Remote ID

[KDub]

Understanding the FAA Remote ID Rule

Updated 7/12/2022

Summary: 2, 2+ & X2E all good to be Level 1 Standard Remote ID compliant with a firmware update. The pathway is already “in the box”.

“July 12, 2022 Update on Skydio’s compliance with FAA Remote ID requirements.

Skydio consumer and enterprise drones will be Remote ID compliant by the required FAA deadlines (September 2022 for manufacturers, and September 2023 for operators). Skydio will enable Standard Remote ID compliance through software updates. No hardware modifications will be required. That applies to Skydio 2, Skydio 2+, and Skydio X2E.”

 

[Ridefreak]

That update will signal the end of the SDs usability to me, goodby to flying in any areas w/o a cell signal in the US. Almost everywhere I fly has limited or no cell signal.

 

[MileHi_Skydio]

That update will signal the end of the SDs usability to me, goodby to flying in any areas w/o a cell signal in the US. Almost everywhere I fly has limited or no cell signal.

....wait, what? You can't fly the Skydio in areas without a cell signal when this goes into effect?

 

[BlueHeeler]

That update will signal the end of the SDs usability to me, goodby to flying in any areas w/o a cell signal in the US. Almost everywhere I fly has limited or no cell signal.

I am not sure what you're saying, maybe I am misundestanding what you're implying, but I would think that as long as a drone is in compliance for Remote ID, who cares if nobody can pick it up in an area with no cellular signals, I believe you will be fine, keep flying, be happy.

 

[BlueHeeler]

....wait, what? You can't fly the Skydio in areas without a cell signal when this goes into effect?

That was my first thought, but no way that could be correct, but what do I know.

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

i dunno either but i still believe this is going to be delayed until the confusion is sorted. either that or it's going to be implemented and nobody will care about the results. there will be some drones that can be tracked and/or located and others that cannot but nobody will really care about that; only that the equipment is available. how someone is supposed to tell where you or your drone is located using a cellphone and there is no wifi or cellular signal involved at all is beyond me unless the new gps world has figured out something new.

"Most drones will be required to broadcast that information, as well as the position of the drone and controller, in a manner able to be received by cellular phones (using wifi or bluetooth). The information will be broadcast locally. Anyone with a compatible phone or receiver will be able to receive it."

eta: i guess wifi is the key.

 

[BlueHeeler]

i dunno either but i still believe this is going to be delayed until the confusion is sorted. either that or it's going to be implemented and nobody will care about the results. there will be some drones that can be tracked and/or located and others that cannot but nobody will really care about that; only that the equipment is available. how someone is supposed to tell where you or your drone is located using a cellphone and there is no wifi or cellular signal involved at all is beyond me unless the new gps world has figured out something new.

"Most drones will be required to broadcast that information, as well as the position of the drone and controller, in a manner able to be received by cellular phones (using wifi or bluetooth). The information will be broadcast locally. Anyone with a compatible phone or receiver will be able to receive it."

eta: i guess wifi is the key.

FAA and other Authorities will know your ID, it will not be public information, but everybody else will just know there's a drone nearby if they even pick up your signal, this is how I am understanding it thus far.

 

[Ridefreak]

From what I read there was a connectivity requirement (internet connection) to communicate the remote ID to the FAA server. This isn't possible w/o a cell signal. When going back just now to find that info for you guys I found something that gives me hope.

"Take note that the operational requirements of Remote ID are a significant departure from what was proposed in the NPRM. Under the final ruling, drone pilots no longer need to have an active Internet or network connection to broadcast Remote ID messages.

Drones need to have Remote ID active from takeoff to shutdown. It cannot be turned off mid-flight, and we expect drones to have features that will prevent them from taking off without activating Remote ID."

Remote ID Is Here – What You Need to Know and How It Will Work - Pilot Institute

Finally, the FAA has published the rules on the soon-to-be-implemented Remote ID system for drones. This is easily one of the most controversial topics within the drone community for the past year. Just before 2020 ended, the FAA released the final ruling on Remote ID after numerous delays and a...

pilotinstitute.com

This is a little different the the original proposal I was basing my viewpoint on. Now the drone can transmit a signal without the requirement to connect to another entity like a FAA server. From what I just read it's more an RF beacon that contains the remote ID info and can be received by aircraft (and LEOs) That gives me hope. This change might have happened awhile ago, when I first read the remote ID requirements that wasn't the case. Needless to say I feel a little better.

