Snow flying. Bad idea?

[Vic Moss]

If you're flying under 44809 you must keep your drone in line of sight. Depending on how much it's snowing, that will limit your distance.

And if you're flying under 107, you won't meet weather minimums, so you can't fly w/o that waiver.

 

[eEridani]

But the Air 2 and Air 2S use the same battery, They should be the same ?

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

When I asked DJI, they said the limitation is the Air 2S gimbal freezes up earlier than the Air 2 gimbal.

AIr2:

• Operating Temperature Range​

• -10° to 40°C (14° to 104°F)

Air2S

• Operating Temperature Range​

• 0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F)

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Not getting into legality issues. You all know the rules as VIC has pointed out.

I am simply pointing out some pointers for flying in snow. As said above, dry snow is OK, wet snow, rain, and high humidity is a No. (possible exceptions with a wetsuit).

Keep in mind the issue of freezing temps, if there is rain, wet snow or you have a lot of humidity, then you risk icing on the props. If you do fly, you need to check your props frequently, or you may have an unwanted accident.

I have flown the Mavic Pro in -20F with no problems all while doing proper prep before flying. On one occasion I had very light powder snow. Visibility was not a factor as I was filming a building under construction and distance was not over 2-300 feet and altitude 130 AGL. Snow on the lens is not an issue as the prop wash is pushing the snow past and it does not land or stick on the lens.

Keep your batteries warm until your ready to take off, hover about a foot or two for a couple of minutes to warm up the system. Don't fly aggressively and watch your battery levels.

You also need to be aware of condensation. If you take it immediately into a warm vehicle it will develop condensation on the drone. I Carry a small plastic garbage bag. I wrap the drone up in the bag and close it tight to reduce the exposure. Then put it in the vehicle and keep it closed until it has time to warm up without causing condensation on the drone. You could also put it in its case before moving it into the vehicle as it will limit the exposure.

FYI, these flights were in 2016/2017.

 

[JimSteadman]

You can do it, but you have to make sure it's dry snow, not wet, slushy Georgia stuff (Michigan technical terms). At least in the mid 20's degrees.

Awesome!

 

[maven4336]

No condensation no matter what is going to get into your Drone I’ve done it before and it will probably be OK but it’s not recommended I’ll never do it again as the other post say Dji does not cover any snow or rain these drones are not weatherproof for wet or snow, when the snow stops I would say it’s probably OK but make sure you let your drone warm up very good in the battery especially but the safe bet is to just wait for the weather to get better and I know it’s hard I’ve been there Buddy think about it like this if something happens you’ll think to yourself I wish I haven’t have done that I would’ve had my drone I would be able to fly when the weathers nice and you’ll be kicking yourself fly safe

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Drones do survive water. Not all but some do. Salt water damage you might as well throw the darn thing in the garbage. Fresh water is very forgiving. I have had my drones out in mist, rain and snow without any problem during or after.
Here is one gentleman who went swimming for his.

 

[D-Wreck BXNY]

You should be fine in the snow , however if your going to want to be able to fly in the snow without any worry to the drone or the Battery or the Power button you should consider getting the Wet Suit for your drone.

Flying in the Snow can be the most fun you have with your drone.

Gear to fly in the Pouring Rain and the Snow.
Phantomrain.org

You are a brave man! Fantastic video though. Love how the snow flicks off the camera.

 

[MS Coast]

Just bought my first drone yesterday and waiting for the sleet to stop so I can try it out here in Charlotte. How high of a ND filter should be good for the snow if you can help?

I'd suggest that you don't fuss with ND filters if you're just getting started flying drones. Just put the drone on auto exposure and focus on flying for now.

Depending on the snow coverage, the auto exposure system may make your shots a little dark. To make the snow look realistic (white enough) you'll probably need to set the exposure bias up to +1 or +2 stops.

There's a lot of discussion elsewhere on the forum about ND filters, with a lot of technical discussion and a lot of opinion. They're most commonly used to show motion in still photos and provide a more natural slight motion blur in videos. Many drone pilots never use them.

Have fun. Fly safely and share some photos.

 

[ftttu]

There are MANY who've flown in heavy snow and in well-below freezing temps, but just like always, fly at your own risk knowing your investment may not come out of it intact. I've flown a few times in light to moderate snow, below freeing temps, and have flown after taking off above 14,000' in Colorado. I'm not a daredevil or have a death with for my bird, but I will fly in weather I believe I have a high probability for a successful flight even though it isn't windless blue skies.

