Traveling with a drone – The DJI Spark

May I introduce you our new travel buddy? From now on we are traveling with the drone DJI Spark, or how we call him: Sparki, the best drone for backpacking.

To be honest, we actually never really planned to get a drone. Especially because of the price… Even though I never actively looked for prices, I just assumed that such a drone would cost at least $1000. It never crossed my mind that you can already buy good quality drones at an affordable price.

But after meeting with friends in Singapore, they showed us their new drone, that they bought during their travels. And it didn’t take long until Eduardo fell for this Big boy’s Toy. The quality of the pictures and videos is simply amazing and that although the DJI Spark comes with very little weight while being super small and handy. Hence, the perfect drone for traveling. And just a few days later, Eduardo was a proud owner of the DJI Spark as well. Since then, Sparki joins all of our trips and we won’t regret adopting him. The videos and photos he delivers are absolutely impressive and offer us a view from above, which we would be never able to have without him.

Traveling with a drone

As already mentioned, the DJI Spark fits perfectly in your hand luggage. But obviously, there are other things to consider as well when traveling with your drone as the drone might change your way of travel a little.

Laws regarding drones

If you are traveling with a drone, you should get all the information about drone treatment in your destination country prior your trip. Some countries require you to have something like a driver license in order to fly your drone. In other countries, the use of a drone is completely forbidden. Make sure to check all kinds of regulations regarding drones before you go!

Flying a drone in danger zones

Flying a drone in specific zones can be dangerous. For instance, flying your drone near airports is absolutely forbidden. Luckily, the DJI Spark takes care about that for you. It is equipped with a GPS which prevents it from flying in a danger zone. Maybe it looks annoying in the first place. The same happened to us when we wanted to take a beach picture in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Unfortunately, the beach is located near the airport and therefore, the use of drones is forbidden there. But in the end, it helps you to avoid possible danger for you and the airplanes, as well as high fees if someone catches you flying it anyway. 

Flying the drone with bad connection

When we started our drone in the Bako National Park in Malaysia, it pointed out that the connection there was not really good. But we decided to start it anyway. When Sparki suddenly lost connection while flying over the sea far away from us, we got super scared.

Even more, we got surprised when the controller suddenly showed the option to get the drone back to a secure place. Thus, the DJI Spark flies back from alone to the place where it started and hovers around 1 meter over the ground until you either make it land or connect it to to the controller again.

For someone like me, that doesn’t have any technical knowledge, it felt amazing seeing the drone coming back on its own. So, you don’t have to worry about it falling down or getting lost. 

Drones at the airport

When flying with your drone, you should bring your drone in your carry-on. The biggest headache of flying with a drone is the security-check at the airport. Better store your drone where it’s easy accessible in order to show the batteries to the security staff when asked to do so. 

Camparison between the latest DJI Models

Drone	Weight	Dimensions	Maximum Flight time	Status	Price
DJI Spark	300g	143x143x55mm	16 Minutes	Hobby/ Professional (Perfect for Traveling)	Price
DJI Mavic Pro	734g	83x83x198mm	27 Minutes	Professional Drone	Price
DJI Mavic Air	430g	168×83×49mm	21 Minutes	Professional Drone (New on the market)	Price
DJI Phantom 3 Standard	1216g	290x290x180mm	25 Minutes	Beginner Drone	Price

What makes the DJI Spark so special?

If you are familiar with drones, you have most probably heard about DJI before. This brand is known to be one of the best when it comes to drones. 

This drone convinced us from the very first moment. There are several reasons being in favor for the DJI Spark.

The size of the DJI Spark

With the dimensions of just 143 x 143 x 55 mm (5,63 x 5,63 x 2,16 inch), the DJI Spark is one of the smallest of its kind. It fits perfectly into every backpack. Inside of our day-backpack, we still had enough space for our camera, a big bottle of water and everything else we might need during the day besides the DJI Spark.

The weight of the DJI Spark

With a weight of just 300g (0,66 lb), the DJI Spark is almost as light as a feather. Therefore, you can carry it around without being burdened by it. For instance, you can easily bring it with you in your hand luggage in an airplane without reaching the 10 kg limit, that many airlines have. Therefore, it’s perfect for international travel with drone.

The video quality of the DJI Spark

When we connected Sparki for the first time with our computer to see his recordings, we have been totally impressed. The quality of this little drone is remarkable. Even us, as bloody beginners, have managed it to record an incredible landscape video, that actually looks pretty professional. 

But I can tell you a lot now… Feel free to check our first video for yourself!

Different Features of the DJI Spark

The DJI Spark is equipped with several cool features that its predecessor models and competitors don’t offer.  For instance, there is a Following Mode available, that can follow a person or object. This way, you can do recordings from a bike or motorcycle. (The DJI Spark can fly up to 31 mph (50 km/h) !)

Another mode is the control with your hands, in which the DJI Spark can recognize the signs you give using your hands and acting accordingly. That can be practical for taking pictures and videos in which you don’t want to appear with a controller in your hands.

The DJI Spark includes even more features, which we still haven’t try all. But we get impressed again and again about what functions it offers.

The Big Brother – The DJI Mavic Pro

For everyone, that wants something more professional, there is the DJI Mavic Pro, the big brother of the DJI Spark. Even though the Mavic is bigger and heavier than the Spark, it is also more powerful. All the Technical Data and prices of the DJI Mavic Pro you can find here.

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