Living in Canada if I only flew drones when the weather was nice my flying season would be very short and that would just not do. Thankfully most DJI drones can endure reasonably cold temperatures and that includes the Mavic Mini. Now before we continue I just want to state that I do not recommend flying your drone outside the operating temperatures that DJI has for each individual drone. Doing so could void your warranty if something should happen, it could also result in the loss of your drone.
Just like all DJI drones, the Mavic Mini has a recommended operating temperature guideline. DJI states that it can be flown in temperatures ranging from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius. So in that range yes it can be flown in wintry conditions and cold temperatures. Personally myself I have flown it in even colder conditions all the way down to -10 degrees Celsius. If you are going to be flying your drone on cold days there are a few things you can do to ensure a safe and successful flight. In my video I go over many tips that are helpful to flying the Mavic Mini in the winter, most of these tips work for all drones across the board.
The biggest problem with flying drones in winter and cold temperatures is the battery. Batteries do not function well in the cold and this can really affect the performance of the drone. If you normally can get a 25-minute flight out of a battery you may notice you can only get 15 minutes on cold days as the power of the battery drops quicker than normal. It is important to keep your batteries as warm as possible before the flight. Keep them in an inside pocket of your jacket, keep them in a warm car interior or even use those chemical hand warmers in your drone bag to help keep your batteries warm.
When flying keep your flights short, I usually only fly 10 minutes at a time then bring in the drone to inspect it and also to pop in a new warm battery. If there is a lot of moisture in the air, ice can form on the drone and props, make sure you inspect it regularly during flights. Ice on props can cause your drone to malfunction and crash. It’s also a good idea to stay close to your take-off point. On cold days I don’t like to fly as far as I normally do for a few reasons. You want to be able to get your aircraft home quickly if the battery power starts to drop quickly because the batteries have gotten too cold, plus if the drone does malfunction, you don’t want to have to hike too far to retrieve it.
Following a few basic guidelines will allow you to fly your Mavic Mini in the winter and on cold days which will really extend your flying season in areas with cold climates. Watch our video to see all our tips for winter drone flights.
Mavic Mini (DJI Website) http://bit.ly/2qX3s5L
Mavic Mini (Amazon) https://amzn.to/33vC2lU
