This article is the result of my frustration trying to get good upload speeds for video from the UAS to transmit back to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or Command Post (CP). I talked about dealing with video transmission in my article for AOPA. Let me say I am not a radio frequency engineer, although a great Ph.D. brainiac, Mike ... Read More »
We unmanned pilots have a lot in common with our manned aircraft brethren sans the luxury of sitting onboard the aircraft. As such, taking advantage of systems that help our piloting capabilities are welcome. Remember forgetting to turn on the GoPro camera of your Phantom 2 only to learn after landing that nothing was recorded? Should I mention the separate ... Read More »
By Brian Leventhal NCSHP If you were a child of the ’80s and grew up during the “War on Drugs” era of Nancy Reagan “Just say no” slogans and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) programs spreading through schools in the U.S., then you’re no stranger to what a gateway drug is. In case you aren’t familiar with the definition of ... Read More »
It is for me to clearly state that my results should not be interpreted as being applicable to all users of DJI TB batteries or users of this version of the software. I can only describe the results I observed for the specific Matrice 210 aircraft we fly. Your judgment and risk assessment should always determine your personal or department ... Read More »
The DJI Z30 zoom camera can give you tremendous reach to bring distant objects into view. But in my experience, it has two major issues out of the box. The first is the slow drift the aircraft and camera have when zoomed in. That’s annoying but can be somewhat overcome with a steady finger on the stick to counteract the ... Read More »
I’ve written in the past about the DJI battery issues with their TB55 and TB50 batteries for Inspire 2 and Matrice aircraft. After installing the latest update and flight testing the aircraft, I felt confident the issue was resolved. At the very least, batteries which were previously taken out of service for reflecting a 0 charge, were chargeable again after ... Read More »
DJI has issued a press release the press release below concerning the TB50 and TB55 battery issue. What is interesting about it is that it does not seem to address the issues I’ve experienced of batteries showing no charge at all when loaded onto the aircraft even though the charge says they are fully charged. Let’s hope the software fix ... Read More »
Anyone who has applied for a UAS waiver will not be surprised by the findings of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the FAA. According to the internal investigation, the FAA “has disapproved 73 percent of operational waiver requests (e.g., over people and beyond line of sight), and a significant backlog of waiver requests to operate in airspace with ... Read More »
This is kind of a quasi-official statement from DJI since it came on a support ticket to me regarding my TB55 battery issues. However, at least it is some advice and update. What is interesting is while the UK CAA strongly advises not to fly until the problem is resolved, DJI seems to say flight is still possible. Support says: ... Read More »
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has just released a new update on DJI TB50 and TB55 battery failures which lead to the damage of aircraft. They have expanded their warning to Matrice Series and Inspire 2 aircraft. This is a follow-up post to this and this. But First a Crash Debrief One of our awesome readers has sent in a ... Read More »
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