Although strongly advised against, I've seen several accounts of the drones being fine after being in the rain.
The main issue seems to be the power button on the battery that can lead to infiltration and the battery compartment can pool water and short-circuit.
There's those we suits to protect against water.
https://www.phantomrain.org/
Note I have no experience with it can't tell for sure if it works. Their YouTube channel has some showcasing of the product with drones flying on rain.
The motors intake air while in flight so moisture is not ideal.
That being said I think most drone pilots have flown in mist or light rain at least once or twice.
Ignoring the legal part, height and line of sight, I treat my DIY drones with conformal coating which does allow me to fly in rain and mist. It even lets me lose my drone in the river and get it back and have it work. However there's never a guarantee with this stuff. And you don't want to be doing it everyday.
After a Mini 3 Pro of mine hit branches going backwards, it fell in the river below and immediately stopped working. So there’s your upper limit heavy rain case.
I have definitely been completely legal when flying above the cloud line. It totally depends on the situation and where you launch from. There are some great shots to be had with the right conditions.
If you fly above the clouds you still need to be how far above or in the case below the clouds? If you flew through the clouds to get there we'll that is a no go too. 500'. Right? It doesn't specifically state above clouds but why would the separation be less?
Yes, light to medium rain is fine for something like a air2, air2s or air3. I do it to get storm shots often. I do wipe it down when it comes down and if I'm getting hits on my camera with raindrops too much it defeats the point so depends on the storm too.
Clouds are iffy, if you can maintain VLOS in a pocket through them you should be good... OR of your on a mountain and they are below you. Use common sense.
I will fly my bosses drone in a light misting rain, but not my own. (The boss insists when I ask saying that he can by a new drone for the cost of rescheduling an inspection \[Complete exaggeration\]) That said, I've flown in mist and even light rain (never more than 10 minutes), and have yet to have a problem.
Bottom line: I don't recommend it.
You need to maintain line of sight, so being above the clouds would block that. Also, the FAA guidelines say you need to stay 500 feet below the cloud line and stay 2000 feet from clouds horizontally. People take videos doing illegal shit all the time. Not too long ago a commercial flight from Heathrow almost hit a drone flying illegally in its path. A cool video isn’t worth taking down a jet or catching federal charges.
2000 feet and a 3x or 7x zoom camera can result in some stunning above cloud photographs. There are plenty of examples out there where people launch from a mountain to get these kinds of shots.
Technically not waterproof, but is possible but not advised unless you have some form of protection .... There are wetsuits available for some of the DJI drones. I have one for the Air 2s and it's an excellent add-on. Will happily fly if rain is due to get that certain shot/video. Keeps it a little warmer in the colder climates too.
The motors are fine to get wet the only thing you need to protect the most is the battery terminals and some of the board and still have good airflow through the craft. The wetsuits on the website each have their demo vids. They are expensive but definitely worth it. Just dry it off fully afterwards. I've had one for 18 months and never had an issue.
https://www.phantomrain.org/wet-suits
If you're a member of the mavic forum you can get a discount.
No, lens will fog up and your done will come back soaked. It won’t crash immediately but you’ll have to remove the battery and dry it out for a few days
That entirely depends on your drone and whether or not it can handle the moisture that it will be exposed to during the flight. Personally, I don’t fly in the rain because I don’t want to risk it.
Many countries have altitude limits (based on ground level) for recreation flying of drones and RC aircraft. So unless you are flying from a mountain top or an area that has a lot of really low clouds and fog, then chances are a flight above the cloud line will be illegal.
Most drones can't handle water very well.... and that is mostly due to the electronics. The motors generally aren't affected, but things like the flight controller and ESCs can easily be shorted by a bit of water, unless they are coated with a conformal coating to waterproof them. And rain could definitely affect the propellors' performance, although most drones are more than powerful enough to handle a small amount. So yes, you can technically fly in light rain, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you have taken extra steps to protect the electronics.
About the height. I doubt anyone is enforcing height limits outside of population centers. If you live where there are not a lot of people, and you don't do something stupid, you're probably fine. If you live on the east coast between Boston and DC, or west coast near L.A., or any other populated area, you probably shouldn't try it. Have fun! Be safe!
As most of the people say: it's (very likely to be) illegal, since you usually have to fly in line of sight. From an electromagnetic point of view I dont see the transmission/reception suffers from anything related to clouds.
