Photogrammetry and LiDAR Used for Aerial Mapping Drones
August 3, 2017Using Drones for Mining Aerial Surveying
August 6, 2017Nothing is worst than having your drone photography ruined by poor weather. Obviously, you’d want perfect sunny weather, but in some parts of the country, an ideal condition is hard to get. So, what are some things that you should avoid whenever, and what are some you can deal with? Here are some good places to start.
Wind
Wind is something you should avoid at all costs. Most drones you will find on the market are rated for around 50 km/hr winds so anything more than that and you could start to lose control of them.
Even if the winds are much less than that, you still don’t want to have shaky footage. Even the slightest amount of wind can throw off your footage and make it look much less professional. If it’s a windy day, simply reschedule because it’s simply not worth it.
Precipitation
Most UAVs used for real estate drone photography are classified as water resistant but not water proof. This means that they can handle a little water, but being submerged in water would completely ruin them.
Therefore, your drone can handle a little bit of rain or snow, but a downpour could ruin them. It’s best to not film when it’s raining or snowing because the camera could start to fog up, which would ruin the footage.
Clouds/Fog
Although a beautiful sunny day would be perfect, clouds really aren’t that bad. They may even add a sort of mystical element to the cinematic, and some of the best drone photos have been taken during cloudy days. At least you won’t have to worry about the sun’s glare in your camera, as the lighting on a cloudy day is consistent throughout the entire sky.
Fog is different; it reaches much lower to the ground and can impact the view you get with your drone. Usually, fog will ruin the shot, as you won’t be able to see the property in itsentirety. Also, fog is precipitation, meaning it could ruin your drone. You should definitely avoid fog.
Hot Weather
If the weather is too hot, it can actually start to affect your drone’s performance significantly. If the temperature reaches above 30° C, you may start to see a significant decrease in your drones battery life. This is due to the fact that hotter temperatures require the drone to produce more lift, which requires more battery power to be expended.
Also, during hot days, the drone may start to heat up, which can cause damages in the internal wiring. This means you’ll need to let the drone cool off when it gets over heated. If you are filming during hot days, expect it to take a while, with multiple shots and lots of rest time for your drone.
Cold Weather
Cold weather can also decrease the battery life, but for a different reason. The LiPo batteries used in these drones significantly decrease in battery life when exposed to temperatures around freezing levels. Being too cold outside is yet another thing to consider when flying your drone.
Summary
Yes, we would all love to shoot during that ideal sunny day, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes you’ll have to compromise. However, you should never shoot your drone during windy, rainy, snowy, or foggy days. It’s simply not worth it as your footage will be of much poorer quality and it can possibly damage your drone.
Cloudy days are fine, though not ideal, and if it is too hot or too cold, shooting will probably take a little longer with multiple flights. With all of that being said, it’s really up to you to decide. Check the weather conditions before flying your drone and make your decision based off of the information given here. Other than that, good luck flying and filming your real estate drone photography!