Flying in or near rain or cloud?

[lomposlapos]

Is there a trick to do it safely or it will damage/destroy the drone?

 

[Brockrock]

Moisture and electronics are never a very good mix. Folks do it though, with things like flying upward through clouds in order to reach the tops and capture unique footage up there, and their copters always return covered in moisture.

This moisture may not cause any immediate damage either, leading these folks to believe there are no issues with this, but corrosion does not typicality happen immediately. Then, weeks later, strange warning messages and strange behaviors begin to appear... I have always said, until DJI states that a particular system is water resistant - at a minimum - I would try to avoid it.

 

[Brad Ruff]

If you must fly in the rain, like for search and rescue maybe, you might want to look into Mavic 2 Wet suits. It’ll keep your drone dry in the worst of weather. I think they cost about $79 USD.

There was a post on a Mavic Pilots a while back as well.

 

[BigAl07]

If you must fly in the rain, like for search and rescue maybe, you might want to look into Mavic 2 Wet suits. It’ll keep your drone dry in the worst of weather. I think they cost about $79 USD.

There was a post on a Mavic Pilots a while back as well.

Phantom Rain - 26 minutes in the Rain ! Mavic 2 Series

We never planned on making the Wet Suit for any of the Mavics . The Mavics were already so well engineered for all weather flying, we did not consider it until we got caught in the Rain and water had gotten into the Battery compartment after just 4 minutes of flying. This was so disappointing...

mavicpilots.com

 

[Edward Knight]

Check your part 107 regs on flying around clouds. Sorry if I come on as being the Drone Police; better to be safe and legal than sorry.

 

[FoxhallGH]

All VLOS stuff aside ... It's not good for the electronics - and remember that there is a fan to pull air in from outside across the electronics to keep them cool ... If that air is a shower - it's not going to be good.
Another thing that's been reported, is problems getting the Mavic to descend through cloud ... it appears to upset the downward sensor pack and the Mavic just creeps down so slowly, that I've read a tale here about someone who thought their battery would run out before the Mavic came down!

 

[Edward Knight]

All VLOS stuff aside ... It's not good for the electronics - and remember that there is a fan to pull air in from outside across the electronics to keep them cool ... If that air is a shower - it's not going to be good.
Another thing that's been reported, is problems getting the Mavic to descend through cloud ... it appears to upset the downward sensor pack and the Mavic just creeps down so slowly, that I've read a tale here about someone who thought their battery would run out before the Mavic came down!

All VLOS stuff aside yes. Still, Part 107 states that remote pilots must keep their UAVs at least 2,000 feet from the side of a cloud and at least 500 feet below a cloud. This is to provide extra space for traditional manned aircraft that may be coming in and out of the clouds.

 

[HawkDriver]

All VLOS stuff aside yes. Still, Part 107 states that remote pilots must keep their UAVs at least 2,000 feet from the side of a cloud and at least 500 feet below a cloud. This is to provide extra space for traditional manned aircraft that may be coming in and out of the clouds.

Yes, manned aircraft fly thru clouds all the time. Depending on the pilot's intestinal fortitude, IMC can be a hair-raising ordeal in and of itself. Don't further complicate their (or their passenger's) day by putting a solid object in a cloud they could potentially ingest into a turbine, rotor, propeller, etc.

 

[Edward Knight]

Yes, manned aircraft fly thru clouds all the time. Depending on the pilot's intestinal fortitude, IMC can be a hair-raising ordeal in and of itself. Don't further complicate their (or their passenger's) day by putting a solid object in a cloud they could potentially ingest into a turbine, rotor, propeller, etc.

As an instrument rated pilot, intestinal fortitude has nothing to do with this. If I am flying IFR and being controlled by ATC I may be flying in the clouds and not by choice or guts. VFR flights are required to stay out of and away from clouds, as well. Part 64 and 91. Safety is the reason for rules.

 

[kilomikebravo]

Still, Part 107 states that remote pilots must keep their UAVs at least 2,000 feet from the side of a cloud and at least 500 feet below a cloud.

As someone with many thousands of hours on both VFR and IFR flights, I've always wondered how a pilot is supposed to determine those horizontal distances from clouds. <smiling>

And Ed, sometimes rules are for other reasons than safety..money comes to mind, as well.

 

[johnmeyer]

As already stated: probably not a great idea because:

1. The wetness is not good for the drone or the camera or the gimbal.

2. You are flying IFR, but your drone is only supposed to be flown VFR.

3. You can't get any photos or video while in a cloud.

4. You most definitely increase the hazard to any aircraft because in most situations, to fly from clear space into a cloud means that you are operating at an elevation higher than 400 feet.

 

[jzguitar]

I’ve flown up through low-level fog and gotten some nice images from above it.My M2P did have a bit of moisture on it upon landing so I probably won’t do it again.

 

[paulatkin73]

Is there a trick to do it safely or it will damage/destroy the drone?

if you want to fly in mountains in the mist/clouds - i would second getting the phanthomrain`s stickers as they will help to protect the battery. it works, to some degree, but, remember that drone is still not a submarine and any moisture sucked in via vents will go on the circuit board and will need to be dried out. will it or will it not short - most likely not, as board is reasonably hot - 70 or so deg - so it should be evaporating and getting pushed out by the fan, unless you will fly it under a waterfall or into similar non-acceptable place with way too much water in the air.

i would be more concerned about getting condensed water into the camera lens.

 

[HogWldFLTR]

Is there a trick to do it safely or it will damage/destroy the drone?

Best trick is don't.

 

[blackbeemer]

All VLOS stuff aside ... It's not good for the electronics - and remember that there is a fan to pull air in from outside across the electronics to keep them cool ... If that air is a shower - it's not going to be good.
Another thing that's been reported, is problems getting the Mavic to descend through cloud ... it appears to upset the downward sensor pack and the Mavic just creeps down so slowly, that I've read a tale here about someone who thought their battery would run out before the Mavic came down!

I had an issue where my M2P flew upwards 100ft on its own because of dense fog down low. The downward sensors caused it to fly up on its own.

After I disabled them the drone hovered fine but the GPS was all screwed up. Just brought it home and called it a day.

 

[paulatkin73]

I had an issue where my M2P flew upwards 100ft on its own because of dense fog down low. The downward sensors caused it to fly up on its own.

After I disabled them the drone hovered fine but the GPS was all screwed up. Just brought it home and called it a day.

You need to have atti mode configured for that instead on either T or S.