High Temp Flying

[StoonHooper]

So I'm spending some time in Phoenix Arizona right now. I've made a few early morning flights with my A2S around a few of the mountains on the outskirts of town. The temps were nice and cool, flights were good and visibility was great. However, the temps are going to be just into 100 F. I will be taking a few flights higher in the hills and wanted to get thoughts on what to expect from the A2S itself. I'm aware of temperature affects on battery life, but am more interested in general flying / control changes given the warmer winds and cooler pockets of air as can be felt from just walking through parts of the desert. I've only been flying for a few months now, so I appreciate any advice or insight.

 

[Rich QR]

Hot air is less dense, so the aircraft will have at least marginally less performance. I have never noticed a difference, but then I haven't flown in extremely hot weather. Flying at high altitude (I'm talking height above sea level, not above ground) has a similar effect, especially if you combine hot with high. Also, on a hot sunny day, patches of asphalt or dry rocky ground are likely to produce rising columns of warm air, causing some turbulence.

 

[dozzn]

The first problem I encountered when flying in excessive heat was not from the drone but from the device I was using, my iPhone.
In high temperatures my iPhone screen will get dimmer and dimmer until it’s completely impossible to see.

Good luck to you!

 

[Ty Pilot]

I fly in in a very hot climate for most of the year. I have taken temperature measurements of my drones in flight in the middle of the day with temps in the high 90's. What I found was that; in flight, the drone at various spots ,as well as the motors, were at their coolest while in flight. Also, after a minute in flight, and even before, the drone and it's components have reached maximum operating temperature for that flight. In other words flying for 2 minutes or 20 makes no difference.

Where heat begins to rise is upon landing and motor shut down due to the motors and battery heat-sinking the adjacent airframe parts. For this reason when I fly in the heat, I make sure to keep the drone, controller and batteries in the shade (or cooler air if possible) before takeoff and immediately after landing. Also I make sure to remove the used flight battery immediately and put it in the shade to allow for cooling.

 

[StoonHooper]

Thank you Gentlemen, excellent info. I too am using my iPhone. I haven't experienced any heating problems with that device, yet. However that's good to know, so I will do my best to shade the controller / phone while I'm out there. And thanks for the prompt replies as well.

 

[umanbean]

And thanks for the prompt replies as well.

Thank you for starting the thread and those responding, I learn something new here everyday

 

[manutter51]

Thank you Gentlemen, excellent info. I too am using my iPhone. I haven't experienced any heating problems with that device, yet. However that's good to know, so I will do my best to shade the controller / phone while I'm out there. And thanks for the prompt replies as well.

I have also heard that if you've got your phone in one of those cover/protector things, and you have a problem, that removing the cover can help. It seems to be related to overheating, so anything to make it easier to cool off should help.

I also saw someone on YouTube saying there was something you could turn off in the settings to help prevent screen dimming, but I can't remember what the setting was and I can't find the video now. Part of me wants to say he actually turned on Airplane Mode, but that seems extreme. Might work though, since you connect to the RC via a cable. Definitely, if you have Personal Hotspot turned on, you want to turn that off while flying, at least.

 

[FLDave]

I check battery temperature after every flight the Air 2s battery temperature is shown on my AirData flight log.
It's been as high as 132 degrees F with outside at about 80 F. Removing battery immediately after flight could help it cool faster. Checking battery flight details can help to know more about battery condition.

 

[manutter51]

...

I also saw someone on YouTube saying there was something you could turn off in the settings to help prevent screen dimming, but I can't remember what the setting was and I can't find the video now. Part of me wants to say he actually turned on Airplane Mode, but that seems extreme. Might work though, since you connect to the RC via a cable. Definitely, if you have Personal Hotspot turned on, you want to turn that off while flying, at least.

Ah, I found it. It was Low Power Mode. Apparently that throttles back some non-essential stuff to try and save battery life, but as a side effect it also generates less heat, and makes the iPhone less prone to dimming.

 

[baristabob]

Probably more important, during this time of year, is pay attention to your feet. Rattlers are waking up, young ones can be aggressive, and they are extremely hard to see. If you can get out to the Superstition Mountains, you'll have great shots.

 

[StoonHooper]

Good reminder, I had forgotten about the snakes and scorpions. Superstitions, Sedona, and Flagstaff are some of my destinations. So I'm looking forward to getting some beautiful video / stills while here.

 

[Daytona500]

The manual says max temp for flying is 104 which means from june till sept no miday flying in the Valley .