Hi all,

It would be nice to hear all the positive experience you've had with your Spark.  How about we all share something positive so those looking at this forum don't think it's all negative.

Topic:

• Favorite Spark story
• Best Picture story
• Best Video story
• Favorite function
• Funny story
  

PLEASE KEEP THIS POSITIVE

Positive story: My spark survived a 1200ft / 430m brick drop with one scratch

This

never had a problem on any firmware apart from the quickshots and that works fine now

Loved my Spark ever since i got it. Have got some great shots. Today for instance, I was flying and was swarmed by a large group of Pigeons.

Managed to get a couple of close up photos lol

Bird Fly 1 by Carl Russell, on Flickr


Bird Fly 2 by Carl Russell, on Flickr

Love the active track - i have made some great videos of my children. its a great platform for me to create memories.

X22 CRR Posted at 2017-9-19 07:06
Loved my Spark ever since i got it. Have got some great shots. Today for instance, I was flying and was swarmed by a large group of Pigeons.

Managed to get a couple of close up photos lol

I too love the active track, that was one of the main reason for buying, so I could capture my daughter out on her bike etc.

X22, those are some fantastic bird flybys.  Nice job.  

Koppo Posted at 2017-9-19 06:47
Positive story: My spark survived a 1200ft / 430m brick drop with one scratch

Wow .. that was a little high .. LOL

Glad she survived the fall

jksphoto Posted at 2017-9-19 06:50
This Flight among the trees

Very nice video .. thanks for sharing.

X22 CRR Posted at 2017-9-19 07:06
Loved my Spark ever since i got it. Have got some great shots. Today for instance, I was flying and was swarmed by a large group of Pigeons.

Managed to get a couple of close up photos lol

Very nice pictures and thanks for sharing.

jksphoto Posted at 2017-9-19 07:07
I too love the active track, that was one of the main reason for buying, so I could capture my daughter out on her bike etc.

Active Track as a great feature and I'm sure it will make you smile when you review the videos in a few years.

Enjoy the moments that make us smile.

Sparky_17 Posted at 2017-9-19 07:14
Active Track as a great feature and I'm sure it will make you smile when you review the videos in a few years.

Enjoy the moments that make us smile.

It certainly is. Only started using it over the last few week's. Probably my favourite gesture mode.

Activetrack is great. I firstly tried it in the forest and that thing ascended right into the trees like a grass trimmer. Nothing happened though besides a deep shock

Koppo Posted at 2017-9-19 07:18
Activetrack is great. I firstly tried it in the forest and that thing ascended right into the trees like a grass trimmer. Nothing happened though besides a deep shock

Sorry, but that is a funny story .. lol

... grass trimmer ...

Nice proposal, we appreciate the topic, which will give newbies much confidence in flying and us motivation to provide more products and professional customer service. Thank you.

DJI Mindy Posted at 2017-9-19 07:42
Nice proposal, we appreciate the topic, which will give newbies much confidence in flying and us motivation to provide more products and professional customer service. Thank you.

Thanks Mindy, love my spark and just wanted to hear other successful stories.

I bought a Phantom 4 not too long ago, it does not have any issues, but I always take the Spark out every day even if not flying it as it is such a breeze to carry it around and get it out and fly if I want too.  I even flew it around my works factory when everyone had gone home and got some great footage.  It flew perfectly around the factory in between metal supports and near machinery etc...  I was amazed how it handled it without any warnings what so ever and was very stable.

HomePoint Posted at 2017-9-19 07:53
I bought a Phantom 4 not too long ago, it does not have any issues, but I always take the Spark out every day even if not flying it as it is such a breeze to carry it around and get it out and fly if I want too.  I even flew it around my works factory when everyone had gone home and got some great footage.  It flew perfectly around the factory in between metal supports and near machinery etc...  I was amazed how it handled it without any warnings what so ever and was very stable.

Glad to hear it performs well indoors.  I've never tried it as my home is two small.

I have had my Spark for about 2 months.  I have had one minor crash with no damage that was totally due to pilot error (not being able to react quick enough) and being a rookie (not having enough experience).  My Spark has been a total pleasure to fly.

