What Is The First Drone You Ever Had?

[TonkaMayhem]

I bought a Syma X8, and that thing hooked me. It was always fun trying to keep it from blowing away with any kind of breeze. Also the video quality was horrible - the infamous jello effect.

 

[DanDiego]

Original Parrot quad from Brookstone at the local mall. It flies by tilting an iPad.

 

[Liamdrones]

My first was not a drone, but a Control Line plane. I was only 10 or 11 way back then. Had to gas up the motor with real fuel then start the motor by spinning the prop. It was fun to fly but hard to land without crashing when it ran out of gas. What I remember most about that experience was having to wait weeks or months to get replacement parts as the Internet didn’t exist back then so had to rely on a parts catalogue and telephone, send money by a money order, then wait for parts in the mail.

Fast forward to 2016 and I bought my first drone - a Syma X8G. I rigged it with a 2-axis gimbal and added a GoPro clone. It worked great until I crashed it and messed up the gimbal. It still flies and I occasionally use it to practice ‘atti’ mode (no GPS, etc).

Then on Boxing Day that year (2016), I got my first DJI - a P3S. Like others have said, I couldn’t believe how stable it was. A year later at Christmas (2017), I got my Spark. I still fly both weekly.

Chri

Wow that’s really incredible!

 

[Liamdrones]

Free Flight - You launch the aircraft and it flies in a gentle climbing circle until power is exhausted (rubber band or Nitro Fuel) at which point it enters a gradual turning decent and comes in for a smooth landing (yea right).

Free flight (model aircraft) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Control line - You are literally controlling elevator input (Up & Down) of the airplane via a pair (or 3) strings/wires connected to the aircraft. You are the center/pivot point and you go in circles until you exhaust the fuel or you crash.

Control line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Remote Control (R/C) - is what we have today but WAY more complex than it was 40 years ago.

Radio-controlled aircraft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wow that’s so interesting, thanks for teaching me.

 

[bill combs]

What was your first drone? What did it feel like there first time you ever flew a drone? What did you upgrade to?
I remember when I was 12 I was looking at a magazine and I saw a ad for a drone. I was immediately amazed, and in love with the idea of a flying camera.
My first drone was a crappy $150 drone from amazon, when I was 12-13. It wouldn’t even take off, it just fell over. And then someone stole it so I couldn’t return it. Then I did a whole bunch of research and quickly found that dji was best. I bought a Phantom 3 standard for $400. I was in love. The first time I flew it I was amazed. The only other time I’ve had a feeling like it, was when I bought my first motorcycle.
I upgraded to a mavic, crashed that, saved for a couple years, and then bought the p4p I have now.

my first drone was the fc-40 and i fell in love with it and i remember how people would pull over and scream look its a ufo lol, from there i went to a ph2 vision plus to what i have today mpp,m2p,ph4p2.0.

 

[Melvoid]

What was your first drone? What did it feel like there first time you ever flew a drone? What did you upgrade to?
I remember when I was 12 I was looking at a magazine and I saw a ad for a drone. I was immediately amazed, and in love with the idea of a flying camera.
My first drone was a crappy $150 drone from amazon, when I was 12-13. It wouldn’t even take off, it just fell over. And then someone stole it so I couldn’t return it. Then I did a whole bunch of research and quickly found that dji was best. I bought a Phantom 3 standard for $400. I was in love. The first time I flew it I was amazed. The only other time I’ve had a feeling like it, was when I bought my first motorcycle.
I upgraded to a mavic, crashed that, saved for a couple years, and then bought the p4p I have now.

 

[Melvoid]

What was your first drone? What did it feel like there first time you ever flew a drone? What did you upgrade to?
I remember when I was 12 I was looking at a magazine and I saw a ad for a drone. I was immediately amazed, and in love with the idea of a flying camera.
My first drone was a crappy $150 drone from amazon, when I was 12-13. It wouldn’t even take off, it just fell over. And then someone stole it so I couldn’t return it. Then I did a whole bunch of research and quickly found that dji was best. I bought a Phantom 3 standard for $400. I was in love. The first time I flew it I was amazed. The only other time I’ve had a feeling like it, was when I bought my first motorcycle.
I upgraded to a mavic, crashed that, saved for a couple years, and then bought the p4p I have now.

