Flying in fog, humidity, etc. OK?

[Rothgarr]

Howdy. The mornings are extremely foggy here lately. I wanted to fly up above the fog to get a view from above (I think the fog ceiling is below 400'). It feels very... moist... outside and this is my concern.

I was wondering what you thought about flying through thick fog. I'd only fly straight up so I'm not worried about losing the Phantom, I'm curious if you think it's a bad idea as far as moisture goes...

 

[n6vmo]

I flew my first flight of my Phantom 2 in what I considered a light fog.

After the 17 minute flight, the P2 came back dripping wet. I was concerned, but no ill effects were noted.

That said, I won't fly in those conditions again.

 

[Volantis]

FAA regulations specifically state that UAS are not to be flown in fog or other situations where the operator loses line of sight.

Also, as N6VMO reported, the flow of moisture over the UAS can cause condensation, which can lead to a loss of control. Fog is basically rain suspended in the air.

 

[Rothgarr]

Awesome information, thanks to you both.

I won't be flying in the fog then.

 

[Adamation]

I flew my P3P in fog and didn't even consider the implications it may cause, she came back dripping wet and i felt a complete idiot, no issues have been caused band i wont be doing it again - Adam

 

[SteveMann]

FAA regulations specifically state that UAS are not to be flown in fog or other situations where the operator loses line of sight.

No, FAA guidelines recommend line-of-sight only.
There is no rule regarding line of sight, but despite the lack of clear laws on where or how we fly, there can still be some pretty serious consequences to the choices we make. Most fog is really thin vertically and you would likely to be able to go up above the fog and still see your Phantom.

 

[philip1652]

See this thread also. I'm not going to fly actually in the fog anymore, aside from LOS issues, too much risk of failure.

http://www.phantompilots.com/index.php?threads/Flying-P3A-through-fog-low-clouds?-Moisture?.49712/

 

[vgt]

Had a foggy flight this morning, would not recommend it in the future. Drone came down very moist, with droplets of water all over the gimbal. Flew just fine though, but I'm not confident that repeated incursions into fog would benefit the longevity of it. Letting it air out now.

 

[Mario_SB]

I've flown above the fog (California coast marine layer) and I could attest to experiencing compass and/or barometer errors due to possible changes in air pressure, humidity, wind and perhaps salt in the air. The flight was still amazing and the drone did not get as wet because of the sunlight I suppose. Also, while flying along the edge of the fog the P3P did experience some turbulence (it was fun) and it switched into ATTI mode (compass errors) but like I said it was fun and I didn't freak out. I simply climbed down a bit and used landmarks to head home. As soon I heard the buzz and it was close enough the compass errors went away and normal flight was resumed.