|
| They both are, just different aspects of the drone.
The FCC is more the radio frequencies and communications aspect, like for using US infrastructure. The FAA is for airspace. Drones need to get FCC approval to operate in compliance, or legally. They also need to get FAA approval to be used under the 44807 exemption. FAA also handles aircraft registrations.
You can have one without the other, but you need both to be legal. What happens next is a crapshoot and no one knows for sure what will happen. Anyone who says your drones will be a brick after Dec 23 is selling a competitor. Anyone who says there's absolutely no way that they can ground and brick your drone is trying to sell you a T100.
Here's my take on it. DJI and Autel are going on the FCC covered list (ban list) on Dec. 23rd unless hell freezes over. They have a very slim chance of making it out alive. As it is right now, all drones currently approved will still be approved and you can fly them no problem. However, the FCC granted themselves the ability to retroactively revoke approvals. They just gave themselves unprecedented authority. Rick Scott is currently urging the US Gov to go back and revoke any approval since Dec. 2024. If they do that, any DJI drone that got approved after that date, will no longer be in compliance, and there is a number of possible outcomes from that and no one can say for sure what will happen. As far as I know, they'd still be able to function, but DJI could also just remote lock all of them if they want to be in compliance. Whoo lotta "who knows".
This is ultimately why I think it's time to jump ship. I'd urge anyone to not hitch their business to a drone whose future is shrouded in unknowns. And quite frankly, DJI hasn't had the title of best spray drone since the P100 Pro dethroned it. This year the HD580 and P150 both beat the snot out of the T60 and next year the T100 is competing with the Ceres Air, J150, and P150 Max. There's a reason the T100 didn't sell well in China and I think guys are gonna find out why once fungicide rolls around again. | |
|
DJI article
