It goes without saying that hobby drones are the newest big thing. Who wouldn’t like them – they’re compact, exciting, easy to manage, and take breathtaking photographs.
One of the best choices for a hobby drone is the Mavic Mini FlyCam. If you have the Mavic Mini drone, you might have wondered if you can take it out for a spin at night.
So, can the Mavic Mini FlyCam fly at night? Yes, the Mavic Mini FlyCam can fly at night with some caution. Additionally, there are a few tips and tricks that you should know to make the best use out of your Mavic Mini drone’s camera at night.
Read on to know more about the Mavic Mini FlyCam – what it can and cannot do while flying at night, the legal status of flying drones at night, the pros, the cons, and more!
What Is The Mavic Mini Drone?
The Mavic Mini FlyCam is a compact hobby drone that weighs less than 250 grams. Its design is quite specific so it can have a minimal takeoff weight to give you the easiest and best possible hobby drone experience.
The Mavic Mini drone is manufactured by Da-Jiang Innovations, which is popularly known as DJI technology. DJI manufactures non-commercial drones for aerial photography and videography.
Due to its lightweight, many countries exempt the Mavic Mini FlyCam from aviation regulations. Moreover, did you know that in the US and Canada, you can fly this hobby drone without registering it with the government?
The most probable scenario is that you will not need a license to fly the Mavic Mini FlyCam. However, you should still be familiar with your country’s flight laws for drones, including the areas where you are not allowed to fly and whether you can fly at night.
Can The Mavic Mini Fly At Night?
The Mavic Mini FlyCam can fly no matter what time of the day it is. Keep in mind that the drone does not know that it is nighttime, so it can fly at any time you want it to.
However, there are a few limitations when it comes to flying the Mavic Mini Drone at night. Like all other drones, it might be difficult to navigate flight at night due to the inability to see obstacles and the location of the drone in the air.
Although you can use the drone at night, there is not much that you’ll get out of it. The Mavic Mini FlyCam does not have a night feature. Additionally, legal obligations would only be flown within an unaided line of sight.
Additionally, flying the drone out of your line of sight makes it more likely for it to run into trees, wires, and other such objects. Additionally, the camera on the Mavic Mini FlyCam cannot take high-quality photos or videos in the dark.
You probably already know that the Mavic Mini FlyCam does not have any orientation lights either. But this does not mean that this drone is of absolutely no use at night.
There are a few tips and tricks that can help you with using the Mavic Mini FlyCam:
- Keep Drone Movement To A Minimum
Like I mentioned before, it is recommended that you fly the Mavic Mini drone in your line of sight. There are a few reasons why you should keep your drone’s movement to a minimum level while flying it at night.
Some drones pick up satellites and avoid obstacles without your directions. For example, the drone would automatically climb over trees to avoid crashing. However, this model of Mavic Mini drones does not possess this feature.
During the nighttime, it is easy for you to miss obstacles like trees, wires, etc. Without an obstruction avoidance feature and your own limited vision in the dark, it is very likely that the drone can crash into something.
Additionally, you need to consider the compact size of the Mavic Mini FlyCam. In the dark, it can get tough for you to track the position of the small drone from the ground.
I don’t mean to dissuade you at all – each of these problems can be avoided if you fly your Mavic Mini drone at a range that you can see and manage easily.
- Use A Propeller Guard
A propeller guard ensures that your drone does not crash into obstacles. Apart from being careful about your drone being in your line of sight, it is important that you also use a propeller guard.
With the Mavic Mini FlyCam, it is best to use a 360-degree propeller guard that fully protects the drone. This way, you can stop worrying about any risks and direct your energy into getting the most striking nighttime images possible.
- Change Exposure Value While Shooting
Speaking of getting the best nighttime photography results, keeping movement low ensures that your pictures are focused and not seedy. Additionally, you can change your camera’s setting to suit the dark at night.
If your camera is in auto mode, adjust the exposure value (EV) manually. You will also need to enable or disable automatic exposure (AE). On the other hand, if your camera is in manual mode, you will need to set the ISO and shutter speed yourself.
- Attach A Strobe Light To The Drone
Unlike most drones, the Mavic Mini FlyCam does not have any lights. Without lights, the probability of the drone getting lost or crashing with obstacles becomes higher.
So, an effective and permanent fix for these problems is by attaching a strobe light to your drone. However, in order to attach a strobe light to the Mavic Mini FlyCam, you will need to register your drone with the Federal Aviation Authority.
Final Thoughts
As we reach the end of this article, I hope all your doubts about flying your Mavic Mini FlyCam at night were cleared. If you ever have any questions about taking your drone out at night, just refer back to this article and you’ll find all that you need to know.
So, now that you know all that you need to do, what are you waiting for? Take your Mavic Mini FlyCam for a spin and shoot some gorgeous nighttime pictures!