Should the Inspire 1 be grounded?

[texassos]

I sent the following email message to DJI China and received the attached response:




May 16, 23:17

Today I have upgraded my Inspire 1 and RC to: FW 1.2.1.03. I have also upgraded my pilot app to: V 1.1.0. I have been following the Inspire 1 user groups and have read about several “fly away” incidents and battery failures suspiciously occurring after the latest F.W. updates. I would like to have DJI respond to these issues. I would specifically like to have a documented response to the following question: Is the DJI Inspire one safe to fly with the latest upgrades?
I would like to know if the Inspire1 should be grounded until a DJI investigation determines that this aircraft is safe to fly. These reported failures are very dangerous issues, with possible injury to the public; exposing the operator and manufacture to civil liability.



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DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>

This email is a service from DJI. Delivered by Zendesk. Sophie.Zhang (DJI)

May 17, 13:49



Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.

The firmware has been tested many times before we released it; we confirmed there is no problem before it's released.
There might be some problems which we didn't find out, we welcome all the valuable feedback and we'll evaluate on it and improve our product.

DJI inspire 1 is safe to fly with the latest firmware. If there is any issue, please kindly send us your flight log for us to analyze the reason.

Have a nice weekend!

Thank you for choosing DJI.

Best Regards,

DJI Product Application Technical Support

Office hours: Monday to Friday , 9:00AM to 18:00PM (HongKong Time GMT+8:00)

-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

 

[The Editor]

I sent the following email message to DJI China and received the attached response:




May 16, 23:17

Today I have upgraded my Inspire 1 and RC to: FW 1.2.1.03. I have also upgraded my pilot app to: V 1.1.0. I have been following the Inspire 1 user groups and have read about several “fly away” incidents and battery failures suspiciously occurring after the latest F.W. updates. I would like to have DJI respond to these issues. I would specifically like to have a documented response to the following question: Is the DJI Inspire one safe to fly with the latest upgrades?
I would like to know if the Inspire1 should be grounded until a DJI investigation determines that this aircraft is safe to fly. These reported failures are very dangerous issues, with possible injury to the public; exposing the operator and manufacture to civil liability.



-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>

This email is a service from DJI. Delivered by Zendesk. Sophie.Zhang (DJI)

May 17, 13:49



Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.

The firmware has been tested many times before we released it; we confirmed there is no problem before it's released.
There might be some problems which we didn't find out, we welcome all the valuable feedback and we'll evaluate on it and improve our product.

DJI inspire 1 is safe to fly with the latest firmware. If there is any issue, please kindly send us your flight log for us to analyze the reason.

Have a nice weekend!

Thank you for choosing DJI.

Best Regards,

DJI Product Application Technical Support

Office hours: Monday to Friday , 9:00AM to 18:00PM (HongKong Time GMT+8:00)

-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

I am not quite sure where you are going with this thread?
What sort of a response did you expect from DJI? "Dear Customer, thank you for your email, it's probably best you keep your Inspire sealed in its box as there are a lot of problems currently and it may crash to earth and kill people"

Sorry, but I am having a hard time getting to grips with your post. There are thousands of us out there flying the Inspire with hundreds of km/miles clocked up on them without incident.
What is your point?

 

[Howie_UK]

Dear DJI,

I love, love, love your product the Inspire 1. I have already needed to replace 2 blades, and it was all my fault - nothing to do with your product, I just wasn't very good on that particular landing (a bit close to a garden plant). Please keep making your products thanks also for your continued customer commitment to giving upgrades after purchase.

A happy customer

 

[Mohan]

Hmm.. your first and only post is about grounding a aircraft because you have read all the 1 zillion negative comments and ignored all the positive comments about the few lucky people who took off for 5 seconds before cutting out the power??

 

[Stoneyphil]

I'm in the same frame of mind as Howie, flew 3 batteries worth last night to catch a sunset from a forest clearing with my son, it was magic, tested the RTH, worked a treat. Glad I bit the bullet and spent the money, happycamper

 

[Howie_UK]

I work away, and the upset of leaving home and knowing we will be apart for a few weeks - oh, and I have to say goodbye to the wife too! Plenty of time while away to read the forum and order ND filters and spare batteries, more blades, check to see if I can make Birmingham in December... what now... I know, I will have a look at the pictures and videos of other people who are not afraid to switch on THE POWER BUTTON !!!

 

[rilot]

I've flown 24 flights yesterday and today on the current firmware. No issues.

