Pretty much. I wasn’t realistically expecting to win it or even come in top 3, but wanted to put in a good showing at least. Got somewhere mid-table in the end which isn’t bad, especially considering the things that conspired to pull me away from it mid-way.
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It was my first time 
I thought the subjects were all achievable but not all of the bonus points, some much harder than others. But is that not the point? The judging for the most part was pretty fair and consistent in my opinion. If it were up to me I’d remove the cash prizes, I personally didn’t take part for cash. I took part because I thought it would be fun, help me in my flying, give me something to do, and give something back to the forum. For me it’s been great to take part in, I’ll be back next year but not so gung ho 
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Mmhhh
1,000th entry in the 5 years
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I’ll chip in as someone who took part last year and not this. I’m just going to brain-dump this, so it might not be particularly coherent. 
The primary reason, which has absolutely nothing to do with the competition itself, is that I’m simply not flying the DJI very much. I’ve checked Airdata and I’ve been out on 9 occasions in 2022 for a total of 91 minutes flying time. Most of those were for RTFs that I knew I could do easily and relatively locally.
I was actually looking forward to the Birthday Challenge in the hopes that it would get me out and about again, but I confess, despite not intending to be “in it to win it,” when I read the subjects for this year’s challenge, and thought about how much effort it had been last year, and about how much faith I’ve lost in my Mavic Mini recently*, I found it hard to work up the enthusiasm.
So, when it came down to it, despite just having had a fortnight off work with no other plans, which should have been the perfect opportunity, I ended up not doing. I did glance at the list another couple of times, but despite the fact that there were probably plenty of them that I could have done, knowing from last year that you had to play a pretty perfect game to be in the running, and looking at how much dogged determination, combined with sheer luck, would be required for the high scores, I simply didn’t bother starting.
I couldn’t tell you if I’d have joined in had the prizes only been Badges and kudos, but I do wonder if it might be easier not to win if you don’t feel like you’re losing, if you see what I mean. I appreciate that sounds a bit huffy and ungrateful. I honestly think it’s fabulous that the prizes are so generously put forward.
So, yes, I think it was mainly a “me” issue. Suggesting there shouldn’t be prizes just because I know I’m not going to win seems very petty, and, as has been noted, it’s supposed to be a challenge, so you can’t be doing with making it too easy. 
Congratulations to everyone who did take part, especially the winners.
* Footnote:
The past couple of times I’ve flown the Mini I have been literally in the middle of nowhere and still suffered from interference and data link connection losses within 40’ of the home point. It was always a little flaky in built-up areas, but now I feel I just can’t trust it anywhere, and that’s really killed the enjoyment for me. This is probably the main factor in my not taking part in the challenge this year.
I’ve been pondering Drone Hacks to see if it helps (downgraded from thoughts of
buying a better drone) but I’m not sure if I can be bothered with the expense and faff even of that. Can you see a pattern emerging here? 
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As a first time entrant I found the challenge marvellous fun, a great excuse to go out flying and fun researching stuff too
I admit my “ competitive side” did creep in at the end when I had possibly 4th or even 3rd place in sight ( not for the money, just the honour) which did cause me to be too ambitious (stupid) which I will curb next year😳 and must say although list was fairly achievable, there were a couple that weren’t ( no red buses round here either or drag line excavators)
Like others, I feel the committee did a fab job, if slightly harsh sometimes ( 21.59? not my fault minute hand didn’t move when clock struck) but rules are rules and we all have same chances etc
Like most of you I work full time, unfortunately I’m based here and don’t travel round country for work so tried to find most of mine locally , more planning next year and as been mentioned, more bonus points needed( I missed 6 minimum through carelessness/impatience )
Again, I’d like to thank committee for their hard work and hope to be back next year for the challenge. ( already voted for RTF and planning photo entries lol)
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We applaud your honesty! 
Thank you for your feedback. It’s good to hear from someone who elected not to take part, and the reasons why.
As for your Mini problems, is that with the original model? I had similar frustrations in the year or so I had mine, and it really affected my confidence when flying. My lazy solution was to get the Mini 2. Falling straight into DJI’s business strategy no doubt…
Thank you to everyone for your comments so far. Be assured we are having conversations behind the scenes based on your feedback (and having a bit of a rest - it was a long 7 weeks).
We’ve had a good few responses to the Google form as well, but the more we get the more meaningful the results become. So if you haven’t filled it out yet, you can do so here.
We look forward to reading your feedback 
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I think most of what I would have said has been commentated above, particularly those posted by @DroneGeek and @firstadekit. I too didn’t at first think it was achievable and only entered after my tower picture prompted @PingSpike to encourage me to enter. I started the comp to gain a bit more experience (my 1st and only drone was purchased mid Jan this year) and have a bit of fun but my competive spirit got the better of me 
as I surprisingly rose up the ranks. I actually found it quite stressful towards the end but laugh about that now! Coming from landlocked midlands made the water based shots an expensive challenge and after visiting 4 marinas, 3 lakes, and 4 beaches in Wales and Scotland I wasn’t lucky enough to get the bonuses (the rib was an accident and didn’t even realise I had it until days later)! I decided that those that live on the East coast were best placed to win this comp and set my target to match @firstadekit… Just didn’t quite get them pesky windsurfers Ade, best I got was in Cramond in Scotland where there were 4 in shot (there was a 5th but too far away from the others). That said I was super happy with equal 4th! I have completed the form and have added my signed criticisms which should not be a surprise to the Challenge Commitee. As for next year? This comp has taken me to places I wouldn’t have gone had I not entered. It has increased my confidence, and hopefully abilities, a thousandfold. I have been amazed at some of the entries and have thought I’d never have got them and as such didn’t think I’d bother next year… but now my competitive spirit is kicking in
Maybe you can introduce a handicap system fot the damn top 3 guys to give us mortals a chance at experiencing the glory. .