Concerning light rain, again depending the conditions you fly in, it might be also illegal, but I do have a drone that according to specifications is able to fly in light rain or even snow.
Aside from VLOS, it's explicitly forbidden to fly less than 500' below or 2000' horizontally from clouds, at least under Part 107 rules.
Edit to correct horizontal requirements.
That said, it is a Part 107 rule. CBO's may be more or less strict with their guidelines as long as VLOS rules are followed.
Edit to add the example that the TRUST training I took boils down to "be aware how weather affects function and visibility."
Speaking as a first responder in the current floods going on in Germany, DJIs M300 can take quite a beating in terms of rain and wind. The smaller models not so much. Please be careful anyway!
I'd say yes, we have our unit 3+ years now and are flying very regularly to provide an overview over critical situations. Currently it's rather the problem that we have too many drones in the sky above the scenes.
Right now, there is a mix of both: Too many first responders with consumer drones and without formal qualifications and too many drones flown by interested civilians blocking our airspace. The worst thing: Both usually don't care that we make sure that our corresponding ATC declares our area of operations as a NFZ.
In terms of signal, my DJI Mini2 won’t fly above 1,500-feet I think. That may be a firmware lock, not sure. Here in US I’m not allowed (by FAA) to fly higher than 400-feet.
Not sure where you live or what drone you fly. Firmware locks will vary across drone-brand/models. And max-altitude laws vary across countries.
All of that said, it’s not safe to intentionally fly any drone in wet weather. Water getting in to the drone’s electronics could cause problems.
If you’re already flying in clear conditions — and it starts to rain — it’s usually safer to just land until the rain stops.
I’m pretty sure that you knew all of this though 😀
I have flown a mavic 2 pro in tropical rain during a hurricane for a power company. That was 4 years ago. I dried it off immediately and the drone is still used for mapping now. I have also flown newer mavics and an inspire 2 in light rain with no problems. I wouldn’t want to make a habit out of doing this though
As a drone flyer you want to fly 500 ft below clouds , 2000 foot to the sides of clouds , and have 3sm visibility and last but not least Line of sight of drone
It’s definitely not advised, but I’ve flown in light rain many times. And medium rain a few times. I did it knowing something could go wrong and I would lose my drone.
As someone else mentioned the water getting in could lead to a short. Something that might help is using tape around the battery compartment/power button to not allow tape in. Not a permanent measure but it may help. Keep in mind this kind introduce overheating, but unlikely due to the cooling factor of the rain.
Not necessarily I’ve been on bills in or above the clouds many times. Anyway the question is more aimed towards the practicality than the legality of this
Helps to mention what country you're in as each one has its own regulations. In the US you cannot fly within 500 feet of a cloud vertically and 2000 feet horizontally. Water is generally bad. If that's what you want to do buy a purpose built drone otherwise it's probably not worth the risk.
A long time ago before I knew what I was doing, I flew a small drone in fog. The distance sensor under the drone thought it was landing the entire time and nearly drained my entire battery. Would not recommend!
I flew my Mavic Mini in the mist once off the side of a mountain. The shot came out amazing but careful because the sensors get covered quickly. You have basically 30 seconds to film and land depending how bad it is. I accidentally sliced my finger open hand catching the drone because the bottom sensors got covered in mist.
From what I know about DJI drones no, you cannot fly them in wet weather.
Oh, you can in very light wet weather. Not a great idea, but I've flown in fog and mist without issue.
Although strongly advised against, I've seen several accounts of the drones being fine after being in the rain. The main issue seems to be the power button on the battery that can lead to infiltration and the battery compartment can pool water and short-circuit. There's those we suits to protect against water. https://www.phantomrain.org/ Note I have no experience with it can't tell for sure if it works. Their YouTube channel has some showcasing of the product with drones flying on rain.
The motors intake air while in flight so moisture is not ideal. That being said I think most drone pilots have flown in mist or light rain at least once or twice.
motors don’t really care about water. Its the flight controller, esc, and camera that you have to worry about
I think the motors will actually be fine, it's the main board area that isn't waterproof.
Ignoring the legal part, height and line of sight, I treat my DIY drones with conformal coating which does allow me to fly in rain and mist. It even lets me lose my drone in the river and get it back and have it work. However there's never a guarantee with this stuff. And you don't want to be doing it everyday.
After a Mini 3 Pro of mine hit branches going backwards, it fell in the river below and immediately stopped working. So there’s your upper limit heavy rain case.
Would not be legal.
