this are the same complaining about “other pilots” ruining it for us “good” pilots.

Consumer grade GPS controlled aircraft readily available to the public are still in the infancy stages. Expect more to come.

 

[bhartwell]

Lol! Sheep. How many have taken exams from Toyota, Ford, Chevy, the last time they bought a car? Took an exam for Black and Decker when they bought a drill? Taken a manufacturer’s exam for anything they’ve purchased, EVER? Do you think there’s a reason the US Government banned any government use of DJI products? LOL!

Black and Decker tools aren’t subject to general bans by local regulators. If you want to actually drive that Chevy, Toyota or Ford, not only do you need to pass an exam, but you need to pay quite a bit just to register it. So, here DJI is trying to show due diligence so as to avoid the local or state regulatory board doing it for them. Which is worse, a 5 mi safety test by the manufacturer, or a state sanctioned exam you must pay and pass in order to fly? You be the judge.

 

[K Henry]

I feel everyone should have to test before they are even allowed to purchase any GPS controlled flying aircraft. Included in the test should be a background check.

I’m sure many of you complaining about this are the same complaining about “other pilots” ruining it for us “good” pilots.

Consumer grade GPS controlled aircraft readily available to the public are still in the infancy stages. Expect more to come.

Won't change a thing. We are what we are and do what we do...BACKROUND CHECK!!! You must be talking about terrorists, I get that, but that's like a law that says criminals can't have a gun isn't it?

 

[v8juice]

All what data?
DJI don't collect all your data, videos and still images.
They only get your flight data if you choose to upload it to their cloud.
Even if they could somehow collect everything, the military value of all the videos and flight data would be zero anyway.
The obvious thing they do with flight data is assess warranty claims to determine the cause of an incident.

Actually the Go app communicates with about two dozen ip addresses in various countries at any given time while giving those on the other end access to your drones camera and any data you may have on your device. A few savvy Mavic users with the help from some others in another drone forum posted at length what they discovered. It wasn't long after that the military ordered its troops to stop using DJI drones in part saying
“Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction,” reads the memo from Lt. Gen. Joseph H. Anderson, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for plans and operations.

Why? The memo cited “increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products.” Service officials declined to elaborate.

 

[v8juice]

For the freedom caucus complaining bitterly about this something-nothing non-issue and how it infringes so much on their rights ... how dare DJI do this ... they have no right etc, etc.
A different way to look at this
According to DJI, they collaborated with the FAA in designing the quiz to ensure pilots fly safely.
You and I know that this little effort isn't going to have much real impact on drone flyers and idiots will still be idiots.
But if the exercise gives the FAA a warm fuzzy feeling that it's a positive outcome for safe drone flying, that's got to be a good thing.
Would you rather have a two minute imposition of an easy-peasy test or have the FAA looking for ways they can really reduce actual freedoms?

Neither.

 

[Helihover]

Won't change a thing. We are what we are and do what we do...BACKROUND CHECK!!! You must be talking about terrorists, I get that, but that's like a law that says criminals can't have a gun isn't it?

No. Im talking about everyone. Every commercial U.A.V. pilot goes through a 10 year TSA check. Why not the other guy too? I mean you would think the commercial pilot would be more responsible/knowledgable right?

 

[embayweather]

Lol! Sheep. How many have taken exams from Toyota, Ford, Chevy, the last time they bought a car? Took an exam for Black and Decker when they bought a drill? Taken a manufacturer’s exam for anything they’ve purchased, EVER? Do you think there’s a reason the US Government banned any government use of DJI products? LOL!

I had to take one before I could rent/buy my first mobility scooter. I have been driving cars for nearly fifty years but I still needed to take that test.
I still support this move for the reasons others have given above. In the UK we are going to have to do it by law as of next year.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Knowing the correct answers to a test does not necessarily translate into safer or more responsible flying. Everyone knows the maximum speed limit. Surely no one believes that means they all therefore adhere to it!

 

[Helihover]

Knowing the correct answers to a test does not necessarily translate into safer or more responsible flying. Everyone knows the maximum speed limit. Surely no one believes that means they all therefore adhere to it!

It sure helps though. Just think if everyone driving on the freeway didn’t know the speed limit.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It sure helps though. Just think if everyone driving on the freeway didn’t know the speed limit.

They sure drive like they don't, and I am one of them, unless stuck in gridlock!

 

[Meta4]

You are very naive my friend. Military value zero? They now have access to every flight log and photos and videos ever uploaded. China is a Communist country. Why would they not use the information?

First, they don't have every photo and video and they only have the flight records that users choose to upload.
But even if they did, can you imagine what military value could be found in millions of overexposed sunset photos and selfies or knowing that you and thousands of others fly at parks and beaches and some from their back yard, that some go out and back while others go round and round?
Military value? You'd be kidding yourself.

 

[GadgetGuy]

It bears mentioning that the 9-11 terrorists had all passed their flight tests. That actually enabled them to carry out their nefarious acts!

 

[hit-n-run]

this-thread-keeps-going-and-going-and-going-and-going-and-going

 

[v8juice]

It sure helps though. Just think if everyone driving on the freeway didn’t know the speed limit.

Speed limit?

 

[GadgetGuy]

There is a speed limit?

 

[mark99]

Can you link to this, ahem, fact?

I've had cameras on many of my r/c aircraft for decades. No one cared.

And you had 4k Hd cameras on aircraft that could travel 4 miles almost silently and transmit those images and video back to a remote location remaining on scene in one place up to 15 minutes , or you had a 640 pixel potato cam bolted to the front with no control over it and no hover up to 4 miles away, just like the rest of us did ?

 

[mark99]

Like piloting an aircraft perhaps?

Controlling a model.
Please do not insult pilots, by referring to people controlling a flying toy as a pilot, if you are not sitting in it, you are not a pilot, you are an operator.
DJI sell flying toys, you can buy them in toy shops.

 

[Helihover]

Controlling a model.
Please do not insult pilots, by referring to people controlling a flying toy as a pilot, if you are not sitting in it, you are not a pilot, you are an operator.
DJI sell flying toys, you can buy them in toy shops.

I have a federal license that says I’m a pilot.... Yet I never hopped in a seat.

 

[BigAl07]

Controlling a model.
Please do not insult pilots, by referring to people controlling a flying toy as a pilot, if you are not sitting in it, you are not a pilot, you are an operator.
DJI sell flying toys, you can buy them in toy shops.

Mark while I fully understand your sentiment (and used to have the same argument) I also had to concede that the FAA now calls anyone with their Part 107 Certificate a "Pilot". It happens to be a Remote Pilot but the word Pilot is still in there.

To me it's much like the argument "They aren't drones, they are multirotors, quads, UAS, UAV, sUAS, sUAV....". Sometimes we just bite our tongue and smile as we head out the door LOL.