Finally, I may have had something to say to the Challenge Commitee during the comp but it’s a thankless job that I would abdolutely not do for all the points in China so well done guys well done! 
.
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Not to derail the thread too much but, yes, the original Mavic Mini (1). I was in the unfortunate position of losing my first Mini after only a few weeks through a combination of inexperience/stupidity and (most likely) a dishonest/opportunist passer-by. At the time, it was suggested this would be a good opportunity to upgrade to the 2, but I was already wincing at the cost of having to replace an almost brand new toy that I still wasn’t sure wouldn’t just be a flash-in-the-pan thing, so I really couldn’t justify the extra £100 to myself. A year later and I can absolutely see this would have been the right move and I’m constantly kicking myself for not having done it.
I have spent several months wondering whether to upgrade. Had the Autel Nano+ come out at the same price point as the Mini 2, I’d probably have had one. But recently I’ve been spending more time (and money) flying FPV. I honestly can’t say whether the DJI gets less use because I don’t trust it, or because I’ve lost some enthusiasm for the “flying camera” side of things. Probably a bit of both. The challenge should have been just the thing to get me interested again, but it didn’t work out that way.
The whole “cost of living crisis” is definitely a consideration. I’m by no means a pauper and can consider myself one of the lucky ones if the rising bills simply eat up my disposable income. All the same, it is making me think long and hard about what I am spending on my hobbies.
Phew. That all got a bit depressing. It’s been a while since I looked for Mini 2s on ebay…
Forums are full of enablers, this one is no different
BARGAIN
To be fair i thoroughly enjoyed the competition, unfortunately i have a family crisis in progress so couldn’t put the effort in to get into the top 4, apart from the drag line I’m pretty sure most points were available to me and quite close by.
I have shots in my storage which were entries but didn’t have the time to process.
I think this year was particularly difficult if you were time or location constrained, but it is a challenge.
The thing with the competition is planning, as no one in the UK is more than 70 miles from the sea, if you are prepared to put a little bit time and expense in (with a hint of luck), a single road trip can bring 4 or five entries in (just have to post on different days)
As stated in my feedback form i think now is the time to remove the dronescene bonus as some areas on there are getting cluttered.
All in all a good job folks for all involved.
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The Google form for feedback will be closing at 17.00 tomorrow, so if you haven’t filled it out yet then now’s the time!
The committee have been pondering responses both from the Google form and the above posts, and will update next week.
Note: said update will not include a definitive list of subjects for next year’s challenge
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That’s a pity. It would allow for some nice leisurely planning instead of
I don’t think anyone expects a swift debrief on this, so please, you guys take some time to yourselves to relax too after a hectic 7 or so weeks.
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Thanks Ade,
We have switched gears slightly, the first subject fr the new RTF season gets announced tonight. That’s a competition where most of the effort and decisions come from the contestants, we simply have to provide the framework and make sure that the pictures are hung correctly.
We do have other competition plans though, so keep watching the forum 
I forgot to mention this in my original feedback but @CheerPhil response in the main thread reminded me.
If deadlines aren’t going to be honoured or you want to post results bang in 11 either make the deadline an hour earlier or post that official leaderboard will be posted at x after the deadline.
You’re always going to get people testing deadlines. Especially those who think they may have found a loophole and don’t want others to have the time to copycat in this competitive world of treasure hunting.
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Must be said, the dates this year couldn’t have been more perfect. We were really lucky. Apart from some heavy winds on the welsh coast for a few days, I don’t think I had a day where I had to worry about the weather. Where as since the competition has ended it’s done nothing but tip it down here!!
Indeed, although seeing if you have found a loophole can possibly be done a few hours before the deadline without fear of everyone else dashing out to exploit it in the last light of the last evening …
Well, that discussion was had over DM with committee days before, which turned sour near deadline.
Now I’m not sure if different people replied at different times, only you guys know, but I think we can safely say the final response from the committee was, well, not exactly polite, and if you re-read I think it’s fair to assume as a competitor I would have assumed it was safe to use said loophole from the conversation.
[ETA]: Reason for posting close to deadline was because people didn’t need to rush out to copycat, they just needed to go through their archive footage, so posting close to deadline was not giving them time to do that. A single point was enough to make me a clear 4th place. (I don’t actually care btw. it was just an attempt to be as you put it, a ‘smartarse’ ) [/ETA]
Unreleated to the loophole attempt, If you guys want to post results as soon as possible after the deadline, that’s on you, not the competitors, so don’t get annoyed with them, or refuse them their perfectly valid points as per Phil’s entry.
This is said with peace and love, peace and love.
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