Fly As You Are

[Ansia]

DJI will be anouncing something on October 30th. By the promo given, it is understood it will be a drone.


Will it be the Mavic Mini or a direct competition to the Skydio 2?

 

[claudius62]

It's the Mavic Mini, we talk about it on the Dji forum.
The Taulier already has it in his hands (and tested).

 

[Trox]

Maybe DJI is working towards coming out with the first cinematic quality drone with a Flying Weight that FAA will allow to be flown over people and crowds with no restrictions or onboard safety accessories. That bar is set pretty low for weight according to documents discussing what FAA is doing in those smoke-filled back rooms. This Mini is not likely to hit that goal but the entire trend of drones like everything in the electronics industry seems to be "How small can we make it and still maintain the quality of the camera and capabilities of the drone." Miniaturization is the name of the game for everything tech nowadays.

DJI Business Plan: Put a drone in everyone's pocket.

 

[claudius62]

I have a scoop, He (she) is flying ...............

 

[Ansia]

Knowing the way DJI operates, I knew there was another drone they wanted to take off the market, since that is their MO. At first, I thought it was the Skydio 2, but today Captain Drone reminded me of a drone that was released recently and is better than a DJI Spark.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

At 249 grams and flight time of Max 30 minutes this little guy interests me. I think it will be a big seller. I will wait for a while but this could be my next toy to play with.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Looks pretty solid for 249 grams. Hope it stands up to all the hype

 

[Trox]

Couldn't really tell from the video but I didn't see any cable between the tablet and the controller. Wireless connection? Or they didn't bother for the demo?

At that fly weight that thing is going to be like a leaf in the wind on any day that is not calm. I'll bet half the battery will be used up adjusting and correcting for the buffeting wind. There are limits to everything as well as trade offs. Add the prop guards and there is a huge increase in wind surface too.

I scanned the QR code on the battery and come up blank. With prop guards and 3 batteries its as if this may be targeting indoor flying since much of the world for half the year (winter) has less than ideal outdoors flying conditions, or none at all. Flying indoors in dead air is probably a niche DJI may be wanting to fill. Weekend flying at your local school gymnasium perhaps. Surely doable with a little community organizing.

It appears to have at least some obstacle avoidance. Will be interesting to see all the specs the company will post.

One final observation: Converting 249 grams to Pounds = 0.54895 lbs. NOTE: The bird will NOT be required to be registered with FAA!! Unless you put on the prop guards. Hmmm. Sneaky DJI!

 

[Jagerbomb52]

There was a meeting with the FAA today and they said if used under Part 107 then it must be registered regardless of weight.

 

[Ansia]

Couldn't really tell from the video but I didn't see any cable between the tablet and the controller. Wireless connection? Or they didn't bother for the demo?

At that fly weight that thing is going to be like a leaf in the wind on any day that is not calm. I'll bet half the battery will be used up adjusting and correcting for the buffeting wind. There are limits to everything as well as trade offs. Add the prop guards and there is a huge increase in wind surface too.

I scanned the QR code on the battery and come up blank. With prop guards and 3 batteries its as if this may be targeting indoor flying since much of the world for half the year (winter) has less than ideal outdoors flying conditions, or none at all. Flying indoors in dead air is probably a niche DJI may be wanting to fill. Weekend flying at your local school gymnasium perhaps. Surely doable with a little community organizing.

It appears to have at least some obstacle avoidance. Will be interesting to see all the specs the company will post.

One final observation: Converting 249 grams to Pounds = 0.54895 lbs. NOTE: The bird will NOT be required to be registered with FAA!! Unless you put on the prop guards. Hmmm. Sneaky DJI!

The cable on the Mavic series controller hides within the left arm.

There was a meeting with the FAA today and they said if used under Part 107 then it must be registered regardless of weight.

My local FSDO told me that if you use a Tello for part 107 it needs to be registered, unless the drone is used under a roof.

 

[Trox]

@Ansia Thanks for the cable heads up. That was fairly camo'd. That gives me some additional ideas for the DIY RC/tablet mount I'm conjuring up.

There was a meeting with the FAA today and they said if used under Part 107 then it must be registered regardless of weight.

But 99% of the market will most likely be non-commercial. I can understand the need for registration in a commercial application - its a liability and accountability thing. But this launch has all the earmarkings of let's get a drone in everyone's hands with the least hassles.

If this regulation for requiring registration of <0.55 lb. drones used in commercial applications is on the books as a valid regulation please point me in that direction as I've not encountered any such rule or requirement in the reading I've done.

Perhaps DJI is looking at this being a 'prototype' of things to come for doing interior inspections, flying over, under, and between complex obstacles. Or sending them in on building or mine collapses.

I'm waiting on a launch of an UW drone that will be good down to 150' for 1 hour "flight" times with no tether. Dam inspections, water intake and outfall inspections, surveys for invasive species, search and recovery and even salvage operations....that is mostly an untapped industry at the pro-sumer affordable level (<$10K)....the last frontier in the drone world yet to be swarmed.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

@Ansia Thanks for the cable heads up. That was fairly camo'd. That gives me some additional ideas for the DIY RC/tablet mount I'm conjuring up.




If this regulation for requiring registration of <0.55 lb. drones used in commercial applications is on the books as a valid regulation please point me in that direction as I've not encountered any such rule or requirement in the reading I've done.

Stay tuned. This is being talked about by many in the commercial end of the UAV's. If you want to participate and ask your questions to people way smarter then I you should join the UAV Legal News & Discussion group on Facebook. They are very active in the laws surround our hobby and the FAA. Right now they are waiting on clarification on what the FAA said today at this meating with LEO's

 

[Ansia]

My conversation with the FAA about this topic was months ago. Basically what he told me that any drone used for commercial purposes, regardless of weight, has to be registered. My guess they are just putting it in writting now, so no one can argue of it's validity.

It is actually quite impressive the power DJI has over the drone world. Drones in the >250g have existed for a while, but it takes for DJI to anounce one to put the FAA and other Airspace agencies around the world to work.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

One of the people who is questioning how the FAA has come to the decision you have to register a sub 250 gram drone is Loretta Alkalay. Very smart lady and has a impressive back ground in the field. She is a Aviation attorney, Adjunct Professor at Vaughn College of Aeronautics, and retired from FAA where she was an attorney and Regional Counsel for more than 30 years. Should be interesting to see what she digs up.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

 

[Ansia]

If my child writes on my drone like in this video, s/he will be grounded 4 life!!!

Great marketing video.

 

[butch]

Very informative and, inticing. Any word on price of the Mini?

 

[butch]

Ansia, all that ink on the mini will put over the 249 grams...... ?

 

[Ansia]

Very informative and, inticing. Any word on price of the Mini?

$399 for normal version and $499 for Fly More Combo.

Ansia, all that ink on the mini will put over the 249 grams...... ?

Perhaps, but even if you don't do it, if you install the propeller protectors, it will take you over 250g. FAA regulations says that if your drone weights more than 250g at takeoff it requires registration. Many people don't know this and will fly with them installed.