Flew in -10 degrees below zero

[Gsxr150]

Hey guys, just wanted to report back my findings in below-zero flight. Everything was 100% warm from being inside the night before. I flew around for about 10 minutes or so with no issues. Right at about 10 minutes it seems like she started wandering around very slightly. Like with no hands on the controller it seemed to drift slightly to the left. I decided I better fly back home, and had no issues on the way back. Right before I landed I could see it was shaking around very slightly. I don't think I would fly much longer than about 10 minutes in this kind of weather. Bottom line, I would not be too afraid of flying in super cold weather, but I would keep it short flights. Also, I would probably only advise flying once until it's a hundred percent warmed up again.

 

[Chickenhoss]

Hey guys, just wanted to report back my findings in below-zero flight. Everything was 100% warm from being inside the night before. I flew around for about 10 minutes or so with no issues. Right at about 10 minutes it seems like she started wandering around very slightly. Like with no hands on the controller it seemed to drift slightly to the left. I decided I better fly back home, and had no issues on the way back. Right before I landed I could see it was shaking around very slightly. I don't think I would fly much longer than about 10 minutes in this kind of weather. Bottom line, I would not be too afraid of flying in super cold weather, but I would keep it short flights. Also, I would probably only advise flying once until it's a hundred percent warmed up again.

Need to be cautious of battery temperature more than anything I would think. The batteries have a low and high operating temperature that you want to make sure does not get exceeded in either direction.

 

[chippie]

The wobbling may have been down to ice on the prop edges. As mentioned the battery temp can cause the voltage to drop rapidly without warning, I would be very cautious when flying below freezing. These things were just not designed for it.

 

[Lapeer20m]

Just wanted to mention that I flew today while the temperature was about 15*f

I flew for 20 minutes before hitting 30%.

Mavic and battery were both completely warm prior to starting the flight. My fingers couldn't take any more time outside without gloves.

 

[Grey Wolf]

And keep in mind that the blades can become brittle in that type of weather.
Any kind of bump,or knock will surely break them!

 

[Lapeer20m]

And keep in mind that the blades can become brittle in that type of weather.
Any kind of bump,or knock will surely break them!

I have flown at least a few hours in below freezing temps now. I am surprised that the duration of flights does not seem to be negatively impacted compared to others who fly in warmer weather. I keep her pretty close to home and try to be extra conservative with battery percentages, normally not allowing it to fall below 30%.

I keep the aircraft and battery warm prior to the flight and I typically allow the aircraft to "warm up" for at least a minute or two before takeoff.

 

[HowSR]

I think usually the issue is your phone's or tablets battery.

IPhone batteries are known to die very quickly in the cold.