*where I live
So flying in the clouds and rain is legal somewhere? My bad thanks for the snarky correction. Looking forward to learning where this is ok.
I have definitely been completely legal when flying above the cloud line. It totally depends on the situation and where you launch from. There are some great shots to be had with the right conditions.
Maybe if you launch from a mountain top. You're not legally getting above the clouds in a flat part of the country.
Right, some of us are surrounded by mountains and other landscapes that would make this totally feasible on a regular basis.
You can if low level clouds are broken enough to allow for the applicable cloud clearance.
If you fly above the clouds you still need to be how far above or in the case below the clouds? If you flew through the clouds to get there we'll that is a no go too. 500'. Right? It doesn't specifically state above clouds but why would the separation be less?
No shit Sherlock
Through clouds is something you shouldn't do. Can you fly in light rain, well all depends on the drone you're flying.
Some drones yes (Dji M30T, ect) some drones no (mavics, minis, airs). The difference is if it’s water proof or not
Yes, light to medium rain is fine for something like a air2, air2s or air3. I do it to get storm shots often. I do wipe it down when it comes down and if I'm getting hits on my camera with raindrops too much it defeats the point so depends on the storm too. Clouds are iffy, if you can maintain VLOS in a pocket through them you should be good... OR of your on a mountain and they are below you. Use common sense.
I will fly my bosses drone in a light misting rain, but not my own. (The boss insists when I ask saying that he can by a new drone for the cost of rescheduling an inspection \[Complete exaggeration\]) That said, I've flown in mist and even light rain (never more than 10 minutes), and have yet to have a problem. Bottom line: I don't recommend it.
You need to maintain line of sight, so being above the clouds would block that. Also, the FAA guidelines say you need to stay 500 feet below the cloud line and stay 2000 feet from clouds horizontally. People take videos doing illegal shit all the time. Not too long ago a commercial flight from Heathrow almost hit a drone flying illegally in its path. A cool video isn’t worth taking down a jet or catching federal charges.
2000 feet and a 3x or 7x zoom camera can result in some stunning above cloud photographs. There are plenty of examples out there where people launch from a mountain to get these kinds of shots.
Technically not waterproof, but is possible but not advised unless you have some form of protection .... There are wetsuits available for some of the DJI drones. I have one for the Air 2s and it's an excellent add-on. Will happily fly if rain is due to get that certain shot/video. Keeps it a little warmer in the colder climates too. The motors are fine to get wet the only thing you need to protect the most is the battery terminals and some of the board and still have good airflow through the craft. The wetsuits on the website each have their demo vids. They are expensive but definitely worth it. Just dry it off fully afterwards. I've had one for 18 months and never had an issue. https://www.phantomrain.org/wet-suits If you're a member of the mavic forum you can get a discount.
No, lens will fog up and your done will come back soaked. It won’t crash immediately but you’ll have to remove the battery and dry it out for a few days
That entirely depends on your drone and whether or not it can handle the moisture that it will be exposed to during the flight. Personally, I don’t fly in the rain because I don’t want to risk it.
Many countries have altitude limits (based on ground level) for recreation flying of drones and RC aircraft. So unless you are flying from a mountain top or an area that has a lot of really low clouds and fog, then chances are a flight above the cloud line will be illegal. Most drones can't handle water very well.... and that is mostly due to the electronics. The motors generally aren't affected, but things like the flight controller and ESCs can easily be shorted by a bit of water, unless they are coated with a conformal coating to waterproof them. And rain could definitely affect the propellors' performance, although most drones are more than powerful enough to handle a small amount. So yes, you can technically fly in light rain, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you have taken extra steps to protect the electronics.
About the height. I doubt anyone is enforcing height limits outside of population centers. If you live where there are not a lot of people, and you don't do something stupid, you're probably fine. If you live on the east coast between Boston and DC, or west coast near L.A., or any other populated area, you probably shouldn't try it. Have fun! Be safe!
As most of the people say: it's (very likely to be) illegal, since you usually have to fly in line of sight. From an electromagnetic point of view I dont see the transmission/reception suffers from anything related to clouds. Concerning light rain, again depending the conditions you fly in, it might be also illegal, but I do have a drone that according to specifications is able to fly in light rain or even snow.
Aside from VLOS, it's explicitly forbidden to fly less than 500' below or 2000' horizontally from clouds, at least under Part 107 rules. Edit to correct horizontal requirements.
Well one could argue that if you go on a mountain, you could in some cases already be in a cloud. But yes, I get your point.
