Mini 2 on 14ers — altitude capable?

[chakalakasp]

Curious if the Mini 2 can handle launching from the summit of 14ers. It’s technically out of specs but I’ve seen YouTube videos of people launching at 13K and ascending 400 feet up ridgelines in heavy wind with no issues.

 

[Repaid1]

Curious if the Mini 2 can handle launching from the summit of 14ers. It’s technically out of specs but I’ve seen YouTube videos of people launching at 13K and ascending 400 feet up ridgelines in heavy wind with no issues.

Like you said, it (summit) is on the cusp. Max service ceiling is 4000 meters so 13,123 Foot. Depending on conditions (Wind) you could theoretically launch. DJI makes high altitude props for some of it's craft but not something like the Mini 2. Depending on what your plans are, like a up 30 foot and a pano would probably work. With the right skill set you could adjust pitch on a set of factory props and make your own.

Of equal or probably bigger concern would be temperature and specifically of batteries and how you would keep them warm enough. Your flight time and thrust will factor in greatly. I would keep a good eye on it though as said, your going to have very little reserve on thrust to battle any wind. If it even looks to not be stable in a hover I would pull left stick and bring her down ASAP and call it a day. Best of luck if you pull it off and don't forget to share those shots

 

[Rich QR]

In my limited experience, it's never calm on the summit of anything more than 3k above surrounding terrain. So while you might have enough thrust to lift off, I'd be quite surprised if you could hover over the summit of a 14k peak.

It might work, but you're definitely out of the recommended envelope based on altitude alone. If you add just a little wind, I'd expect the drone to be blown away.

 

[jeff4smith]

I flew my Mini 2 at 12K feet last week and had no problems. Although it was fairly cold I did not notice any major change in battery performance - I did keep both the drone and spare batteries well insulated in a backpack or jacket pocket until they were needed. It was As Rich QR said, it's almost always windy at high altitudes and this day was no exception, so I was taking off and landing during the 1-2 minute windows of calmer conditions and keeping the drone very close but I still managed to get some great footage. I am in Colorado so I may try going even higher in the summer when the peaks are more accessible, and the best bet for calmer conditions is to be at the summit before around 10 or 11 AM. Being near the top of any peak after around 2 PM in the summer is not recommended due to the high risk of lightning.