Don't remember the brand. The body looked like a UFO, thin arms out to the props. About $60. It had no GPS, any move you made had to be counteracted. i.e. if you went forward, it would continue to go forward until you changed direction. Second day I had it, I lost it in the woods. Got a Phantom 1 and loved it. 2 months later, my neighbor found it in his trees. IT had been up there through several rain storms, but it still worked. I watched the video and it was exactly as expected. A minute of me learning how to control it, then, up above the trees, wind took it, and it landed IN a tree and the rest of the video was a closeup of pine needles until the battery died. Now I have a P3P and love that even more.

 

[BanditsRoost]

First one was homebrew kit. Then the Cherrson CX series that had no GPS, auto altitude hold etc. It was all about you! Moved to Hubsan 501ss them to DJI series.

 

[gcoxusa]

What was your first drone? What did it feel like there first time you ever flew a drone? What did you upgrade to?
I remember when I was 12 I was looking at a magazine and I saw a ad for a drone. I was immediately amazed, and in love with the idea of a flying camera.
My first drone was a crappy $150 drone from amazon, when I was 12-13. It wouldn’t even take off, it just fell over. And then someone stole it so I couldn’t return it. Then I did a whole bunch of research and quickly found that dji was best. I bought a Phantom 3 standard for $400. I was in love. The first time I flew it I was amazed. The only other time I’ve had a feeling like it, was when I bought my first motorcycle.
I upgraded to a mavic, crashed that, saved for a couple years, and then bought the p4p I have now.

The first drone I saw a demo of the Parrot quad at the mall store called Brookstone. Although I was amazed by the demo I decided to do some online research about the product reviews. That is when I came across the DJI Phantom 2 Vision which was my first drone purchased in October of 2013.

On my very first flight I was hovering at about 60 feet near my front yard. The second I attempted to fire up the video – the drone fell from the sky like a brick smashing on the street. The on screen message said "lost connection". The shock soon turned into anger. As an Air Force veteran I know the difference between pilot error and a defective product. So I picked up the pieces and returned it to the dealer. After some argument they agreed to send me another which I still have. I suspect this old technology drone could probably fly in areas that might restrict newer models. That would be the only reason I keep it. I normally fly newer DJI models now but never trust them after that first lesson.

 

[roosta]

P4P. Though I'd not recommend Phantom line for first-time flyers (cost, size, portability...but mostly cost). I'd start out with a lower-end model or another brand to get used to controls and functions and graduate to the more expensive drones - the one that suits your requirements.

 

[t65d]

No I was flying Remote Control (I was only 4 years old).

Restrictions were simple... fly at a flying field.... be safe.... don't bother anyone else... and don't do anything stupid.

In my mind that still applies today, especially the the last part!

 

[solentlife]

Its funny that I still have some of the Multi-Rotor models that I have been sent for review. I handed on some that I felt were just repeats with a different label ... free of course !

What I find funny is that although they are basically toys compared to the Phantom ... I really enjoy getting them out to play, especially indoors.

The best which the dogs and cats go nuts with : is the Eachine E010 .... its palm sized and with ducted props - so no real hazard to anything.
Next is of course the Eachine E58, which various scam artists sell as the 'Baby' Mavic ... which of course is ridiculous. But in reality for a $45 machine is not that bad.

I have WLToys ... Eachine ... and others ... they all get an outing when I'm bored and stuck indoors !! That's Helis and Multi's.

 

[msinger]

What got you into drones?

Curiosity mostly. I'm interested in all things technology.

 

[flockshot]

Syma X5C was first
Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 second

I did aerial photography from fixed wing for many years and no longer fly. I wanted to get back into aerial photography and the Phantom did that for me.

I still enjoy the X5C for front yard fun.