I bought a Spark Fly More Combo for Black Friday (US). I have flown 4 different toy drones before and always found it to be filled with lots of frustration. The Spark is the first drone I've flown that actually is fun but flying is not a game. I read the manual. I watched the YouTube videos. I practiced in Beginner Mode and used Tripod. I was impressed. I agree with all the original points listed. Patience is key. A few seconds waiting for the entire system to be ready, GPS signal and all, is worth it. I fly exclusively using the RC.
I now have a total of 4
batteries and can fly for almost an hour. I live in So California, US, so weather is less of an issue for me. I logged about 5 hours of flight with DJI Go before I started exploring Litchi and Autopilot. I ultimately bought Autopilot and have been spending a lot of time reading and studying all the features. I now fly almost exclusively with Autopilot, even for manual flights. The app has so much more automation such as engage video on takeoff that make recording your flight so easy. I have conducted a few waypoint missions and I really like the potential this represents. So far I have over 3 hours flight logged with Autopilot.
Originally I was going to use Android devices since I'm an Android user but ultimately bought a used iPad
mini 4 cellular. Not only does it perform overall better than my Android devices (including Pixel and Pixel XL), I have no need for OTG.
I do not want to become a competitive or commercial drone flyer. I am interested in the photo opportunities, occasional aerial surveys of my home and rental properties. At Christmas time I was able to get some really cool video of the kids playing the back yard. I registered with the FAA and even signed up for a
free course to learn more about flying.
The Spark is not a toy. It is an excellent entry drone with lots of possibilities for anyone taking the time to learn it, practice and apply the knowledge.