 

[Outta Control]

I sent the following email message to DJI China and received the attached response:




May 16, 23:17

Today I have upgraded my Inspire 1 and RC to: FW 1.2.1.03. I have also upgraded my pilot app to: V 1.1.0. I have been following the Inspire 1 user groups and have read about several “fly away” incidents and battery failures suspiciously occurring after the latest F.W. updates. I would like to have DJI respond to these issues. I would specifically like to have a documented response to the following question: Is the DJI Inspire one safe to fly with the latest upgrades?
I would like to know if the Inspire1 should be grounded until a DJI investigation determines that this aircraft is safe to fly. These reported failures are very dangerous issues, with possible injury to the public; exposing the operator and manufacture to civil liability.



-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>

This email is a service from DJI. Delivered by Zendesk. Sophie.Zhang (DJI)

May 17, 13:49



Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.

The firmware has been tested many times before we released it; we confirmed there is no problem before it's released.
There might be some problems which we didn't find out, we welcome all the valuable feedback and we'll evaluate on it and improve our product.

DJI inspire 1 is safe to fly with the latest firmware. If there is any issue, please kindly send us your flight log for us to analyze the reason.

Have a nice weekend!

Thank you for choosing DJI.

Best Regards,

DJI Product Application Technical Support

Office hours: Monday to Friday , 9:00AM to 18:00PM (HongKong Time GMT+8:00)

-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

 

[theheliguy]

I actually see where this is going. It may have actually been worded correctly but delivered to the wrong place.

Whether or not anyone here agrees or believes, at least in a commercial aspect, the FAA considers these machines an Aircraft. Look at the commercial exemption process is 333. To operate a drone of any kind commercially you are required to address every rule in the FAR/AIM that pertains to any other Aircraft that a drone can not satisfy. Until there is an official change in the LAW these, regardless how small, are considered Aircraft.

How many 777 or A380 will have an uncommanded fly away before the whole fleet is grounded? 1 or maybe 2. Now before you argue how much life is at risk or to what extent life is at risk, safe aircraft operation is not merely measured by risk to life. Aircraft are expected to operate properly, not just 90% but all of them. If there is a pattern that can be exhibited of consistent failure in even a small portion of Aircraft it is the duty of the FAA to act.

Now I do expect in the future that there will be relief from these regulations in some form at least for sUAS, but until that is done there is no exception.

I would think that even the slightest rumor of a federal investigation into the safety of DJI's new flag ship product would be bad for business for them world wide. Unfortunately it would also be bad for the whole sUAS industry right now since it is in such a key phase.

Troll fed.... Lol

 

[Paul K]

I sent the following email message to DJI China and received the attached response:




May 16, 23:17

Today I have upgraded my Inspire 1 and RC to: FW 1.2.1.03. I have also upgraded my pilot app to: V 1.1.0. I have been following the Inspire 1 user groups and have read about several “fly away” incidents and battery failures suspiciously occurring after the latest F.W. updates. I would like to have DJI respond to these issues. I would specifically like to have a documented response to the following question: Is the DJI Inspire one safe to fly with the latest upgrades?
I would like to know if the Inspire1 should be grounded until a DJI investigation determines that this aircraft is safe to fly. These reported failures are very dangerous issues, with possible injury to the public; exposing the operator and manufacture to civil liability.



-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>

This email is a service from DJI. Delivered by Zendesk. Sophie.Zhang (DJI)

May 17, 13:49



Thank you for contacting DJI Technical Support.

The firmware has been tested many times before we released it; we confirmed there is no problem before it's released.
There might be some problems which we didn't find out, we welcome all the valuable feedback and we'll evaluate on it and improve our product.

DJI inspire 1 is safe to fly with the latest firmware. If there is any issue, please kindly send us your flight log for us to analyze the reason.

Have a nice weekend!

Thank you for choosing DJI.

Best Regards,

DJI Product Application Technical Support

Office hours: Monday to Friday , 9:00AM to 18:00PM (HongKong Time GMT+8:00)

-----CONFIDENTIAL：

This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.

-----机密：

此电子邮件及附件所包含内容具有机密性，且仅限于接收人使用。未经允许，禁止第三人阅读、复制或传播该电子邮件中的任何信息。如果您不属于以上电子邮件的目标接收者，请您立即通知发送人并删除原电子邮件及其相关的附件。

DJI, Inc. <http://www.dji.com>;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Could you name one car manufacturer who didn't have recall on there car/truck in last two years ? And i am talking safety to drivers and the public.

 

[Ian Fraser]

I agree with the OP here there evidence to suggest there are some issues with the performance of the Inspire 1. If an aircraft is being used commercially and the Inspire 1 is in many cases then it should be subject to all relevant Airworthiness standards.