Tips:
1) Start conservative.  Just fly around at a low altitude at a few dozen feet and not too far away.  If you are close enough you can try out the control sticks and watch how the Spark performs.  I think it is important to SEE how it reacts.  Go for a walk and fly the Spark 15 feet ahead of you as you zig zag around an open field.  When you are hundreds of feet away you cannot see how the Spark reacts.
2) If you want to play with Sport Mode do the same.  Be conservative and stay close to watch what happens when you move the sticks BEFORE you try some longer distance flights.
3) Play with some of the Quick Shot Modes but again don't get crazy .... AND be sure to have a large area.  Some of the modes need more space than you might expect.
4) Look around your flight area and look for problems.  I thought about going to a nearby local park but when I got there I realized there were some high tension power lines near by.  I could have easily avoided them during flight but I was not sure if they might interfere with the electronics (compass, WiFi, etc.).  So I decided that park was not going to work and I was disappointed because some of the camera shots would have been very cool.
5) Don't assume Return To Home (RTH) will solve all of your problems.  My minor crash happened when I was too close to a tree.  The Spark saw the tree and the RTH went UP just like it should.  But, the Spark only has collision avoidance going forward so it clipped a tree branch on the way up.
6) It takes a while to learn all of the controls, messages, and modes.  Knowing how to interact quickly could save a crash rather than "poking around" on the screen while you panic.
7) Never loose site of the craft.  It is possible to fly from the video but the risk is higher.  Some local laws also require you to maintain line of sight.
8) When you get a little better try out ATI mode to understand how much harder it might be for you.
9) Be mindful of battery level.  Leave enough to navigate back and land where YOU want to land.

As others here have said ... make a plan BEFORE you fly.  If you are in the middle of a fly away you you may be better off watching the Spark than staring at the screen trying to find a way to stop it.

If your risk taking is matched by your experience, skills, and good judgement you should have a lots of safe flights.

Mark S Posted at 2017-9-19 08:32
I have had my Spark for about 2 months.  I have had one minor crash with no damage that was totally due to pilot error (not being able to react quick enough) and being a rookie (not having enough experience).  My Spark has been a total pleasure to fly.

Tips:

Thanks for your post and your experience.

jksphoto Posted at 2017-9-19 06:50
This Flight among the trees

Nice video and I know where you shoot it, was at moon of Endor in Star Wars with a "Spark bike"!!!!

jksphoto Posted at 2017-9-19 06:50
This Flight among the trees

Beautiful video!

X22 CRR Posted at 2017-9-19 07:06
Loved my Spark ever since i got it. Have got some great shots. Today for instance, I was flying and was swarmed by a large group of Pigeons.

Managed to get a couple of close up photos lol

Great pics indeed

Mark S Posted at 2017-9-19 08:32
I have had my Spark for about 2 months.  I have had one minor crash with no damage that was totally due to pilot error (not being able to react quick enough) and being a rookie (not having enough experience).  My Spark has been a total pleasure to fly.

Tips:

Thanks for the tips!

Nvas09 Posted at 2017-9-19 11:45
Nice video and I know where you shoot it, was at moon of Endor in Star Wars with a "Spark bike"!!!!

https://youtu.be/4wSG3m4VNlo

It's actually where they shot Robin Hood Prince of thieves with Kevin Costner all those years ago.

Thanks for your input .. keep those positive experience / comments coming.

Absolutely love my Spark. Tripod mode is just great for most of my use. Not going too mad with it as I’ve only had it a week. Watching loads of videos and reading this forum has helped. I am lucky as my garden is quite big but my neighbor (alongside my property) has over 60 acres and I’ve got full permission to use it. No pylons, few trees and quite rural. So far no warnings, always line of sight and zero issues. Always near home when battery gets to 30% and always land on 20%. Only charge batteries prior to use so I know all three are fully charged. Using iOS 11 on a 7plus, also using the RC so that really helps. My partner acts as a spotter and Keeps an eye out whilst I play with mid flight settings. Learnt loads!

I hope I don’t get any of the weird issues others have but I don’t let it spoil my fun. Just ‘try’ and make sure that if I do I will try to use some of the helpful advise that others on this forum have passed on!

I really think just enjoy it! BUT know it’s limitations.  

Lastly, got to say it’s a giant step up from my Parrot AR Drone 2!

