How can rain affect your drone?

How can rain affect your drone?

What can happen to your drone if you pilot in the rain?

The weather isn't always predictable, and we're sure many of you have asked yourself, "Should I worry about my drone if it rains?" The truth is that most drones are not absolutely waterproof, and it's best to avoid rainy weather. Even foggy weather is somewhat dangerous for your drone. The presence of fog means that there is a large amount of moisture in the air, and moisture can damage the components of the aircraft. The greatest danger from moisture and water is to the engine and electrical parts of the drone. Therefore, it is best to pilot in calm, dry weather and also store the drone and its parts, chargers and remote control in a dry place with moderate room temperature.

What can happen if you pilot your drone in rainy weather?

If you take a flight with your drone in rainy conditions, you are very likely to put the machine at risk.

There are waterproof drones or those that have a protective coating that will keep the machine from being damaged to some extent. This does not mean that if it rains you should rely on the waterproofness of the drone, but to land it and get it dry as soon as possible. Despite the imperative to land, try to remain calm so you can operate the device most sensibly and safely.

If too much water gets into the drone, a short circuit may occur in the electrical components. Even if you just land the machine on a wet surface, this is possible.

How large the vents are also determines how much the drone's motor is at risk of getting wet. If the motor gets wet, you will most likely lose connection and therefore control of the machine. From there on, the consequences can be all sorts of, and you may not even be able to find where the drone has landed.

The other danger to your drone is that rain is very often accompanied by wind. These conditions combined are even more risky for the drone.

Before you purchase your drone, we advise you to inform yourself as much as you can about it, including how waterproof it is, what flight range it has, whether it has protection modes, so you are aware of what kind of machine you are investing in. Make sure you understand what weather conditions it can fly in without problems and the recommended storage and maintenance tips.

What to do if your drone gets wet?

When it rains, your drone can get wet pretty quickly. This is likely to happen even if you don't expect it to rain despite the dry weather forecast. Especially when piloting in the mountains, the weather can take you by surprise. Let's say you find yourself in such a situation and wonder what to do. Here are our tips for you:

Try to get the drone back as quickly as possible, taking care to still land it safely.

After landing, turn off the power to both the drone and the remote control.

If you find there is water in the drone, shake it in all directions to get the water out.

You can take a black garbage bag and fill it with salt enough to form a thin carpet. If possible, find a sunny, dry spot, place the drone on the carpet of salt and seal the bag. Salt has absorbent properties and in one to two days the water should be gone.

What other consequences can flying in rainy weather have for the drone?

The biggest danger to your drone is short circuiting, losing control and the machine crashing. But besides that, rain can affect you in other ways. For example, the pressure that droplets exert when falling on the propellers can affect the flight quality and you may not be able to keep your drone stable in the air. This is more likely in models that are not particularly powerful.

It's also not worth trying to shoot in this weather because it can damage the drone's camera or, at the very least, the droplets can interfere with the quality of the footage. Visibility will also be reduced and there is a danger that you may not be able to operate the device safely. Therefore, if there is any chance of rain, do not move the machine too far away from you. You should always have visibility of where it is so that you can look for it if you lose control of it and it lands. In the event that you don't have visual contact with your drone and it starts to rain, use the "Return to home" feature.

If you still want peace of mind in case your drone gets wet or damaged, contact a professional drone repair shop to get advice on what to do.

You can read more useful articles about piloting drones in different conditions on our blog. Also check out our offers on the COPTER.BG page for DJI drones and accessories.