Mini 5 Pro Flying DJI Mini 5 Pro at −24 °C - real winter test from Canada

trisen1981 · Saturday at 9:04 PM

Hi everyone,

I’m based in Canada, where temperatures below freezing can last five to six months every year. Because of that, I’ve always had a practical question that I’m sure many cold-climate pilots share:

Can a DJI drone be pushed a bit beyond the -10 °C operating temperature stated in the manual - and if yes, what actually matters to do it safely?

This video is my attempt to explore that question using the DJI Mini 5 Pro in real winter conditions (around −24 to −25 °C) at 20 km/h wind.

The test was done deliberately and conservatively, with:

real outdoor winter conditions
live flight talk-through
continuous monitoring of battery temperature and cell voltage
two different flight profiles
and post-flight log analysis

The focus is not range or endurance, but understanding how the system behaves when you operate well below the stated temperature limits - and what pilot decisions matter most.

Here’s the video:

Pepperbr · 2026-01-25T20:27:46-0500

Great tutorial. Will test you ideas, week with my mini-5, and 4T. Why in between flights did you not warm the Mini 5 and the controller?

trisen1981 · 2026-01-25T20:37:39-0500

Pepperbr said:
Great tutorial. Will test you ideas, week with my mini-5, and 4T. Why in between flights did you not warm the Mini 5 and the controller?

Thanks! The reason I left the controller and airframe outside while I warmed up in the car before the second flight was simply timing - I was only inside for about 3-4 minutes, so it didn’t really make sense to bag the drone, wait in the car, and then repeat the process.

Ideally, if you’re planning a second flight 10-20 minutes later, it’s absolutely worth taking the time to re-warm the drone properly.

I was also genuinely curious to see whether there would be a noticeable difference between flying with a cold airframe and a warm battery versus a fully warmed drone and battery.