The other obvious issue is that some snow is wetter than other snow. Common sense should take over in that case. Also, I've flown in sprinkling rain from time to time, but I don't make it a habit. I've seen videos of birds in heavy rain, not appearing to be negatively affected. However, with my luck. the first well-placed raindrop would bring mine down. If not that, splash my camera to where I lose effective use of the camera for flight.

 

[RkyMtnHigh]

We are currently getting snow in the mountains of NC. Is a short flight close to the home point for pictures a bad idea?

I live in the mountains of Colorado at 8200ft, and while it's not the best idea in the world, I do fly in light snow. I never fly in any rain but that's not an issue since we rarely get any here. When I do fly in the snow there's the much lower LOS so I don't go very far at all. Gotta be aware of the lower flight times due to the cold and also of the moisture in the air. You don't want your props to ice up and lose lift. So is it a bad idea to fly in the snow? My answer is it depends on many factors and what you're comfortable with. Happy and safe flying!

 

[Jamesz]

No condensation no matter what is going to get into your Drone I’ve done it before and it will probably be OK but it’s not recommended I’ll never do it again as the other post say Dji does not cover any snow or rain these drones are not weatherproof for wet or snow, when the snow stops I would say it’s probably OK but make sure you let your drone warm up very good in the battery especially but the safe bet is to just wait for the weather to get better and I know it’s hard I’ve been there Buddy think about it like this if something happens you’ll think to yourself I wish I haven’t have done that I would’ve had my drone I would be able to fly when the weathers nice and you’ll be kicking yourself fly safe

Good points as always from you - but please use some punctuation and paragraphs!

 

[LeeHene]

I've not had any problem in moderate snow, provided it's not a wet snow. Yeah, I know it sounded dumb but it works for me. Just maintain VLOS.

 

[LA 2020]

We are currently getting snow in the mountains of NC. Is a short flight close to the home point for pictures a bad idea?

Be aware of the glare that can confuse sensors. On a sunny day you may encounter problems. Cloudy day will be much easier

 

[Tom in the North.]

We are currently getting snow in the mountains of NC. Is a short flight close to the home point for pictures a bad idea?

I live in northern Canada. It snows here 80% of the year. I fly in the snow often. On new years eve, it was lightly snowing and was -22c. I filmed fireworks for 20 minutes straight. I fly a air2 and mini2, seems to have no issues. I have the rainsuit for them but never got around to installing them. Just my take.

 

[CaptainSimon]

I've only flown in minus temperatures and snow so far. No problems. But I'm planning on the wetsuit!

 

[Jagerbomb52]

I've only flown in minus temperatures and snow so far. No problems. But I'm planning on the wetsuit!

The wet suit is a very good option. I have only one flight with it so far and found it to be beneficial although getting the battery out can be a pain as it seals it in there pretty darn good.

 

[Pallidin]

I fly with my mavic air 2 in snow with no problems.
Launch the drone and hover a minute or two, the battery needs to heat up to 20°C at least. Also keep the batteries in the warm always. Do not fly in Sport Mode in cold weather.

Why not in Sport Mode? Just wondering.

 

[ericole]

I saw some videos of flights in snow. I am not that brave. I was thinking more along the lines of going straight up, click a few pics and come down. About 30 seconds or so. I was going to send my 2nd team drone up just in case.
I'm still mulling it over. We are suppose to have snow for 12 hours.

Over Christmas visited wife family in Wisconsin. Came a hard snow storm while there and I wanted pictures of the farm fields covered in snow. I flew up, went a ways out over a couple fields, then came back. Original mavic pro. Worked fine. No issues.

 

[Vreracing]

I flew in some pretty cold weather about a year ago. Had trouble moving my thumbs it was so cold. It did affect my ability to fly the drone.

 

[Kibria786]

Great footage in

Not saying to do it but yes it can be done with no added equipment. Never had a problem in the 7 years I have been flying in the snow. Making sure your drone gets dried off after use by putting it near a forced air duct helps dry it off.
Like I said not telling you to do it, thats up to you. Your money, your decision

Great footage I will try with my mini 2 in snow