Last week there was talk of a new Paper Plane mode being released for the Spark. This has now disappeared from DJI announcement etc.
Has anyone got any idea what's happening with this? Is it still coming or has it been scrapped?

@DJI?

I must say I was very surprised when I read about it.

Martin Lines Posted at 2017-9-4 09:17
https://youtu.be/iCfrGzSgVIc

Whahahahaha.
Now that was sort of 'on topic'....

I didn't quite understand the "Paper Plane" Mode as it was explained.  It sounded just like the dronie but with the camera facing the wrong way.  I didn't know if the Spark was to somehow rotate in order to capture the operator or what.  In any even it seems like it has been scrapped as there is no evidence of it being mentioned in the release notes anymore.

^ Or, you know, you can just throw the Spark away from you like a paper plane... but have the camera facing you...basically throwing it backwards.
                                                                                                                   Mind=Blown!

According to Tahoe Ed or Blade Strike over on RC Groups (cant remember who said it, but those are both DJI engineers if you aren't aware), this announcement of Paper Plane mode was premature to say the least. Marketing got ahead of engineering on this, and the mode is nowhere near ready, not for months at least. They have also expressed their concerns to DJI that this mode may not be a good idea at all. If the info is getting scrubbed, maybe the (very dumb) idea is too.

Martin Lines Posted at 2017-9-4 09:17
https://youtu.be/iCfrGzSgVIc

This video was such an anticlimax!

All and every gimmick feature the spark has are a waste of time. Get a RC and fly it like they should be flown.

OneMatt Posted at 2017-9-4 23:05
According to Tahoe Ed or Blade Strike over on RC Groups (cant remember who said it, but those are both DJI engineers if you aren't aware), this announcement of Paper Plane mode was premature to say the least. Marketing got ahead of engineering on this, and the mode is nowhere near ready, not for months at least. They have also expressed their concerns to DJI that this mode may not be a good idea at all. If the info is getting scrubbed, maybe the (very dumb) idea is too.

That makes sense to me (this mode was a recipe for disaster).
Hope the engineers win this battle

Sime Posted at 2017-9-5 01:59
All and every gimmick feature the spark has are a waste of time. Get a RC and fly it like they should be flown.

To be fair to DJI, it was made as a gimmicky drone for people who just want to have fun.

If you want to be a professional, I don't think a Spark is going to cut it.

The Paper Plane mode does sound like a disaster waiting to happen though.

Drone-Mike Posted at 2017-9-5 07:09
To be fair to DJI, it was made as a gimmicky drone for people who just want to have fun.

If you want to be a professional, I don't think a Spark is going to cut it.

Paper Airplane mode sounds like it would be awesome to use but would basically be a magnet for idiots to hurt other people.

method007 Posted at 2017-9-5 09:36
Paper Airplane mode sounds like it would be awesome to use but would basically be a magnet for idiots to hurt other people.

Good fun indeed, but why would it be awesome?

if there's glitch in the firmware for this so called 'paper plane mode" i can see plenty damaged sparks and a fair bit disappointment.
i can't see any real good purpose for it myself.

sounds strange paper plane mode. i think it wil couse a lot of damaged sparks. i would not use it a lot just to keep the spark healty

I hope the feature will come, DJI improves the spark every time I update, I love my spark more and more

the Paper Plane - mode would be nice on a balcony.
Or on a cliff or such.
Just not that good of a mode on normal ground.
Flight time might be to short, to enjoy

What am I missing?  I've read a lot of speculation that "Paper Plane" mode could be a disaster, a nightmare, a "lawsuit in waiting", etc.  I'm having trouble envisioning how it could be dire or disastrous.  At the same time, I'm not really finding a constructive use for it either, but I'm not able to wrap my head around any harm.

I'm assuming it's a mode just like helix and dronie, etc.  So you initiate it from the phone.  I'm assuming that it will fly ahead for some distance from it's starting point (distance is configurable).  I'm assuming that with obstacle detection, it won't crash into anything unless the obstacle is too "fine" to see.  I'm assuming that the pilot will exercise the mode just as judiciously as normal flight (so no concerns with running into people, because a pilot should not do that period).

As stated above, I don't find this potential new feature inspiring either.  I don't know what this gets me that I can't do easily on the controls already.  Helix and Circle do make up for remedial pilot skills, but even Rocket and Dronie are very easy to perform manually.  This new mode sounds like it falls into the "I can do that myself" category.  But even if I personally don't appreciate it's functionality, it seems harmless to me.

It would probably make more sense if it were a "toss and fly" like the Lily drone had demonstrated. That could actually be somewhat useful in some circumstances.

I honestly think it seems like an accident waiting to happen, maybe DJI pulled the plug on it

I honestly think it seems like an accident waiting to happen, maybe DJI pulled the plug on it

They should never do this. Already as it is, there are silly user errors..add this and you will get more crashed sparks

nwhit Posted at 2017-9-5 16:27
It would probably make more sense if it were a "toss and fly" like the Lily drone had demonstrated. That could actually be somewhat useful in some circumstances.

It didn't go that well for the Lily drone last time around!

Charles Adams Posted at 2017-9-5 12:32
What am I missing?  I've read a lot of speculation that "Paper Plane" mode could be a disaster, a nightmare, a "lawsuit in waiting", etc.  I'm having trouble envisioning how it could be dire or disastrous.  At the same time, I'm not really finding a constructive use for it either, but I'm not able to wrap my head around any harm.

I'm assuming it's a mode just like helix and dronie, etc.  So you initiate it from the phone.  I'm assuming that it will fly ahead for some distance from it's starting point (distance is configurable).  I'm assuming that with obstacle detection, it won't crash into anything unless the obstacle is too "fine" to see.  I'm assuming that the pilot will exercise the mode just as judiciously as normal flight (so no concerns with running into people, because a pilot should not do that period).

I think it is supposed to be a Gesture Mode option (enable it in the app initially, then use disconnected). Given how reliable that has been, I am concerned about false positives on the throw (meant to do palm launce, Spark interprets paper toss).

The description was that it would take a dronie and return, so the implication there is the camera is facing the user (toss it backwards), so obstable avoidance wouldnt exist.

So, problems are:

Person tosses drone,crashes into ground.

Person tosses drone, doesnt gain altitude, crashes into object.

Person tosses drone, doesnt gain altitude, crashes into people.

Person tosses drone, gaines altitude and distance....and more distance....and more...where did my drone go?

This mode already exists in the app, called Dronie. And we all read how that worked on the first few firmware releases (it didnt). I would hate to see this work and failin autonomous mode.

I was thinking it would fly out like dronie but facing forward, it could potentially fly left and right lightly like a paper airplane would fly.  Could be nice and easier to do smoothly automated then manually with the sticks