Death of Sparkie #2

Yup, inattention and distraction led to Sparky crashing into a tree. As I was flying my neighbor came to his car and started to speak with me. I showed him the picture on my screen that my DJI spark was transmitting although I was having problems with the compass and it could not set the home Point.

 My error was not only one of inattention and distraction, but also in NOT doing a 10 point checklist before flying as I had not been flying for several days. Thinking that I would not be flying it far but just around to photograph the snow I launch from the roof of my moms car. This was a big mistake as it created compass errors and it made it impossible for the drone to know it’s home point.

I am much more careful with my replacement DJI Spark

Hi, Its true, I love flying.  I can't wait to go out every day and fly. Now, I'm getting serious about photography from the sky. Sure its fun to just fly, but flying cinematically is a whole new ballgame when the quality is so good and the camera platform is rock steady.  Check out yesterdays footage from the Hackensak River and Graveyard opposite the Bergen Maker Space.

I passed there on my way home and stopped in to pick up the Spark Leg Extensions; that were 3D printed for me there!  Thank to Wynette the student helper who made it happen.

https://www.skypixel.com/videos/fall-is-coming-to-the-banks-of-the-hackensak-river-in-nj

The above link is to my Skypixel page. Please subscribe to be first to see my videos from the air, and then come here to my Flight Blog where I'll post outstanding video and the stories behind them.  Like in the Hackensak River footage....

I was in the underground parking structure on the ground floor under the shops at Riverside parking along the river's edge. At one remote point, there's a viewing platform jutting out from the bank in a park-like setting.  There was a woman enjoying her lunch on a bench nearby. nobody  nobody else in sight. I walked past her onto the platform and got the shots.

I Killed Sparkie For Real

Unfortunately, for better or worse, I like to take risks.  This time, it was a big mistake. I tried to follow a vehicle with Sparkie, matching its speed with Sparkie switched to "Speed" mode. I was not however, flying above the tree line. I thought I could clear a branch of leaves jutting out over the road.... you know the rest.

I saw it coming and reversed thrust, but it was too later. It was twilight so obstacle avoidance the would have usually stopped the drone, did not function.
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Update Sept. 5, 2018:
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Sparkie is still in my care. I’ve been having Email problems and can not get the return label from DJI’s fast repair service...but because I had begun to file a case and the discovered there was no need to file it was too late.  The new Quadracopter got to me in just under a month. Not exactly speedy, but then again, I was having problems with my email that slowed the process as did my unretractable first filing for repair and then decided I didn't need anything fixed, BUT I COULD NOT REMOVE the case I began. That really screwed things up!

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Finally got the email together and was able to send my DJI Spark back for replacement with a brand new Spark Drone thanks to my DJI REFRESH insurance program.

09/22/18

Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/J-5GymVCz94

The first video edit from Spark footage...before a musical bed was added. Just Narration and the video from Spark!

I almost killed Sparkie

 Boy yesterday was such a wash out! I drove two hours to get to Jenny jump forest where is the Perseid meteor shower‘s would be a lot clearer than around city life, especially because the moon will be new and gone from the sky.

Unfortunately I set my GPS to Jenny jump forest, nothing specific to the observatory. There were several times along the way when the sky was bursting in color despite being overcast cloudy and gray, where I was tempted to stop the car off the side of the highway and fly Sparkie. I thought to myself, I’m losing light so if I plan on flying the drone around the observatory, I had better go there directly rather than stopping and taking the 5-10 minutes needed for flight prep.

 After driving around then backtracking,  trying to find the observatory I finally did arrive at the gate which was closed and locked. I never considered that there would be nobody there during this weekend of moody weather and exciting potential to see the Perseids.

It took about an hour and a half to return home making my whole trip about three hours for nothing.  On the way home I decided to fly at any rate and was able to find a truck stop that was empty of trucks and traffic, so I could fly peacefully - or so I thought.

I put the drone on the ground, turned on the battery, turned on the controller, turned on the iPad, got everything connected, started the propellers and took off - not realizing that the 3-D printed shroud I had made to protect the gimbal (a gimbal is what has the camera attached providing instant positional adjustment to counteract the movements of the airship so that the video is smooth and the horizon is kept perfectly horizontal.

The  automatic launch function should have only raised the plane the drone about 4 feet but the bird went up to 10 feet and started kissing the branches and leaves of the overhanging trees selling the propellers and causing the drone to crash to the ground breaking off one of the propellers and cracking the chassis covering open.

 I didn’t want to try it again until I was in a safer place. As soon as I got home I fired up the rig and got Sparky up in the air without a problem at all. I’ll have to do some more extensive testing with photography to make sure things are aligned and none of the processing chips have been damaged but as far as I can tell the bird is as good as gold except for a little physical “dent” so to speak.  WHEW!

I managed another flight before the torrential down pour

 I managed another flight before the torrential down pour. I could see the storm clouds rolling in over Tenafly High field. A storm in formation...I had Sparky and tripod bowed and was able to pull away from a tight close-up of my face on a diagonal leading up to 150 sitting here with 150 feet away from me.  I sat in the car for a little while before coming to the CLINTON INN knowing that there would be no cancer at the park in the center of town.

It’s been a quite humid summer so far. Thunder and lightning  where I find myself ; sitting in the car with the rain beating down and bolts of lightening landing near by it seems. I came out to go to the concert, but there will be none tonight!

I’m hooked on Flying - Dramatic Sunset

I took my pet drone, Sparkie, out for a walk three times today! the third time being at about 7:30PM during the golden hour; when the sun is low in the sky and the color pops - as is demonstrated by these four photographs (bracketed exposures via ISO 200, 400, 100 and a panorama that my drone captured from about 100 feet up. I also had on a ND32 neutral density filter for all exposures.

Flying Sparkie over the Tenakill Brook in Demarest, NJ

I'm finding that editing in the DJI app is time consuming and tedious. Sure I can edit on the fly, on my iPad Mini but I think  I can make things easier on myself.  I downloaded a tool from BlackMagicDesign.com that works with Mac, and hopefully is user friendly. It does everything from Color Correct to Green Screen and Audio mixing!  I think today is my day to give the learning curve a test drive!?

Here's the video I recorded with Sparkie the other day at the William McDowell Observatory; laboriously edited in the DJI Go 4 App.

Here's another flight from this morning at the Tenakill Creek in Demarest, NJ:

--------   Aloha    ------