How to fly a drone in winter?

Learn how to fly your drone safely in winter and take impressive shots.

With the start of winter, many beginner pilots wonder if they should and could fly their drone. The truth is that flying in extreme winter conditions is a challenge even for more experienced pilots. Several risk factors can affect flight efficiency, damage the drone, and even lead to unwanted accidents. The reason for this is that winter weather can be unpredictable. You may encounter rain, fog, snow, and strong winds during the flight. But how can you safely pilot a drone and take the desired stunning shots that winter has to offer? We will give you some tips on what safety precautions to keep in mind and how to set up your drone camera.

Battery life

One of the main effects of cold weather in winter on the unmanned device is the reduction of battery life. Low temperatures mainly affect the lithium polymer batteries that DJI drones use. The chemical activity of the batteries decreases when they are outside their own comfort zone. This can lead to a power loss of up to 50% faster, and at extreme temperatures, the device can even, in theory, shut down during flight.

A few tips before you take off:

• Before leaving home, check that the battery is fully charged.
• Before taking off, turn on the drone and wait a bit for it to warm up. Then you can take off.
• To take preliminary measures, you need to heat the battery up to 20 ° C. You can get battery heaters for that.
• Take extra batteries with you. Keep the spare batteries indoors, in the car, and you can let them warm up on the dashboard and set the car AC in defrost mode. Leave the car in the sun.
• Do not store your drone in a cold room where it may freeze. Keep it in a dry place with a temperature of about 25 ° C.
• Do not forget about the controller batteries. Make sure they are full, too.

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Calculate the risks

When trying to take spectacular shots in winter, fog and moisture may prevent you from completing your flight safely. Do not underestimate winter conditions and do not take risky flights. Here are some tips:

• Always check the weather forecast before taking off. Avoid strong winds, rain, and snowfalls. If you decide to fly your drone, do so in a calm and clear time. You must not fly when the surface wind speed is over 20 km / h
• The strong wind will further affect the life of the batteries because the drone will consume extra energy to fly against the wind. Even if your device is usually okay in windy weather, in addition to the cold, you risk draining the batteries quickly, without even having time to react.
• Avoid flying at temperatures below 0 ° C
• Moisture is another condition you should avoid in the winter. It can damage the motors. To prevent landing in snow and subsequent damage, we recommend you use a landing and take-off platform.
  You can find landing and take-off platforms at affordable prices HERE
• With sufficient exposure, moisture can damage the propeller motors, the camera, and the internal systems of the drone. If you use a drone with GPS, condensation can also disrupt these signals by distorting your geotags.
• Do not underestimate fog. It can unexpectedly activate the obstacle avoidance sensors and cause the machine to stop moving, in spite of your commands. Fog can also cause your propellers to be covered in a thin layer of ice, which is a problem not only for drones, but also in aviation, and this could cost you your drone.

Camera settings

Capturing fabulous winter shots is not as easy as most people think. Piloting and capturing through winter conditions requires you to manually adjust the exposure of the camera and the white balance. If you just shoot in automatic mode, you can expect dark shots. To achieve the desired brightness, set values manually.

Monitor ISO values because there may be not enough light. If you see that the camera increases ISO above the recommended range, you must reduce it manually to avoid noise in the images.

Keep the controller warm and keep yourself warm

In addition to taking good care of the batteries, keep your mobile device warm. If you control your drone with a controller, protect it from freezing. Wear gloves so that your hands do not freeze. Choose suitable gloves that will make it convenient for you to control your mobile device or controller. If your fingers become too cold and numb, your work with the touch screen will be impossible. Dress well and appropriately according to the conditions outside. If, however, the forecasts are for extreme temperatures or storms, leave the flights for another day and keep yourself and your drone safe.

Winter is definitely a season where you can capture unique landscapes and have unforgettable experiences with your drone. To maintain good spirits and avoid aircraft accidents, prepare well before taking off. Always charge your batteries. Store the quadcopter in a dry place at a moderate temperature. And follow the weather forecast.

If you have not yet chosen the best drone for you or want to replace your old drone with a new one, check out our page, where you can find more useful tips for piloting and choosing a suitable drone: https://www.copter.bg/en/.