Reading through this thread reminds me how scary it is that MRs are being mass marketed through every mass retailer as an impulse buy and 'Look, no hands! Anybody can fly them!" I don't care if it's 3DR, Parrot or DJI, the message is the same. The result is the expectation these new pilots have is through the roof. "Why can't it just do ***, or what if I do *** shouldn't it KNOW what I wanted and do this anyway? I thought they said this thing was Smart!"
Unfortunately, what many new pilots don't appreciate is just how smart these have become in just the last 18-24 months. It's amazing what all the manufacturers have been able to incorporate and pilot error precautions that have become standard. But, it is still not good enough. They are going to have to be crash proof and Idiot proof to truly be up to expectations.
Nobody takes the time to LEARN to fly RC anymore. If they did, I guarantee the crash/accident rates would be dramatically lower. What do I mean by LEARN to fly? It means that when you get your first MultiRotor you have already spent a few hours on a simulator. The you get out of your urban neighborhood and find a nice open field. You turn off anything having to do with GPS (put it in non gps mode). You bring it up a few feet and try to keep it one spot. But since you started on a simulator, this is now easier than you thought. As you get more comfortable, you now are up to 6-10' high and doing slow figure eights. From there, you now practice hovering with the Nose In looking at you. When you can hold it safely in a hover, nose in, you are now ready for forward flight, getting your speed up and taking it further out. Now that you are comfortable with that, you can start using the GPS and other smart features, but you are always ready with the push of a button to go back to manual as needed, because you now know how your stick inputs should be responded to and know immediately when the MR is doing something it shouldn't.
Those that take the time to really learn to fly and be comfortable flying without GPS will also tell you it is more fun to actually be the Pilot In Command and do the flying. Not just pushing buttons and watching results. GPS and Smart Shots have their place, but only as an add on to already knowing the basics.
Just my .02...Sorry for the rant!