Just curious, as it might be a while to actually try this..
One very cool thing to get on video is when a layer of fog or mist descends to ground level but is only several hundred feet thick...   Resulting in the fab ability to potentially fly up through it to the clear crisp morning.. And get an 'inversion' whereby the drone will appear to be above the clouds...
An issue though is descending..  There is a video on youtube of a DJI spark..  Halting its descent, due to the downward sensors thinking the cloud layer below was a false floor, thus hoverering instead of descending..   It did descend, but painfully slow, and made it back down in the nick of time before the battery ran out.
Will the Mini suffer the same issue if and when anyone gets to fly their mini over a low cloud layer?

Never a good idea to fly in mist.

Sensors won't work as expected, plus you don't see what's going on.

That was a close call!
Yeah this phenomenom happens where I live some times, is probably a good idea to do the whole operation above the clouds or in an area with no clouds above you, then return to home where there is no gog underneath, but this may not be allways possible.
Lesson learned dont take off through fog cause you won´t be able to return safely.

Always wanted to fly above clouds like this and now Im feeling put off in case this happens.  

Hi. Thank you for sharing your insight and experience with the DJI Spark. Thank you for your valued support and safe flying.

I live in eastern Australia and we have currently massive problems with very large scale fires. I have been using a P4P for years now to spot fires in my vicinity.
Today is again very low visibility due to smoke. I took this to test the mavic mini for exactly the described potential problem.
I went to full 500 m altitude and had zero contrasts just some variation in brightness when I spun around. The ground including my house was completely obscured by the dense smoke.
I had no difficulties with descending at full speed.
At least in uniform smoke there appears to be no drama.

I've done this a few times (flying above the fog) including this morning, and have never had any issues like described. Maybe I'm just fortunate?  Here is a pic from this morning - fog along the Hudson River near Albany, New York.

Smark Posted at 11-21 06:07
I've done this a few times (flying above the fog) including this morning, and have never had any issues like described. Maybe I'm just fortunate?  Here is a pic from this morning - fog along the Hudson River near Albany, New York.
[view_image]

Excellent pic ..
Some coming back through cloud,  to the mini, it might have looked like approaching a  'white' floor, the mini went through no problem?

PhasedSpaces Posted at 11-21 06:14
Excellent pic ..
Some coming back through cloud,  to the mini, it might have looked like approaching a  'white' floor, the mini went through no problem?

Correct, no issues - although having read this thread the other day, I paid very close attention. But it responded as if the fog wasn't there. It was decently thick fog, too.

I am sorry to say this but it doesn't look like the fog is down... from the sun position it seems that you are waaaaay above the clouds friend. Reckless IMO. I believe you shouldn't be complaining regarding battery life while flying so high...

I flew my Mini over the clouds in February. My first mini, if you catch my drift. Didn't think of the wind up there. I've found something went won't after I lost the signal. I wen to the last last seen point, but it was already far away from that. I had a guy plotting the probable landing spot, on frozen lake. 1km wide lake. I've spent few weeks looking for it, but didn't find it. It snowed over later that night. So... Don't fly too high.

Thanks for this video.  I'm sure it depends on the density of the fog, light levels, and likely a few other things, but you hit the perfect mix to have a problem - and some other people did not.

With that said, I am a fixed wing pilot with an instrument rating.  I can tell you that there is nothing like flying along just a few feet above a cloud layer - generally going into and out of bumps in the clouds.  It's absolutely beautiful!  Obviously done while on an instrument flight plan...

Smark Posted at 2019-11-21 06:07
I've done this a few times (flying above the fog) including this morning, and have never had any issues like described. Maybe I'm just fortunate?  Here is a pic from this morning - fog along the Hudson River near Albany, New York.
[view_image]

That is very beautiful!

K6CCC Posted at 9-28 08:46
Thanks for this video.  I'm sure it depends on the density of the fog, light levels, and likely a few other things, but you hit the perfect mix to have a problem - and some other people did not.

With that said, I am a fixed wing pilot with an instrument rating.  I can tell you that there is nothing like flying along just a few feet above a cloud layer - generally going into and out of bumps in the clouds.  It's absolutely beautiful!  Obviously done while on an instrument flight plan...

Don’t do it.
I flew my mini 2 in light fog
It was sat at 26 meters taking a spherical panoramic it displayed a motor error and cut all power and just smashed into the ground.
So have had to pay for repair through dji to come to the conclusion that the fog froze my props and the motor tried to compensate or some rubbish.
Although it was 2 degrees c at the time.
Below is the result.
I don’t really understand the need for downward sensors if you can’t fly it yourself then don’t buy one surely.

fans518e63a0 Posted at 12-19 03:38
Don’t do it.
I flew my mini 2 in light fog
It was sat at 26 meters taking a spherical panoramic it displayed a motor error and cut all power and just smashed into the ground.

Hi,

Bad story and lots of damage!

If you like post your flightlog.txt on here, using > https://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/

Temps below 5 degree C and high humidity and wind can freeze things up.
Most cars shows a warning if temps drops below 5 C.

Downward sensor is used for hover stability and for smooth autolanding.
Unfortunately is also gives faulse readings flying in FOG.

DJI should give the user, imo, the choice of dis-abling the downward sensor, so when the sensors measure height wich isn`t there.....disable is the solution.!
BTW  VPS should be visible in the FlyApp as well, not only the baro height.



cheers
JJB

What was your altitude above the clouds?
Thank you.

Cients Posted at 12-20 07:51
What was your altitude above the clouds?
Thank you.

No that was my altitude from the ground.
The fog was so light that I could see the lights on the bottom of the drone at that height and it still crashed.

fans518e63a0 Posted at 12-26 16:44
No that was my altitude from the ground.
The fog was so light that I could see the lights on the bottom of the drone at that height and it still crashed.

Ok, thank you!
It is a very good warning.
Merry Christmas!

I don't suppose chucking in in Sports Mode so it looses the sensors is an option?

Yeah, never a great idea to fly in fog, especially with the sensors detecting it as a floor and or getting confused, my brother owns the Mavic 2 Pro and he told me about it being a very scary & eerie experience, he got the drone back safely, but not straight away, in fact i have a link to his Sky Pixel footage at the time and as you see in the footage' the fog was very thick at the time.

SkyPixel Link
https://www.skypixel.com/videos/ ... aign=share&sp=0

Let me say that I don't normally approve the indiscriminate flight in fog which I believe is most videos.

ButI still believe you should be rightfully entitled to do so if:

- You take into account your height, considering 100m or so off-limits
- You are in a non congested sub-urban or rural area where you can hear noises of any other AV
- The temperatures allow a safe flight or you have a de-icing plan deployed (for example coating the props with de-icing spray)
- You have knowledge of how the sensors work and you have taped (to disable) the bottom one

So... providing you're really ready for it, why not. Should you be lost you must A. be able to pilot the drone home relying on map alone (thus knowing how to calibrate the MD+RC assembled unit is highly recommened) and B. have ready a loss of signal plan (setting the RTH altitude according to your environment, use the land on spot for signal loss if you prefer so). And anyway one must always comply with the wind, so even if fog suggest low wind levels you should be very aware of the weather/wind forecasts.