Perhaps the “Mystery of the Mavic Platinum Pro Remote ID Submission” would be a more appropriate title.

Per the Federal Register, effective July 12th, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has rescinded a previously approved remote identification (RID) declaration of compliance (DOC) for the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum uncrewed aircraft with the assigned tracking number RID000000111 that the FAA accepted on January 19, 2023.

Background

Part 89 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) establishes the necessary guidelines for RID of unmanned aircraft operating within the airspace of the United States. In general, unmanned aircraft intended for use in U.S. airspace must adhere to the production requirements outlined in part 89, with a few specific exemptions. Any individual or entity involved in the production of a standard RID unmanned aircraft or RID broadcast module for operation within the United States must demonstrate compliance with the RID performance standards described in subpart D of part 89. This demonstration should be achieved by following an approved method of compliance (MOC) accepted by the FAA.

A DOC is a formal process through which a producer affirms that a standard RID unmanned aircraft or RID broadcast module has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the required minimum performance standards outlined in subpart D of part 89. This affirmation is achieved by utilizing a MOC accepted by the FAA.

The FAA places its trust in the DOC to verify that the standard RID unmanned aircraft or RID broadcast module specified in the DOC has been meticulously designed and manufactured per an FAA-accepted MOC. By adhering to the approved MOC, the aircraft or module complies with the relevant RID requirements outlined in part 89.

The Case of the Mystery Remote ID

On January 19, 2023, FAA assessed and approved a DOC application from DJI, assigned the tracking number RID000000111, for the Mavic Pro Platinum unmanned aircraft. However, on February 16, 2023, the FAA received correspondence from DJI indicating that the products listed in the DOC application, linked to tracking number RID000000111, did not meet the performance requirements outlined in part 89.

As a result, DJI requested the FAA to revoke the accepted DOC with tracking number RID000000111. Upon conducting an internal investigation, DJI discovered that the employee listed as the contact on the DOC application was no longer responsible for RID certification at the time of submission and denied submitting the RID000000111 DOC. The FAA is currently undertaking further inquiries into the matter.

The Basis for the DOC Rescission

The basis for the rescission of the DOC with tracking number RID000000111 is as follows:

  •  DJI statement to the FAA that the group of products listed on DOC tracking number RID000000111 is not compliant with part 89 RID performance requirements.
  • Statement from the DJI employee, whose name was listed as the point of contact on the DOC submission, stating he had not made the DOC submission.
  • DJI’s request for rescission of the DOC with tracking number RID000000111.

Remote ID Begins Soon in the U.S.

Beginning September 16, 2023 all drone pilots required to register, including those who fly for recreation, business, or public safety, must operate their drone in accordance with the rule on Remote ID.

Recreational drone pilots have the convenience of registering once and assigning their registration number to all the devices listed in their inventory. During the registration process, it is necessary to provide the serial number(s) of each Standard Remote ID drone and/or the Remote ID broadcast module. If you utilize a Remote ID broadcast module, the serial number associated with the module must be listed for each non-Standard Remote ID drone that you include in your inventory. This allows you the flexibility to transfer the module from one non-Standard Remote ID drone to another, as long as both drones’ make and model are listed within the same inventory.

Part 107 pilots are required to register each individual device (whether it’s a Standard Remote ID drone or a Remote ID broadcast module) separately in their inventory. Each device will be assigned a unique registration number, making it necessary for them to register each one individually.

Remote ID and Security

Remote Identification: A Primer for Security Professionals provides information about the Remote ID (RID) rule ahead of the FAA compliance date in September.

As the mandatory compliance date for registered drone operations under RID approaches on September 16th, the White Paper provides security professionals and law enforcement with the necessary information to quickly get up to speed on RID. This paper provides valuable information and context to understand the RID rule and how to interpret the RID data or lack of RID data.

Post Image- DJI Mavic Pro Platinum (Image Credit: Adobe Stock by Yuriy Chertok)