Chinese drone maker opens up shop near Seattle
As government agencies try to figure out how to regulate drone usage, which is a complicated issue in our city skies, Chinese drone maker DJI is set to open a new company retail store in Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle.
Credit: DJI
According to a story on GeekWire, the Shenzen-based DJI will open in the Marketplace @ Factoria mall in the suburb. Consumers will be able to try out personal and professional drones. Professionals will be on hand to provide advice about uses for the particular drones and the store’s grand opening will feature demonstrations of its Phantom and Mavic drone series, among others.
There is one catch, however. Drone flights are not allowed outside the mall and recreational users aren’t allowed to fly drones within 25 feet of another person. To top it off, drones are not allowed in Bellevue parks, as city rules state.
Considering how close the city is to Boeing’s testing airport, the reason for the strict rules may be warranted, but it does make it difficult for a flagship drone store to sell to locals.
Still, the Bellevue store is the first DJI company store outside of Asia, which shows the popularity of drone usage. The three others are in Shenzen, Hong Kong and Seoul. The company is sure to want to latch on to the burgeoning drone racing market, as well as appealing to backyard (perhaps not in Bellevue) users.