Safe to fly in fog?

[Neon Euc]

Got a new way point mission I want to try but it's foggy where I am. I will be flying above the fog as it will make great footage but will the fog turn into condensation and go into the drone?

Don't want to risk it but at the same time I don't want to lose this chance of great footage. Any advice would be appreciated

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Plan well using google maps. Clean lens before flight. Let drone cool to outside temp before taking off. Fly with care. Post video here.

 

[Mark The Droner]

Theoretically some moisture might get in there but so far I've never read a post from somebody who reported flight problems.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Got a new way point mission I want to try but it's foggy where I am. I will be flying above the fog as it will make great footage but will the fog turn into condensation and go into the drone?

Don't want to risk it but at the same time I don't want to lose this chance of great footage. Any advice would be appreciated

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using PhantomPilots mobile app

No, it'll be ok. Dry drone out after. There will be little moisture to be worried about.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

And be prepared to " Map fly" it.

 

[tml4191]

a few minutes in fog will get your phantom soaked, but it still works afterwards. Just expect some water formation happening.

 

[sar104]

Plan well using google maps. Clean lens before flight. Let drone cool to outside temp before taking off. Fly with care. Post video here.

Actually the warmer the drone, the less moisture will condense on it. I cannot see any advantage to cooling it down.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Actually the warmer the drone, the less moisture will condense on it. I cannot see any advantage to cooling it down.

Cooling the lens will help....Try a warm lens and see what you can see...

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

What makes fog is warm vs. cool air. Aligning the temps will negate as much as possible condensation... physics.

 

[Mark The Droner]

I've flown in fog.

I've also flown in a toasty warm drone in bitter cold temps. No problems.

Re fog, the problem is not condensation. The problem is the whole drone gets soaking wet from the moisture in the air, which in turn obscures the lens. It's like flying through a light rain. If you fly through and above the fog, you still can't see anything because the lens is soaking wet. If you fly long enough, the lens will begin to dry but by then you're getting low on battery. The trick is to somehow get around and above the fog bank without going through it, or launching above it, or somehow protecting the lens to keep it from getting soaked as you go through it.

 

[sar104]

What makes fog is warm vs. cool air. Aligning the temps will negate as much as possible condensation... physics.

No, neither of those statements is correct. A slightly simplified explanation of the relevant physics:

What makes fog is lowering the air temperature below the dew point, and may occur when moist (high relative humidity) air meets colder air. Condensation arises when moist air encounters a surface with a temperature below the dew point. Cold surfaces in warm, moist air lead to the highest condensation rates. Raising the surface temperature reduces condensation. The condensation rate becomes approximately zero above the dew point.

In fog, of course, atmospheric condensation has already occurred, i.e. the air temperature is below the dew point, the air is saturated (RH = 1), and there is already water in the liquid phase suspended in the form of small droplets. When those droplets meet a surface they will achieve thermal equilibrium with the surface, and may remain liquid or evaporate, depending on the surface temperature. If the surface is above the dew point then they will evaporate at a rate approximately proportional to the difference between the dew point and the surface temperature. In other words the higher the surface temperature, the greater the evaporation rate and the less liquid accummulated on the surface.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Science aside... what happens when a warm air mass meets a cold air mass?........

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

And what happens when warm lens meets cold air?........

 

[sar104]

Science aside... what happens when a warm air mass meets a cold air mass?........

That sounds like the start of a joke. But if it isn't, then it depends on the humidity of the warm air mass. If its humidity is high then clouds will form at the boundary. If it is dry then they won't.

 

[sar104]

And what happens when warm lens meets cold air?........

Nothing happens. For some reason this seems to be a common misconception, confusing the outcome with the situation when a cold lens meets warm, moist air.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Thinking this post is going sideways. Yes, Post was started with Neon, who I like to see get a good flight in, and he asked if fog was dangerous. I stated no, take care and enjoy. Mark chimed in saying pretty much go for it. Argument ensued with Does fog develop (Bill Nye the science guy) blah blah... I know when my lens gets foggy... not a rocket science issue.. I just wanted Neon to have a successful flight ( go for it Neon!) And I don't care to argue about dog leavings about small "leavings" that make not for intelligent discussions. Condensation happens, small circular talk does not make for great flights......

 

[sar104]

Thinking this post is going sideways. Yes, Post was started with Neon, who I like to see get a good flight in, and he asked if fog was dangerous. I stated no, take care and enjoy. Mark chimed in saying pretty much go for it. Argument ensued with Does fog develop (Bill Nye the science guy) blah blah... I know when my lens gets foggy... not a rocket science issue.. I just wanted Neon to have a successful flight ( go for it Neon!) And I don't care to argue about dog leavings about small "leavings" that make not for intelligent discussions. Condensation happens, small circular talk does not make for great flights......

If you mean that it went sideways when you gave exactly opposite to the correct advice, then I'd agree. Otherwise, your last post is an excellent example of the topical "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge" philosophy.

And no - you clearly don't know when your lens gets foggy. Try warming it up and then taking it outside on a cold day. You won't see any condensation until the lens cools down to around the outside temperature, and only then if the humidity outside is high. However, then bring it back indoors and you will get instant condensation on the cold lens. You're quite right - it really isn't rocket science at all.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Point proven... Neon , enjoy your flight.

 

[Neon Euc]

Thanks guys... Came in and... Well... Wouldn't recommend it lol. The fog soaked my drone and it made one hell of a whirring noise and now when I let the props spin as it sits idle it starts to rev up. Think something sent wrong lol

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[tml4191]

Thanks guys... Came in and... Well... Wouldn't recommend it lol. The fog soaked my drone and it made one hell of a whirring noise and now when I let the props spin as it sits idle it starts to rev up. Think something sent wrong lol

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L01 using PhantomPilots mobile app

Dry it out before powering it up again^