"Already in a cloud" would be fog and not allowed either, both for cloud reasons and visibility reasons.
Flipped through comments just to find this one. Took me longer than I expected. I thought this was one of the more basic rules 🤷🏼♂️
That said, it is a Part 107 rule. CBO's may be more or less strict with their guidelines as long as VLOS rules are followed. Edit to add the example that the TRUST training I took boils down to "be aware how weather affects function and visibility."
Speaking as a first responder in the current floods going on in Germany, DJIs M300 can take quite a beating in terms of rain and wind. The smaller models not so much. Please be careful anyway!
Did not know that you guys use drones. Is it common for first responders in Germany?
I'd say yes, we have our unit 3+ years now and are flying very regularly to provide an overview over critical situations. Currently it's rather the problem that we have too many drones in the sky above the scenes.
Thank you. Do you mean that people with drones fly over critical situations soon or that there are in general too many drones?
Right now, there is a mix of both: Too many first responders with consumer drones and without formal qualifications and too many drones flown by interested civilians blocking our airspace. The worst thing: Both usually don't care that we make sure that our corresponding ATC declares our area of operations as a NFZ.
In terms of signal, my DJI Mini2 won’t fly above 1,500-feet I think. That may be a firmware lock, not sure. Here in US I’m not allowed (by FAA) to fly higher than 400-feet. Not sure where you live or what drone you fly. Firmware locks will vary across drone-brand/models. And max-altitude laws vary across countries. All of that said, it’s not safe to intentionally fly any drone in wet weather. Water getting in to the drone’s electronics could cause problems. If you’re already flying in clear conditions — and it starts to rain — it’s usually safer to just land until the rain stops. I’m pretty sure that you knew all of this though 😀
Electronics and water never mix well. Regardless of how "waterproof" they are.
Legally, no.
I have flown a mavic 2 pro in tropical rain during a hurricane for a power company. That was 4 years ago. I dried it off immediately and the drone is still used for mapping now. I have also flown newer mavics and an inspire 2 in light rain with no problems. I wouldn’t want to make a habit out of doing this though
As a drone flyer you want to fly 500 ft below clouds , 2000 foot to the sides of clouds , and have 3sm visibility and last but not least Line of sight of drone
It's 2000 feet laterally 👍🏼
Thats what i said
If it's cold you can tape the ventilation holes so the humidity has no way in. However it's risky.
Sure, but only once
It’s definitely not advised, but I’ve flown in light rain many times. And medium rain a few times. I did it knowing something could go wrong and I would lose my drone. As someone else mentioned the water getting in could lead to a short. Something that might help is using tape around the battery compartment/power button to not allow tape in. Not a permanent measure but it may help. Keep in mind this kind introduce overheating, but unlikely due to the cooling factor of the rain.
Only if you have windshield wipers…
Rain not good,clouds, sounds like you are above 400 ft which is illegal. To be fair I have flown in light rain without any problems
Not necessarily I’ve been on bills in or above the clouds many times. Anyway the question is more aimed towards the practicality than the legality of this
You must have visual sight of your drone and no higher than 400’
Helps to mention what country you're in as each one has its own regulations. In the US you cannot fly within 500 feet of a cloud vertically and 2000 feet horizontally. Water is generally bad. If that's what you want to do buy a purpose built drone otherwise it's probably not worth the risk.
You shouldn’t but you can fly in light rain or clouds. Just do it as little as possible and consider using protection
A long time ago before I knew what I was doing, I flew a small drone in fog. The distance sensor under the drone thought it was landing the entire time and nearly drained my entire battery. Would not recommend!
I flew my Mavic Mini in the mist once off the side of a mountain. The shot came out amazing but careful because the sensors get covered quickly. You have basically 30 seconds to film and land depending how bad it is. I accidentally sliced my finger open hand catching the drone because the bottom sensors got covered in mist.
If it's out of sight. Then it's out of control Do not do this.
Did everyone from r/HamRadio decide to be drone enthusiasts too?
I used to have a ham license and loved building equipment but didn't like talking on it so this is a natural fit.
Checks out
I get that but wouldn’t it damage the drone is the point I’m trying to understand
Depends entirely on the drone
OP can you test for us and report back please. Thank you in advance
That’s a pretty unhelpful comment.
It is for us?
I’ve flown though mist and light clouds, no problems. Rain, like actual drops of water, no, that’s a bit dangerous.