Cold weather flying

Steve J Miller · Jan 10, 2016

I just received my P3A a couple weeks ago and living in WNY the weather hasnt been cooperating to be able to fly.

I was finally able to get it out yesterday but as it was my 1st flight I kept it brief and did not fly it far at all. It was 45f and overcast.

The weather for the next couple weeks looks cold (btwn 20 & 32 degrees Fahrenheit) I see in the manual not to fly below 32 but I know the recent firmware update addressed some of the issues. I was wondering if it is ok to fly above 20F/-7C ?

Thanks!

KAOS Imagery · Jan 10, 2016

I'm near Albany, maybe a tad milder here overall. I've flown in 25-20* clear weather without issue. Keep batteries warm before using them. Monitor your battery temp and voltage during the flight. I let it warm up a minute or two on the ground, then another minute or two hovering just a few feet up. I don't fly as far as I would in warmer weather.

I have seem many videos posted where they flew while it was snowing, chasing sleds, etc, but I don't want to risk potential moisture on mine. I'm pretty conservative compared to some, but I don't want any mishaps.

Recce2 · Jan 10, 2016

KAOS Imagery said:
I'm near Albany, maybe a tad milder here overall. I've flown in 25-20* clear weather without issue. Keep batteries warm before using them. Monitor your battery temp and voltage during the flight. I let it warm up a minute or two on the ground, then another minute or two hovering just a few feet up. I don't fly as far as I would in warmer weather.

I have seem many videos posted where they flew while it was snowing, chasing sleds, etc, but I don't want to risk potential moisture on mine. I'm pretty conservative compared to some, but I don't want any mishaps.

In Duluth, MN, I will fly down to 20F. Not much difference in performance, but flights aren't much longer than 10 min, because of cold fingers. Make sure you start off with warm batteries.

Ken Hanks · Jan 10, 2016

Flown mine at 18F, ungloved hand almost received frostbite. No issues with drone

Ken Hanks · Jan 10, 2016

Steve J Miller said:
I just received my P3A a couple weeks ago and living in WNY the weather hasnt been cooperating to be able to fly.

I was finally able to get it out yesterday but as it was my 1st flight I kept it brief and did not fly it far at all. It was 45f and overcast.

The weather for the next couple weeks looks cold (btwn 20 & 32 degrees Fahrenheit) I see in the manual not to fly below 32 but I know the recent firmware update addressed some of the issues. I was wondering if it is ok to fly above 20F/-7C ?

Thanks!

Also consider calibrating your IMU with the drone cold. Set the drone outside for 15-30 minutes to allow the drone to cool to ambient temp. Find a level surface (really, must be level!) and calibrate IMU. The colder IMU calibration will help when flying in the cold.

msinger · Jan 10, 2016

Steve J Miller, you can fly in cold weather if you take a few extra precautions. DJI talks about those items here and here.

Squiddley · Jan 10, 2016

I live in Sask Canada cold here right now Ive flown mine in -10 degrees celcius no problems, I just make sure my battery is kept warm till I slide it in.....and away we go....