That said I see a lot of issues posted that are clearly owner created.

Many Flyaways I have seen when you look at provided video or maps I see power lines in one case high voltage power lines. Flying these this things around high level EM fields cant be good for them.

Plain and simple pilot error because people simply do not understand the theory of flight and they by accident create flight conditions that cause a failure in lift and they simply fall out of the sky to some these events look like an Inspire 1 failure where it really is a failure in aerodynamics and the users failure to understand it.

There are also many genuine cases of flyaway and for that reason aviation bodies around the world need to be asking DJI questions about their approach to airworthiness

 

[theheliguy]

Could you name one car manufacturer who didn't have recall on there car/truck in last two years ? And i am talking safety to drivers and the public.

Paul, this is an aircraft not a car and as such are regulated by the appropriate rules.

We all know how the auto industry handles business. On the other hand I fly an aircraft that requires a documented inspection every 6 hours because 1 was found to have cracks in a critical part. That 1 was not even found here, it was in Germany.

 

[theheliguy]

I agree with the OP here there evidence to suggest there are some issues with the performance of the Inspire 1. If an aircraft is being used commercially and the Inspire 1 is in many cases then it should be subject to all relevant Airworthiness standards.

That said I see a lot of issues posted that are clearly owner created.

Many Flyaways I have seen when you look at provided video or maps I see power lines in one case high voltage power lines. Flying these this things around high level EM fields cant be good for them.

Plain and simple pilot error because people simply do not understand the theory of flight and they by accident create flight conditions that cause a failure in lift and they simply fall out of the sky to some these events look like an Inspire 1 failure where it really is a failure in aerodynamics and the users failure to understand it.

There are also many genuine cases of flyaway and for that reason aviation bodies around the world need to be asking DJI questions about their approach to airworthiness

My only argument to this would be that the SkyRanger and other sUAS are doing power line patrol. Also if you plan to use this for commercial purposes it will be impossible to stay away from powerlines., they are near in 65% of the jobs I quote.

Secondly in GPS mode there should be no user input that can cause an aerodynamic failure. Settling with power would be the only one and its controlled by a limited descent rate.

 

[Ian Fraser]

My only argument to this would be that the SkyRanger and other sUAS are doing power line patrol. Also if you plan to use this for commercial purposes it will be impossible to stay away from powerlines., they are near in 65% of the jobs I quote.

Secondly in GPS mode there should be no user input that can cause an aerodynamic failure. Settling with power would be the only one and its controlled by a limited descent rate.

The big if here is... If it stays in GPS mode.

The GPS mode wouldn't be fool proof eithier just look at Commercial airliners weather conditions will still take one of these down. So what chance does an Inspire 1 have if the conditions change outside its flight paramteres. At Ground level the winds and conditions may be perfect at height a condition could cause issues the GPS cannot correct.

 

[Paul K]

Paul, this is an aircraft not a car and as such are regulated by the appropriate rules.

We all know how the auto industry handles business. On the other hand I fly an aircraft that requires a documented inspection every 6 hours because 1 was found to have cracks in a critical part. That 1 was not even found here, it was in Germany.

I don't see the difference between the car and aircraft accident ,when there is injury or human life involved . If you thing it is,than name just one aircraft manufacturer who didn't have technical issue costing accident/crash ,including NASA ant there space shuttles,( now we are talking millions and billions $ machines.
Secondly ,when Inspire 1 was announced (I mean announced,not released) DJI couldn't catch-up with production for it's demand,
Don't you thing it is consumers fault (and the competition,who is trying to steal the idea) ,to pressure them to put the product on the market ,to prevent $$$$ loss ,even it isn't 100% tested.
I have naver seen a electronic product that never failed.
At the end ,I thing majority of Inspire owners are more concern about the smallest technical issue ,and ignoring those who are operating the craft ,not knowing what are they doing and the worst the ones who are putting another people in risk .by using the craft recklessly and disrespecting rules of the airspace.

 

[theheliguy]

Paul, the big difference is who is regulating it and how its handled.

Hundreds of cars display a safety issue and maybe the manufacturer will do something.

One aircraft displays a safety issue and all of that type are immediately grounded until an answer is found.

And wow you really hit the nail on the head!! Because of demand an aircraft was released before it was fully tested and ready because the manufacturer didn't want to lose money. Safety was ignored for the all mighty dollar. Now before you say it was ready.... I had possession of my Inspire for 5 days and in that time it had 3 different firmware..... 3 in 5 days! That doesn't sound ready to me.