Would You Flying in -5°F?

[baddog]

I have a paid drone mission to fly but only when it is sunny. We have had cloudy, winter conditions for the past 2 weeks. It is going to be sunny today but -5°F to -10°F, debating whether it is worth flying? Client really want to get this job done, they asked me if I would fly today.

I have 5 batteries for my Mavic Pro 1st edition and 3, for Mavic 2 Pro. Job should only take about 30 minutes but I hate flying in the cold. My hands hurt for hours after flying. Thick glovers are not an option, I have thins ones but they don't offer much warmth.

 

[bonmot]

wow that’s -20C. At that low temperature many plastic change characteristics dramatically. Also may happen to IC and sensors. I had chances to observe some product test in temperature chamber including motors. You would be surprised how they change performance in that low temperature.

 

[baddog]

wow that’s -20C. At that low temperature many plastic change characteristics dramatically. Also may happen to IC and sensors. I had chances to observe some product test in temperature chamber including motors. You would be surprised how they change performance in that low temperature.

Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, that was my concern, as well. How would these low temps effect props flex and also circuit boards?

 

[bonmot]

Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, that was my concern, as well. How would these low temps effect props flex and also circuit boards?

Best thing to do is to fly close for a few minutes and bring it back to take a look. I know it won’t do too much but at least you will feel more comfortable to fly more.

 

[Prismatic]

My MA did not respond properly at 5F, but my nephew’s M2P did fine. One big issue is the mobile device: these are not designed for extreme temperatures like this. The display is likely to malfunction, leaving you flying blind or nearly so.

If you do fly, keep everything toasty to the last possible moment before takeoff, and expect less battery capacity.

 

[zocalo]

Yeah, I would, and have done so. (Mavic Platinum and M2P)

Caution is the order of the day though. Keep your batteries warm until use, but not too warm - just above freezing having just been topped off in a deliberately unheated car (to avoid condensation forming on our photo gear) seemed to work well for me. You can also expect a vastly reduced battery life; I was getting around 10-15min from a fully charged battery, so plan your flight before you even start getting setup to maximise your productive flight time. Do a *full* pre-flight check, let it hover for a minute to make sure there are no obvious issues, and make sure your RTH settings are all appropriate and the home point is set before you head off. If you've got the spare batteries, a quick recce flight just to judge the conditions isn't a bad idea either, and don't forget to keep an eye on the phone/RC battery level too as these are also going to struggle!

Be aware of the dew point and humidity levels as well; extreme cold doesn't *always* mean dry air! If condensation starts to form on your aircraft then it will almost certainly turn to ice, which has been known to wreck props, and it goes without saying that a damaged prop can end your flight *really* quickly and expensively. If the aircraft's handling starts to feel "off" land ASAP (possibly without RTH first if that's practical) and make sure all is well.

Couple of extra tips: I usually keep a small towel or something handy to quickly wipe off any ice/condensation that may have formed on my gear as well (which doubles as extra padding for the drone while it's in my camera bag). Also, if you suddenly expose cold metal and plastic to a relatively warm and humid environment like a heated car (see above) or your home/hotel it *will* cause condensation to form; to avoid that happening, put the aircraft back in the bag while it's still outside and let it warm up gradually - I typically allow at least half an hour for this, more if possible, and have a towel ready just in case!

 

[radimstrnad]

I had problems with gimbal on M2P when flying at -15C, the gimbal was shaking and unable to stabilize video. I thought it got broken but after warming it up and fly again at the normal temperature it works again with no issues. Based on that I assume that some plastic parts, as well as metal parts, can behave unexpectedly. I would be also very careful about the battery which should be definitely warmed up before take-off. Never start with the cold battery, I saw a DJI Spark falling down from 50m without any warning due to freezing battery.

 

[bonmot]

-21C here in Toronto. I am sitting tight today.

 

[bonmot]

I had problems with gimbal on M2P when flying at -15C, the gimbal was shaking and unable to stabilize video. I thought it got broken but after warming it up and fly again at the normal temperature it works again with no issues. Based on that I assume that some plastic parts, as well as metal parts, can behave unexpectedly. I would be also very careful about the battery which should be definitely warmed up before take-off. Never start with the cold battery, I saw a DJI Spark falling down from 50m without any warning due to freezing battery.

Not sure if DJI is low temperature grease which is good for -40C. It solved a motor problem in the past at my work.

 

[RTKD]

I've flown a MP1 in that kind of cold, and @zocalo nailed most of my suggestions. The only thing I would add is that you can bring your voltage readings up on the main screen, and if they're anything but green, bring that bird back ASAP. Lipos don't like cold, they can drop voltage SCARY fast if you're not paying attention, and you likely won't feel it until it's too late. I also used a Rainx product that's formulated for plastic and wiped my props and outer body with it to prevent icing. I can't be positive that it helped, but I've flown through fog at sub-zero temps and never had problems.

I believe that if you crash under those temps it's going to void your warranty.

 

[RubberBands > Motors]

My MA did not respond properly at 5F, but my nephew’s M2P did fine. One big issue is the mobile device: these are not designed for extreme temperatures like this. The display is likely to malfunction, leaving you flying blind or nearly so.

If you do fly, keep everything toasty to the last possible moment before takeoff, and expect less battery capacity.

I second this, my iPhone 6S turns off after about 7 minutes coming from full battery and i have to fly home blind. Haven't noticed any actual flying issues with the M2P in these conditions

 

[Deleted member 93449]

Same here, my iPhone 6S also doesn't like the cold. I got warnings from he before I had any issue with the drone.

 

[Mossiback]

If you can keep it in sight, fly it from inside your car. I do it all the time with my MP and have had no problems.

 

[vsasolutions]

I had problems with gimbal on M2P when flying at -15C, the gimbal was shaking and unable to stabilize video. I thought it got broken but after warming it up and fly again at the normal temperature it works again with no issues. Based on that I assume that some plastic parts, as well as metal parts, can behave unexpectedly. I would be also very careful about the battery which should be definitely warmed up before take-off. Never start with the cold battery, I saw a DJI Spark falling down from 50m without any warning due to freezing battery.

At that temp I would be shaking and unable to stabilize as well....but hey, I am a Florida boy.

 

[Lets Fly]

Don't know, I live in Florida.

 

[Photo Bomber]

I flew my Mavic Air a couple days ago at 17°f with no problem, just reduced battery power. Let's just say that it was very uncomfortable for me. I was freezing and it's very hard to do everything that you need to do and fly safely when you're wearing gloves .

 

[jrussell61107]

I've flown in below zero temps often enough. I would also hover around 6 feet for a couple of minutes to let the drone adjust to the temp. I also fly slower than normal in those temperatures.

 

[baddog]

I flew my Mavic Air a couple days ago at 17°f with no problem, just reduced battery power. Let's just say that it was very uncomfortable for me. I was freezing and it's very hard to do everything that you need to do and fly safely when you're wearing gloves .

Agreed...I decided to do the job the next day it was about 15°F way better than -5°