A short and sweet article for you today…
On 12/6/23, the FAA accepted and published 9 new Remote ID Declarations of Compliance for DJI models. Those include 8 highly anticipated legacy models. Those legacy models include the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Mavic 2 Zoom, Mavic 2 Pro, FPV, Mavic Air 2 (model numbers MA2UE3W & MA2UE1N), Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced, and the Phantom 4 RTK.
And the DJI UAS world rejoiced. For about 2 minutes…
Apparently each of those RID DOCs only include two separate serial numbers. Two. No more, no less. And therein lies the issue.
This morning Justin Bowers posted this comment from DJI Support concerning this issue in the DSPA public Facebook group. He asked them how to fix the RID serial numbers on his Mavic 2 Pro. DJI Support told Justin:
“Greetings from DJI Technical Support.
Mavic 2 Pro has passed the FAA RID review, and the DOC list has been updated. Please kindly check.
The RID serial number=1581F+14-digit flight controller serial number+0, a total of 20 digits. Please check the flight controller serial number by the controlled or DJI Go 4 app.”
That’s all fine and dandy for DJI, but that doesn’t satisfy the legality of the Part 89 RID Registration process for the FAA. I’ve also reached out to DJI to see if this serial number formula will work with all of the affected drones, or just the Mavic 2 Pro. I’ll update this article when I find out.
[Update] I heard back from DJI support this morning, this is the following action to “unofficially” update the other drones on the above list. Remember, once the RID serial number issue it officially fixed on the FAA’s RID DOC page, make sure you go there and double check that it is RID compliant. This is only for the legacy drones, not the FlyCart 30.
“Dear Victor,
But all is not lost.
I reached out to UASHelp@faa.gov this morning after I read Justin’s great comment. I asked if this was the correct way to register your DJI drone that falls under one of the incomplete DOCs. Side note: UASHelp@faa.gov is your one-stop shop for all UAS questions at the FAA. You can also call them at 844 FLY MY UA (844-359-6982). The FAA UAS Support Center is staffed by folks who know what they’re talking about. And if they don’t know the answer, they know the right people to ask to get that answer. Make sure you have that email address and phone number handy at all times. And you’ll also see many of those same folks answering drone questions as Commercial UAV Expo, as well as AUVSI’s Exponential. So stop by say hi and thank them for what they do.
My answer from the UAS Help Center was very enlightening. Apparently the FAA changed the DOC process and messed some things up. At first we all thought DJI messed up. They didn’t.
I was told:
“Hi Vic
I would categorize this as “unforeseen consequences.”
When the DOC portal was first launched, applicants were allowed to enter a range of serial numbers (i.e. 1 – 100). There was no requirement to enter a CSV file. Some timer earlier this year, the portal requirements were changed and the range option was removed. Whereas 1 – 100 was previously considered a range of numbers, 1 through 100 inclusive, it is now a listing of two absolute numbers, 1 and 100.
So applicants now can only enter manually or upload a CSV file. No range option is available. The FAA is working to restore that option again but will be sometime early next year. DJI is aware of this.”
My followup question asked if the FAA had an official answer on how someone would go about changing the RID serial numbers on affected DJI drones in their Drone Zone account.
Again the FAA had the answer. Even if it wasn’t an official FAA answer.
“There’s no “official” position yet. But I see two options:
- Take advantage of the FAA’s policy of discretionary enforcement and wait until the problem is resolved (hopefully, right after the New Year), or
- Contact DJI and confirm your make/model’s remote ID serial number. Go ahead and update the registration with the understanding that compliance with Part 89 requires an FAA-accepted DOC. So, as above, you’re not compliant until the issue is resolved.”
So there you have it. The official/unofficial method of updating your DJI drone with your RID serial number if yours falls under the model of one of the 8 above. If you want to contact DJI support, reach out via support@dji.com.
But if I were you, I’d just wait until all of this is straightened out by DJI and the FAA. Remember, the FAA has announced the RID deferred enforcement until March 16, 2024. This is exactly why. And remember, you must update the serial number on the affected DJI drones to be compliant with Part 89. It’s up to you if you want to do it now, or later, but if you update now, make sure you go back to the FAA’s DOC page when this issue is resolved to ensure you actual flight controller serial number is included in the “official” FAA RID DOC range.
And if you’re unsure how to go into your Drone Zone account to change the serial number to the RID serial number, Pilot Institute put our a great video showing how. And if you’re looking to get your Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, you can do no better than Pilot Institute.
Once this issue is settled, I have no doubt the FAA and DJI will be getting the word out. And I promise you that DSPA will as well.
As always, Fly Safe!
