Cold weather flying

Anthony Viscomi · Dec 28, 2017

Detroit said:
I took mine out yesterday in 0°F. Just don't fly it for too long because it may screw with the battery

The battery tends to stay warm while flying...keeping them at a warm temp prior is helpful. My I2 batteries have built-in warmers.

locoman · Dec 28, 2017

Would it really screw with battery. The battery generates heat when it discharges, even the Mavic generates heat, but with the fan pulling coooold air over the electronics, it could cause a problem. For me, since I don't wear gloves, the fingers are the controlling factor on how long I can fly.

MQuinn · Dec 28, 2017

Fan is computer controlled and doesn't run at low temps..

Luca Brazzi · Dec 29, 2017

Hooray for Dixie! [emoji1]

davidewarner · Dec 30, 2017

From what I've found (flew in -2F yesterday) the hands are the first thing to go, not the Mavic! Even bought hunting gloves that let the tips of your fingers out and was flying so long, almost got frostbite on the finger tips!

nlimchua · Dec 30, 2017

MQuinn said:
-11f here last night. Worth it because the sun looks so cool when its that cold out.

Inspiring photo!

nlimchua · Dec 30, 2017

Anthony Viscomi said:
Yeah it is a bit extreme to fly with one of these

that's a must have accessory for the extreme sUAS addict...now if they could just make one for the MP to use while in-flight!

jorn · Dec 30, 2017

-10º F when I shot this.

MountainMan2017 · Dec 30, 2017

Nice job John. Got me wanting to go out in the cold now.

Air Boss · Dec 30, 2017

When it is unusually cold, the physics changes in many ways* that can be surprising, but most flight and power physics issues have already been mentioned here.

I would add that your wings probably become *very* brittle -- so don't go trimming any hedges when it is below the brittle curve.

*I went to to college at Clarkson University in Potsdam NY. One night it hit -38F there (back in the seventies). The next morning there were dozens of cars lined up at the local tire repair station. They all had woken up to flat tires. Why? The rubber on their radial tires didn't 'give' when it rolled, and the seal (bead) was broken, beginning a slow leak. Kind of like an O-ring not 'giving' in freezing weather when Challenger was launched. Or drone wings not giving when they contact a hedge...

AReal Canadian · Dec 30, 2017

bsimon said:
Forgot to mention this: maybe it's just my cheap phone, but after being out in the cold for a bit my phone started becoming very unresponsive and laggy. The RC worked with no issues, but it was difficult to change the camera settings, access intelligent flight modes, etc. since my phone's touchscreen wasn't working very well.

Haven’t stayed out long enough with my mavic for it to be a problem, but when using my telescope I keep a hand warmer under my iPad to stop the screen from locking up. Where I live it’s routinely 0 F Or it’s snowing

viam · Dec 30, 2017

I'm a relatively new Mavic Pro owner who also purchased DJI Care and have a couple questions question regarding cold weather flying and warranty/care coverage. Battery temps aside, does the Mavic record outside air temperature? I've not seen any indication of this in the flight data...or I've overlooked it. The manual lists operating temps as 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C). I've flown a couple times without issue when it was in the upper 20s. I try to limit my flying to 32 deg or above simply out of an overabundance but am pleased to read others are flying in extreme cold weather without issue. Also, is anyone aware of any negative ramifications from a warranty standpoint for crashes/damages occurring when flying outside the stated operating temps? As an aside, the Mavic's internal fan is bound to generate significant windchill when sucking in the ambient cold air during flight. While batteries prefer comfy temps for best performance, electronics generally fair better when not under heat stress, so cold air blasting across the board(s) and other components can be somewhat beneficial...to a point. As for the sensors, gimbal, props (ice), etc., I assume they're more sensitive to extreme temps, but I have not seen any indications in the literature, from online comments or otherwise that the Mavic records outside air temps or is otherwise aware as to the "operating temperature" at the time of flight. Phones/tablets, on the other hand, may be the weak links in the component chain since they're known to be affected by cold weather. Any thoughts? Thanks.

terradriller · Dec 30, 2017

bsimon said:
Forgot to mention this: maybe it's just my cheap phone, but after being out in the cold for a bit my phone started becoming very unresponsive and laggy. The RC worked with no issues, but it was difficult to change the camera settings, access intelligent flight modes, etc. since my phone's touchscreen wasn't working very well.

I notice some camera lag also. I flew when it was only 17 degrees. Otherwise all good

NinjaNut · Dec 30, 2017

jorn said:
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-10º F when I shot this.

Awesome video! Had me looking for whitetails!

bvsolutions · Dec 30, 2017

I did a quick range test today :
Temp -23C
No wind
Clear
Mavic Pro with Platinum props
Average speed 32 kph
Time in air - 23:50
Distance traveled 11.3 km
Lands with 15% battery

Result - no significant difference from same test @ +20C[/QUOTE]

jorn · Dec 30, 2017

NinjaNut said:
Awesome video! Had me looking for whitetails!

I was, too! [emoji6]

Partizans · Dec 31, 2017

terradriller said:
So it's 3 degrees F this morning warming to maybe 17 degrees F this afternoon. Just curious about how cold some of you folks have flown your Mavic.
I flew my Phantom 3 A last year when it was maybe 20 degrees with no problem.

Happy flights[emoji106]

Keep yourself warm. And before flying, keep the battery in your pocket. Within a firesafe pouch if you're paranoid. During flight, the chemical reaction inside the battery usually will keep it warm enough. The Mavic itself also generates heat from the used battery power. The only threat remaining is icing of the props, but for that to happen during a 20min flight it would have to be very cold and wet flight conditions. Flying in the rain is not recommended anyway because the flight lenses (visual and OA) can get obscured by water, increasing the possibility of a crash.

Testman · Dec 31, 2017

For the cold a very simple solution:
https://www.amazon.it/Cotop-Bicicle...086&sr=8-13&keywords=guanti+touch+screen+uomo

Work very fine with touch screen of your phone/pad.

terradriller · Dec 31, 2017

NinjaNut said:
Awesome video! Had me looking for whitetails!

Very nice video. I can’t believe we didn’t see any deer, must be too cold and bedded down.
5F here and just brown id like to see enough snow to make a video like that too. [emoji106]

terradriller · Dec 31, 2017

bvsolutions said:
I did a quick range test today :
Temp -23C
No wind
Clear
Mavic Pro with Platinum props
Average speed 32 kph
Time in air - 23:50
Distance traveled 11.3 km
Lands with 15% battery

Result - no significant difference from same test @ +20C