Winter flying

[Hovtech]

Since I got my 1st Phantom last March, I have never flown in winter. I'm sure there are great videos to be filmed. I have 1 worry though. This would be a question for the veterans here. Let's say it's 10 degrees outside. If I fly up to say 500 ft, how cold is it up there. Let's make up a number and say it's -20 degrees f. Would the battery freeze and the bird drop from the sky?

 

[tgreenstone]

I am very curious myself. I have read stories of moisture building up inside, motors getting to wet and causing damage, and even a snowball taking one out.

Any one gone out in the snow and lived?

 

[paulajayne]

Prop icing is to watch out for.

 

[doug86]

Since I got my 1st Phantom last March, I have never flown in winter. I'm sure there are great videos to be filmed. I have 1 worry though. This would be a question for the veterans here. Let's say it's 10 degrees outside. If I fly up to say 500 ft, how cold is it up there. Let's make up a number and say it's -20 degrees f. Would the battery freeze and the bird drop from the sky?

Are there any hills near you? Why don't you drive up a 500' high hill and see if its 30 degrees colder up there? With that kind of temp difference, snow skiing would sure be a cold sport. The change is much less than you're thinking. At 500' the change in temp would be less than 2 degrees from what it is at the surface.

The change is actually quite easy to calculate using a formula called the "lapse rate" Although the actual atmospheric lapse rate varies, under normal atmospheric conditions the average atmospheric lapse rate results in a temperature decrease of 6.4°C/km (3.5°F/1,000 ft) of altitude.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapse_rate

 

[robinb]

There are some videos on travel by drone over Niagara falls in the winter.

Its COLD, very very cold, ice snow, freezing fog, high winds.

Problems is not the drone but the people can't take it.

i.e. this one for example

http://travelbydrone.com/play/76

 

[Hovtech]

Since I got my 1st Phantom last March, I have never flown in winter. I'm sure there are great videos to be filmed. I have 1 worry though. This would be a question for the veterans here. Let's say it's 10 degrees outside. If I fly up to say 500 ft, how cold is it up there. Let's make up a number and say it's -20 degrees f. Would the battery freeze and the bird drop from the sky?

Are there any hills near you? Why don't you drive up a 500' high hill and see if its 30 degrees colder up there? With that kind of temp difference, snow skiing would sure be a cold sport. The change is much less than you're thinking. At 500' the change in temp would be less than 2 degrees from what it is at the surface.

The change is actually quite easy to calculate using a formula called the "lapse rate" Although the actual atmospheric lapse rate varies, under normal atmospheric conditions the average atmospheric lapse rate results in a temperature decrease of 6.4°C/km (3.5°F/1,000 ft) of altitude.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapse_rate

Very good point.

 

[Sketch6995]

i have read posts that suggest extreme cold will cause your battery to die faster, but ive also seen videos of people flying with snow on the ground. so i dont really know for sure, best thing to do is try it. thats what im gonna be doing as soon as the snow flies.

 

[gordhunt]

I've flown mine at -25c with no issues other then I'm cold

 

[happydays]

Load of vids on YouTube from flights in the snow. I even recall one of a guy filming himself skiing down a mountain (hope it didn't initiate RTH!). The major thing was from the guys complaining about cold hands.

What ever happened to the bloke a couple of months ago who was going to the arctic? There were lots of suggestions on that thread viewtopic.php?f=27&t=24655

 

[flyNfrank]

I have flown serveral times in the winter months. The windchill plays the biggest role for me. Even wearing heavy gloves your hands will only last so long in the cold temps.

 

[kirbinster]

Temperature drops by three degrees F per 1,000 feet of elevation. Should not be an issue, just don't go up 20,000 feet

 

[yali]

There are some videos on travel by drone over Niagara falls in the winter.

Its COLD, very very cold, ice snow, freezing fog, high winds.

Problems is not the drone but the people can't take it.

i.e. this one for example

http://travelbydrone.com/play/76

it doesn't seem very cold. Water is flowing, ground was wet. not cold at all, probably above 0 C

 

[robinb]

There are some videos on travel by drone over Niagara falls in the winter.

Its COLD, very very cold, ice snow, freezing fog, high winds.

Problems is not the drone but the people can't take it.

i.e. this one for example

http://travelbydrone.com/play/76

it doesn't seem very cold. Water is flowing, ground was wet. not cold at all, probably above 0 C

salt on ground probably, its got to be way below air temp of zero for that volume of water to freeze, closer to -15 deg C.

 

[Paul K]

Flying in winter is no problem ; there are some things to be concern , main is ice build up on props ( solution -I put some olive oil on peace of cloth and rub it on propellers ,but you still have to monitor it ) . I wouldn't to fly higher then 200/300 ft .
Propellers keep dry falling snow away ,but if there is freezing rain it could cost problem.
Battery is OK ,it won't freeze ,because drawing power from it keeps it warm ,but your flight time will be much shorter.
I did use my craft pretty much last winter with no issues except prop icing (beside oil, this winter I will be testing some silicon base
application for better and long lasting solution).
Another suggestion would be, because your fingers get could after few minutes of flying , do not go to close to obstacles like trees
structures and specially people ,because the sensitivity on sticks will be terrible and it will be hard to control the craft.


Don't fly to high and keep visual

 

[CarlJ]

Ima go out on a limb here and say that cold air is more dense, so that may cancel the effects on battery time. You know, the whole hot air rises kinda thingy. I got my Phantom for Xmas last year so I've done some winter flying.

Watch out for those snow banks! :shock: