In the event of a TFR, or if the event is near an airport, government buildings, sporting event, or other sensitive area, your drones may be locked and prevented from flight. This is especially true during major events.
In addition to acquiring a TFR release, most First Responder organizations can opt in to programs that unlock drones by default in most cases. DJI offers a Qualified Entities Program (QEP) for their drones that allows First Responders and other qualifying organizations to pre-clear drones in flight restricted areas.
Once you’ve received the final TFR waiver, if your aircraft is not a part of the QEP program you will need to contact DJI and provide the following information in order to process an unlock:
- Copy of TFR Waiver
- List of all aircraft flight controller serial numbers
- Types of aircraft
- DJI account email addresses for all pilots involved in flight operations
- Date/time/duration of unlock
- Distance/radius needed for unlock
Once a drone is unlocked with the QEP, DroneSense will automatically honor it and allow you to fly unrestricted as defined in your QEP profile. Proceed to this article for the steps to unlock a no-fly zone within the DroneSense app.
DroneSense is pleased to assist qualifying emergency response organizations in signing up for the DJI Qualified Entities Program (QEP). Proceed to this article for more information.