Hi Guys,

I'm planning a trip to the Himalayas and want to climb the Island Peak (Imja Tse). I was wondering if it will be possible to fly my MA from the peak which is 6189m (20305 ft) high. I read the service ceiling of the MA is 5000m. Will I be pushing my luck too hard or is it actually possible? I really dont want to miss the opportunity to shoot some sick footage from up there.

Cheers
Z

It is an interesting question, I'd like to know the reason for the service ceiling being 5000m.  Is it to do with the GPS signals I wonder?

Google said "Service ceiling is the maximum height at which a particular type of aircraft can sustain a specified rate of climb." For my intention, I don't need a lot of climbing from the MA, rather I'd be happy if the craft can maintain the altitude and do an orbit shot. And of course come back to me safely.

There's only one way to find out...

I;d have thought that wind and all would be a real factor at that height too. But I really know nothing.

Hi, yes, the Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level of the Mavic air is 5000 m, so it is not recommended to fly the drone on the Himalayas. Thanks!

The idea excites and terrifies me at the same time. I rather not lose my drone, but at the same time don't want to miss the opportunity of a great shot. What a dilemma!

Some assurance from the DJI crew or experienced pilots would be awesome :}

DJI Diana Posted at 2018-5-24 03:04
Hi, yes, the Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level of the Mavic air is 5000 m, so it is not recommended to fly the drone on the Himalayas. Thanks!

but is it theoretically possible? I promise not to blame anyone if I lose my drone, but I just want to know the limit of this device.

Here is another question: What is the absolute ceiling of the Mavic Air?

It might be because of the lack of 'air' to get sufficient lift.

The air is thin at the place and therefore it can not carry as much weight as at the surface of the ocean. What happens is that the propellers must rotate a lot faster for your drone to lift the same weight as at the surface of the ocean. To get the turns down you put some propellers on there has a larger area on the tips (blade). It is not possible to find them for your Mavic Air.

Regards Leif.

Forgot to mention you should take a Phantom 3 with you to Himalayas. It uses standard props so you can buy some that are more lift in.

Regards Leif.

Maybe you should not fill the battery to save weight.

Thin air on there is real problem. Really don't know can Air take off in that high. But the fly time and performance sure will be affectd. Low temperature and wind also a big concert. There is very high chance to lose your drone.

But it's worth to do a test on there as noone do that before. Nothing to lose if it can't take off. Even lose your drone can make a hit video on YouTube.

Actually DJI should offer you a special build Mavic to test on the high peak. It's a great chance to test their product in such extreme environment.

Lift would be very difficult to sustain and the motor RPM will max out which will probably lead to over current warnings or worse case, cutting out and losing your drone. You can always try but if you do be mindful to maintain clear VLOS and keep it as low above the ground as possible and don't expect more than 5 minutes up there - do it at your own risk as there is every chance you may lose the drone. Quick take off to 50' above you, few snaps then land straight after and you may get some breath taking stills and come home with the drone but that's your risk to take.

If you are to do it I would do everything very slowly.  I would do a very low hover for a few minutes and then move ever so slowly to see how it reacts.  I am very interested and hope that you are able to get some footage that high up.

Sure any video or photos from there will go to the headline.

Try fly on lower place first like 4000 to 5000 meters. Than test above 5000 meters before go to the top. You need another person help to video all testing. Be careful for the wind as Air has less power in high place to fight with wind.

If DJI can make a special 4 blade prop for Air may help it fly higher.

Thin air self service:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=drone+himalayas

Regards Leif.

It is because the air is so thin.  The thinner the air, the faster the props have to spin to generate the same amount of lift all else equal.  At some point, the motors cannot spin fast enough to generate the required lift, and that is the point where you will not be able to fly or flight characteristics will degrade to the point that it is not safe to fly.  DJI has determined this to be 5000m for the Air, so above that elevation, there are probably some characteristics of the drone that can no longer work properly.  Also you're talking about a fairly significant increase over that maximum, personally I wouldn't do it.  I also don't imagine it's too calm up there, and the Air is not going to be able to fight wind nearly as well as it can closer to sea level if it's struggling just to stay airborne.   Not worth it IMHO unless you are OK with the possibility of losing the drone - which you may be if this is a once in a lifetime experience.  

Some great conversation here. I'll take the logical path.

IMHO, if you can get the MA there through the airports OK, and the wind isn't too strong each time, it's an awesome opportunity. But use ND filters for maximum quality.

Here's the logical bit - as GDL suggests, test out flight at lower altitudes and see how it goes as you get higher. If it can't manage high up, you'll at least have video of the trek up. Don't fly the little guy too far away from you in case you need to retrieve it, and if you want to fly it over sheer drops, let it hover for a little so you can see how it performs before sending it away, and make sure you have spare underwear for yourself. And watch reported height on the GO app (additional height relative to you).

Remember that the 5,000m proposed ceiling for the MA is theoretical. You may find that DJI have allowed a reasonable buffer - but who's to say how much.  

Testing the MA at lower attitudes and getting video will use batteries. Take a number of batteries fully charged, and save the longer flights for where you'll get the benefit (and where the winds are OK). Keep the batteries warm in hand warmers.

I'd love to hear how you go.

I could of swore there was someone else in the forums that flew their MA nearly this high up I believe but I cannot for the life of me find the thread.  It was maybe a couple weeks ago?  Point is that it seems to be able to at even this height.  I will try to find that thread but the person posted the take off altitude pic from the dji go 4 app.  

I remember the highest takeoff point on the forum I see is over 3000 meters. Warning of additional load for aircraft appeared. I got the same warming at only 200 meters when temperature over 30 degrees C.

I have the mavic mini. Ceiling altitude is 3km. I'm going to a mountain with an altitude of 3.8km. Do you know if my drone is even going to fly? I'll like to fly just 10m above the ground for few minutes, I'll like to use quickshots like helix or dronie too.

I have the mavic mini. Ceiling altitude is 3km. I'm going to a mountain with an altitude of 3.8km. Do you know if my drone is even going to fly? I'll like to fly just 10m above the ground for few minutes, I'll like to use quickshots like helix or dronie too.