The coldest months are coming... It's time to dress warmly and protect your drone when you go outside to operate it. Rain, snow and freezing temperatures are just around the corner!
In autumn and winter, it's more important than ever to take care when flying your drone,as weather conditions can have an impact on your flying performance. From battery maintenance to protection against frozen fingers, we're sharing our top5 tips for flying safely as temperatures continue to drop!
1.Preparation & Planning
Wherever and whenever you fly, preparation is key, especially during periods of colder temperatures! Get a head start by planning your flight location before you go,and make a list of what you'd like to capture as images. Also draw up a list of the equipment you'll need. Make sure your drone and all its equipment are securely packed: everything needs to be well insulated and protected to retainits heat! Of course, some areas are considerably more difficult to fly over, such as forests and bodies of water, so it's best to avoid them in these circumstances, in case you need to land your drone due to bad weather conditions!
2. Avoid airborne humidity
Drones have many complex motors and highly sensitive electronics. They need to be protected as best they can from airborne moisture resulting from rain, fog and/or snow. Make sure you know whether your drone is weatherproof, and whether it's suitable for flying in precipitation. If not, it's best to store your drone and wait for another day to fly it. Be aware that flying in fog is not a good idea: you'll probably lose sight of your drone. We're sure your drone could have the potential to capture some great snowfall photos, but it's really not worth putting your device at risk if it wasn't designed to fly in such conditions. If you encounter precipitation in flight, land your drone as quickly and safely as possible. If your drone has come into contact with airborne moisture, dry itthoroughly with a towel and store it in its carrying case.
3. Dress warmly
It may seem obvious, but with temperatures dropping, it's time to dress warmer! Your fingers will be particularly exposed to the cold air: good gloves are a must when using your drone! It's advisable to choose a pair of touch screen-compatible gloves with a good grip. Having a pair of touchscreen-compatible gloves ensures that you can always interact with your controller throughout the entire flight! In addition, a thick, waterproof coatis a must and will help you stay warm and comfortable even if you're outside for a long time. It's also important to keep batteries and mobile devices warm,as cold temperatures can have a negative impact on their performance and riskshortening their battery life.
4. Battery care
Make sure you always check your batteries. As already mentioned, cold weather can have quite an impact on your batteries, and not in the best way! Many drones use lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries, and cold temperatures can affect their chemical activity. Check the condition of your batteries frequently, and make sure they're working properly before using your drone. We recommend that you have your batteries fully charged before the flight, so that you can keep aneye on any unusual activity in the drone's battery status. Before you start your flight, we recommend that you hover your drone for a few minutes to allow your battery to warm up.
5.Propeller icing
It is possible to experience propeller icing if temperatures are cold enough. It's not absolutely necessary for temperatures to drop to 0 degrees to experience propeller icing. Propeller icing is a phenomen on that causes ice to build up on the drone's propellers and can cause serious damage. In the worst case, it could lead to your drone crashing. Icing is caused by a mixture of airborne moisture and cold temperatures. Avoid flying your drone in clouds or fog, asthis can put your drone at risk of propeller icing if the temperature is below 5 degrees. If you suspect icing during your flight, land your drone as soon as possible and dry it thoroughly.
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