New App to Allow ANYONE to Track your Flight Real-Time!!

[Dallas Drone Guy]

So am I the only one who really doesn't like this?

DJI wants to let anyone with a smartphone monitor nearby drones

The new app will be released in 2020

www.theverge.com

 

[JeffreyS]

It will never happen.

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

It will never happen.

I hope you're right, but did you read the article? It looks very probable and 2020 is right around the corner.

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Uuummmmmmmmmm was just having read and it mention ""WIFI AWARE """,,,I wonder if that just covers anything with wifi ? What happens with lightbridge like p4 range,its not wifi so wonder if that still work,,just a thought,,well in saying that if not doin anything wrong,thats just about invasion of privacy....ps....wifi aware is anything that transmits a wifi signal correct ???.

 

[solentlife]

Ian ... as I understand it ... Lightbridge ... Occusync .... they are all variations built on the WiFi format ...

As to having an APP that can identify or follow your 'drone' ... seeing as DJI are the authors of LB and OCC - why not possible ? But then who's gong to know the APP is out there except us and a few savvy people ?

 

[Capt KO]

After reading more, seems everybody has to be connected to the app, to be able to access the info. It’s more of a group setup to know where your buddies are. Just connections, not spying? For now it has opt-out. Reads that way to me, I hope.

 

[sar104]

After reading more, seems everybody has to be connected to the app, to be able to access the info. It’s more of a group setup to know where your buddies are. Just connections, not spying? For now it has opt-out. Reads that way to me, I hope.

No - that's not what it is at all.

DJI makes app to identify drones and find pilots

 

[solentlife]

Team Paranoia again !!!

 

[Propsontop]

There are many apps that track airplanes by type, tail number, altitude, ownership, flight plan, etc. A drone is just another type of aircraft. Not surprised this would become an app. There is literally an app for just about everything. The only thing that makes it sound ominous is the "locate the operator with pinpoint accuracy" thing. That being said, I'm pretty sure that if you can see my drone flying it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to find me standing out in the field it's flying over or next to. So the app doesn't concern me in the least on that score. What's the concern for you guys? I'm guessing I'm not seeing it from your point of view, but would appreciate a legitimate (and hopefully respectful) discussion on the matter.

 

[Sky Wombat]

So does this mean there is no need for a FAA/CASA licence

 

[CactusJackSlade]

My issue would be paranoid public now able to track you down and get into your face even if you are following the FAA rules...

 

[solentlife]

There are many apps that track airplanes by type, tail number, altitude, ownership, flight plan, etc. A drone is just another type of aircraft. Not surprised this would become an app. There is literally an app for just about everything. The only thing that makes it sound ominous is the "locate the operator with pinpoint accuracy" thing. That being said, I'm pretty sure that if you can see my drone flying it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to find me standing out in the field it's flying over or next to. So the app doesn't concern me in the least on that score. What's the concern for you guys? I'm guessing I'm not seeing it from your point of view, but would appreciate a legitimate (and hopefully respectful) discussion on the matter.

Totally agree with you ...

In fact there are already WiFi based APPS ... so the P3S .. and other WiFi based are already 'see-able' ...

But my own thought is that Who is going to download such an App ? If it only tells the phone owner what and where - that will not be enough .... many will want an APP to be able to play silly-b's with your control. If it doesn't do that - its uninteresting to them.
How are all these people going to know the APP is out there ?

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

My concern is with the small percentage of the public who really really hate drones. Drones are not just another aircraft like a plane. Because people don't jump up and down and accuse airplanes of spying in their windows. I fly my drone safely and legally, but I would prefer not to be pinpoint located. I have seen several comments above saying that no one will know about this app. People have Google at the touch of a button. Everybody on this thread knows about the app and it doesn't even exist yet. How will people know? When people hate drones enough, all they have to do is look and they will find the app instantly.

