ok so this has been bugging me for a while. i got LAANC approval through Aloft for a spot near me, approval came through pretty fast actually, but when i go out to fly my mavic still shows the area as restricted and wont let me take off without doing the manual unlock thing in the DJI app. do i need to do the unlock separately even though i already have the LAANC authorization? feels like im jumping through two different sets of hoops for the same thing and im not sure if the DJI unlock is an actual legal requirement or just a DJI thing. the approval from Aloft looks legit, has a certificate number and everything

this trips up a lot of people. the LAANC authorization is the legal part - that's between you and the FAA. the DJI geofencing unlock is completely separate, it's just DJI's own system and has nothing to do with federal authorization. so yes you technically need to do both if you want the drone to actually let you take off. you do the self-unlock in the DJI fly app, you just confirm you have authorization and accept responsibility, it doesnt actually verify anything on DJI's end. annoying but thats how it works. keep your Aloft certificate accessible in case anyone asks, the DJI unlock thing isnt proof of anything legally

DJI's geofencing is honestly so frustrating. i had a similar situation at a spot where i had full Part 107 authorization and the drone still fought me about it. the unlock process worked but it felt absurd to have to tell my own drone i was allowed to fly somewhere i legally had permission to be. i get why they do it from a liability standpoint but it adds friction for people who actually did the right thing and got proper auth while someone who just doesnt care will find a workaround anyway