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Flying Canada's Arctic - subfreezing temps.

Phill B12

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Joined
Jan 21, 2018
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Location
West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
I'm currently working in Resolute Bay, Nunavut Territory, in Canada's Arctic Islands. We are the second most northern community in Canada, about 74'42" north on Cornwallis Island. Last weekend (March 17) when I flew my Mavic Pro (with platinum blades) we were the coldest spot in Canada. The wind had stopped so the daytime temp at flight time was -26 Celsius, about -15 Fahrenheit. I learned a few things about flying in cold weather. I use my iPhone on the controller. I started with fingerless gloves so I could use the touch screen. After about 5 minutes my fingertips froze so wouldn't work on the screen anyway. After thawing my fingers in the truck I wore my seal fur mitts taking one off to touch screen and then mitt back on. Using the control sticks and buttons on the controller with mitts is also a challenge. Stick control is fine, but button activation means take the mitt off. I've ordered electric heated glove liners with touch screen operable fingertips for future flights. Since Resolute is 2 days travel by air from my home base down south I calibrated IMU before going outside, and calibrated compass at flight location. We are close to the north magnetic pole but the compass did calibrate. Next question was how many GPS satellites could I pick up this far north. No problem, never had less than ten and as many as 17 at one point. My takeoff/landing area was frozen hard packed snow so I used a multi coloured quilt as a landing pad for contrast. The first flight had a strong shimmy in flight, hovering at about 6' AGL. I landed and ran the motors until they warmed up and the shimmy stopped. Flight control had delays in reaction from control inputs and video link also had image delays. The first flight ended with frozen fingertips after 4 minutes. The second flight lasted over 8 minutes until the iPhone screen went black (frozen). Since I had the drone in view at all times return flight was controlled and landed without problem. The iPhone blackout occurred with 50% drone battery left, 80% controller battery left and 85% iPhone battery left. So the weak link in the system is the iPhone. I have electric hand warmers for the iPhone for next test flights. Just waiting for my electric glove liners to arrive and the wind to stop.
 
You could sit in the truck with heat on, just saying.
Signal is not greatly impacted especially if operating mainly through the windscreen.
The compass issue will vary from day to day and could give you as much problem as anything.
 
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awsome write up, i have also worked in resolute bay, stayed at the southcamp inn, i havent flown my mav in nunavut but i plan to bring it next time for sure, awsome to see some more northern canadians on here
 
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You could sit in the truck with heat on, just saying.
Signal is not greatly impacted especially if operating mainly through the windscreen.
The compass issue will vary from day to day and could give you as much problem as anything.
I've had compass error messages around the truck, (magnetic interference), but will try your suggestion, Thanks. I have the clothing to be outside, it's just the hands that are the problem. Mitts are warm but cumbersome, gloves generally not warm enough unless you have the heated liners. Up here its the wind that prevents flying. Nothing to stop it, nearest trees are roughly 950 miles south. We had minus 75 (C) wind chills last week during a short blizzard.
 
awsome write up, i have also worked in resolute bay, stayed at the southcamp inn, i havent flown my mav in nunavut but i plan to bring it next time for sure, awsome to see some more northern canadians on here

Thanks, yes, I've stayed at the South Camp Inn on arriving and before leaving Resolute. Its now owned by ATCO Buildings and Logistics as Azi sold it last year. I live across the street, will be here for another month. Hoping to see some Muskox or a bear or two. Waiting for a bit warmer weather before going out on the snow machines.
 
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Thanks, yes, I've stayed at the South Camp Inn on arriving and before leaving Resolute. Its now owned by ATCO Buildings and Logistics as Azi sold it last year. I live across the street, will be here for another month. Hoping to see some Muskox or a bear or two. Waiting for a bit warmer weather before going out on the snow machines.


Why don't you use a Touchscreen pencil? This way you could use normal gloves and be very precise with your commands. Easy to find on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pencil-style...1521918785&sr=8-3&keywords=touchscreen+pencil
 
Why don't you use a Touchscreen pencil? This way you could use normal gloves and be very precise with your commands. Easy to find on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pencil-style...1521918785&sr=8-3&keywords=touchscreen+pencil
Quite simple, I've not thought of that. I have and use a cell phone minimally, and in this community and most other communities in Nunavut Territory there is no cell service, so other than using it as an alarm clock and to fly drones its of no use here. But yours is a great suggestion and I'll order one. It probably won't arrive before I return south but I'll be ready for my next deployment north. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
I supose it depends on the device, I regularly use a plastic pen with the ink and ball retracted and that works on my GPS unit and trip logger also.
Hope that can get you going, PJ.
It does depend on the device and the type of screen it has. For an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, iPad etc (or any capacitance touch screen) your stylus has to conduct electricity like your finger. For this type of touch screen a plastic item won't work, but a whole lot of other things found around the home will work, like a pencil with foil wrapped around the eraser end so that your fingers are touching the foil. I found a stylus from another device that will work while wearing mitts or gloves. So I'm good to go for the next flight session. When the wind drops.
 
I wonder how the DJI goggles would do in that weather. They do have a cooling fan inside, so I would assume that they run hot. Then again, with the goggles on you may not notice a polar bear coming at you!
 
I notice flying the Air and the Pro in the winter here in Alaska the fans rarely kick on or they kick on only briefly when the drone is on but sitting on the ground.
 
I wonder how the DJI goggles would do in that weather. They do have a cooling fan inside, so I would assume that they run hot. Then again, with the goggles on you may not notice a polar bear coming at you!
It would be interesting to try them. As for polar bears, they do occasionally come into the community but the dogs all bark the alarm when they do. For the most part, this time of year the bears are out on the sea ice feeding. Break up isn't until into June.
I notice flying the Air and the Pro in the winter here in Alaska the fans rarely kick on or they kick on only briefly when the drone is on but sitting on the ground.
You're right, the fans never came on at all here while the drone was outside.
 
I wonder how the DJI goggles would do in that weather. They do have a cooling fan inside, so I would assume that they run hot. Then again, with the goggles on you may not notice a polar bear coming at you!
My cell phone screen lasted less than 15 minutes in the cold before it froze dark. The goggles might do the same but, with the screen inside the warmth of your face might prevent freezing. Only way to know would be to try them out. I don't own a pair.....yet.
 
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