 

[sar104]

My concern is with the small percentage of the public who really really hate drones. Drones are not just another aircraft like a plane. Because people don't jump up and down and accuse airplanes of spying in their windows. I fly my drone safely and legally, but I would prefer not to be pinpoint located. I have seen several comments above saying that no one will know about this app. People have Google at the touch of a button. Everybody on this thread knows about the app and it doesn't even exist yet. How will people know? When people hate drones enough, all they have to do is look and they will find the app instantly.

Are you willing to be seen, in public, flying a drone, or do you try to remain hidden? If you are flying legally, within VLOS, then you are likely to be easily seen if there are people around. And if no one is around then the app is irrelevant anyway.

 

[solentlife]

Are you willing to be seen, in public, flying a drone, or do you try to remain hidden? If you are flying legally, within VLOS, then you are likely to be easily seen if there are people around. And if no one is around then the app is irrelevant anyway.

Exactly.

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

Are you willing to be seen, in public, flying a drone, or do you try to remain hidden? If you are flying legally, within VLOS, then you are likely to be easily seen if there are people around. And if no one is around then the app is irrelevant anyway.

Sar, I think you're one of the smartest people on this forum but on this I believe you are incorrect. When the Drone is 250 ft in the air the pilot can maintain visual line-of-sight even when there are many buildings, trees, roadways, and other obstructions that make the pilot difficult to spot from someone who is also on the ground. If everybody was 250 feet in the air with the Drone then yes the pilot is easily spotted. If the DJI go 4 app puts in a permission check box that gives the pilot the choice then I'm okay with this, but I should have the choice whether random people can see my location and Telemetry data. It has absolutely nothing to do with flying legally or illegally just the same as I don't want you to track me personally where I go and when I go there even if I'm not breaking the law. It's no one's business and if I don't want to share it I shouldn't have to. Make sense?

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

Exactly.

Please post your home address and personal cell phone number. Thank you. Also when are you leaving your house for extended period Of time? You have nothing to hide right? Thank you. (Sarcasm, of course my friend! ??)

 

[sar104]

Sar, I think you're one of the smartest people on this forum but on this I believe you are incorrect. When the Drone is 250 ft in the air the pilot can maintain visual line-of-sight even when there are many buildings, trees, roadways, and other obstructions that make the pilot difficult to spot from someone who is also on the ground. If everybody was 250 feet in the air with the Drone then yes the pilot is easily spotted. If the DJI go 4 app puts in a permission check box that gives the pilot the choice then I'm okay with this, but I should have the choice whether random people can see my location and Telemetry data. It has absolutely nothing to do with flying legally or illegally just the same as I don't want you to track me personally where I go and when I go there even if I'm not breaking the law. It's no one's business and if I don't want to share it I shouldn't have to. Make sense?

I understand the basic desire for privacy, but flying in public is a public activity. If you are driving around in public you can be seen doing that. If you wander around with a camera, you can be seen doing that. Similarly if you fly a manned aircraft then you are publicly visible. What you appear to want is not so much privacy but rather anonymity – to be able to fly a drone anonymously, in public. You want to be able to fly your camera around, perhaps taking photos or videos, but want to remain unidentified and anonymous while doing it.

So no - it not only makes no sense to me - it seems like an unreasonable and suspicious expectation.

 

[solentlife]

Please post your home address and personal cell phone number. Thank you. Also when are you leaving your house for extended period Of time? You have nothing to hide right? Thank you. (Sarcasm, of course my friend! ??)

Stretching the topic a bit there ..... seems a bit of reading of what is intended to be accessible with the app .. not what Mr. Paranoia thinks ...

 

[solentlife]

Privacy in todays society ? We all want it, we all try to keep it. But in fact our lives are far from private now with CCTV and facial recognition ... police with computer accessible ID / Records on demand as just a couple of examples.

I really cannot see it making much difference to our hobby, its not as if Android or Apple are going to include it in any update to your smart phone / tablet. Whoever downloads and installs it - will have searched for it ... and I bet many will soon tire of it and it will be forgotten.