I am Sparkacus Posted at 2017-9-20 13:31
Absolutely love my Spark. Tripod mode is just great for most of my use. Not going too mad with it as I’ve only had it a week. Watching loads of videos and reading this forum has helped. I am lucky as my garden is quite big but my neighbor (alongside my property) has over 60 acres and I’ve got full permission to use it. No pylons, few trees and quite rural. So far no warnings, always line of sight and zero issues. Always near home when battery gets to 30% and always land on 20%. Only charge batteries prior to use so I know all three are fully charged. Using iOS 11 on a 7plus, also using the RC so that really helps. My partner acts as a spotter and Keeps an eye out whilst I play with mid flight settings. Learnt loads!

I hope I don’t get any of the weird issues others have but I don’t let it spoil my fun. Just ‘try’ and make sure that if I do I will try to use some of the helpful advise that others on this forum have passed on!

Great story, thanks for sharing.  Your should share some of your videos.

Mark S Posted at 2017-9-19 08:32
I have had my Spark for about 2 months.  I have had one minor crash with no damage that was totally due to pilot error (not being able to react quick enough) and being a rookie (not having enough experience).  My Spark has been a total pleasure to fly.

Tips:

I always assumed that "line of sight" meant not to fly it around corners or to have objects between you and the drone. I never once thought it to mean "you must always be able to see it"

djiuser_C2jmAU3 Posted at 2017-9-21 11:38
I always assumed that "line of sight" meant not to fly it around corners or to have objects between you and the drone. I never once thought it to mean "you must always be able to see it"

I always keep mine in line of sight.  Makes for a positive experience knowing where it is at all times.

Any new positive stories to share???

A friend asked me to inspect his leaking roof.
I had forgot the sd card at home, so tripod mode was unavailable, because the quickshot button were missing.
Video is from the phone cache, but good enough.

Thanks for all those positive stories from spark. Glad so many people enjoy flying their drone.

I crashed my spark into a tree and it fell into water. IT STILL WORKS! After putting it in rice as you can see the tree in the picture i hit it totally my error and it fell into the water below it. Spark was made good! To know that the rice helped before it there were errors and it wouldnt takeoff but now it does! Works great

heliman Posted at 2017-9-25 23:03
A friend asked me to inspect his leaking roof.
I had forgot the sd card at home, so tripod mode was unavailable, because the quickshot button were missing.
Video is from the phone cache, but good enough.

Thanks for sharing, glad our sparks are put to good use.

JxckSweeney Posted at 2017-9-26 04:42
I crashed my spark into a tree and it fell into water. IT STILL WORKS! After putting it in rice  as you can see the tree in the picture i hit it totally my error and it fell into the water below it. Spark was made good! To know that the rice helped before it there were errors and it wouldnt takeoff but now it does! Works great [view_image]

great story .. glad to hear your spark is not damaged from the crash and water.  They are pretty resilient.

Any new positive stories to share ??

X22 CRR Posted at 2017-9-19 07:06
Loved my Spark ever since i got it. Have got some great shots. Today for instance, I was flying and was swarmed by a large group of Pigeons.

Managed to get a couple of close up photos lol

Brave but brilliant shots! Great work!

I was flying over field then heard a tractor drive toward me - I flew my Spark straight back to me whilst I was sat on a bench with my back to the farmer and palm landed before putting the Spark straight into my bag - it took seconds to pack up - I turned around and could see the farmer looking for the 'drone flyer' - I just raised my arms as if to say not sure where he got to LOL and the farmer drove on looking for, well, me! Loved the Spark ever since - now if that was my P4P it would have been a different story.

ACW Posted at 2017-10-13 12:12
I was flying over field then heard a tractor drive toward me - I flew my Spark straight back to me whilst I was sat on a bench with my back to the farmer and palm landed before putting the Spark straight into my bag - it took seconds to pack up - I turned around and could see the farmer looking for the 'drone flyer' - I just raised my arms as if to say not sure where he got to LOL and the farmer drove on looking for, well, me! Loved the Spark ever since - now if that was my P4P it would have been a different story.

Yes my Spark is Flying now more than my Inspire, people who use the same general area I use train / walk dogs and they don’t get annoyed like they do if I am flying my Inspire. Even ask about it (Spark) and stuff I don’t fly over or near anyone with either Drone I think it must be a size thing?
I am 70 and can honestly say this is a great Drone and I love Flying it. So easy to just take it anywhere it’s safe to fly and away you go.