 

[Ridefreak]

I didn't initially click on Kdub's Skydio release, I just went back and read it and skydio explains it also. Sorry for the confusion, my viewpoint above was based on the original NRPM and I thought that was a done deal. I'm very glad to see they changed that part of the rules. It's significantly different IRT remote operations then what was initially published..

 

[BlueHeeler]

From what I read there was a connectivity requirement (internet connection) to communicate the remote ID to the FAA server. This isn't possible w/o a cell signal. When going back just now to find that info for you guys I found something that gives me hope.

"Take note that the operational requirements of Remote ID are a significant departure from what was proposed in the NPRM. Under the final ruling, drone pilots no longer need to have an active Internet or network connection to broadcast Remote ID messages.

Drones need to have Remote ID active from takeoff to shutdown. It cannot be turned off mid-flight, and we expect drones to have features that will prevent them from taking off without activating Remote ID."

Remote ID Is Here – What You Need to Know and How It Will Work - Pilot Institute

Finally, the FAA has published the rules on the soon-to-be-implemented Remote ID system for drones. This is easily one of the most controversial topics within the drone community for the past year. Just before 2020 ended, the FAA released the final ruling on Remote ID after numerous delays and a...

pilotinstitute.com

This is a little different the the original proposal I was basing my viewpoint on. Now the drone can transmit a signal without the requirement to connect to another entity like a FAA server. From what I just read it's more an RF beacon that contains the remote ID info and can be received by aircraft (and LEOs) That gives me hope. This change might have happened awhile ago, when I first read the remote ID requirements that wasn't the case. Needless to say I feel a little better.

I understand you now, Thank You.

 

[kenmavic2zoom]

ok now that you mentioned it, i remember certain changes were made to make remote id more plausible; i remember another one was public detection and your details being made available widely. still, there are problems with it; not a fan.

 

[luwolfu]

Hello folks,
I am still running the firmware 24.1.43 2th may 2023. This is because I don't like to have the remote id feature.

Do you know if it's worth to upgrade for the other features? Any chance to put the last firmware and disable somehow remote id?

I tipically fly in countryside area, far away from populated spot, airports and other dangerous spots, but the idea of been tracked by anyone with a smartphone app doesn't make me feel comfortable, actually I fly my drone in europe. Someone has more infos?

Thanks a lot

Luca

 

[BlueHeeler]

Hello folks,
I am still running the firmware 24.1.43 2th may 2023. This is because I don't like to have the remote id feature.

Do you know if it's worth to upgrade for the other features? Any chance to put the last firmware and disable somehow remote id?

I tipically fly in countryside area, far away from populated spot, airports and other dangerous spots, but the idea of been tracked by anyone with a smartphone app doesn't make me feel comfortable, actually I fly my drone in europe. Someone has more infos?

Thanks a lot

Luca

All the Updates following May have been Performance Upgrades and Bug Fixes. Also I believe we do not have access to toggle the Remote ID On /Off. ( I have no idea when they turned that on )

 

[luwolfu]

All the Updates following May have been Performance Upgrades and Bug Fixes. Also I believe we do not have access to toggle the Remote ID On /Off. ( I have no idea when they turned that on )

At that time they were advertising remote id starting from June 23 updates. Than at a certain point they've stopped advertise the thing and remote id is not even in the release notes, but as well I've stopped updating the drone since may 23 and I have no remote id broadcasting yet. So I guess, as they said, should be the June update the critical one. Anyway I think I'll keep it like that. If anyone has been able to reverse engineering the software please let me know down below here. Thank you

Luca

 

[kgilbertsen]

I didn’t think the drone would fly if it knew there was an updated firmware available. Is it possible?

 

[luwolfu]

I didn’t think the drone would fly if it knew there was an updated firmware available. Is it possible?

Mine still flying!

 

[kgilbertsen]

Mine still flying!

Glad to know it will fly!