Can Drones Fly Through Clouds?

Many drone users have a common question when shooting landscapes: Can drones fly through clouds? Can drones fly inside clouds to take pictures?

From a technical perspective, drones do have the ability to fly into low-altitude cloud layers. However, in practice, flying through clouds presents numerous hidden dangers and legal risks.

This article will detail the possibility and potential risks of drones flying through clouds, and how to safely conduct high-altitude aerial photography.

What is "Flying Through Clouds"?

Flying through clouds generally refers to a drone flying from below the cloud layer into the interior of the cloud layer, or traversing a cloud or fog environment to take pictures.

The clouds we see every day are not floating solids, but are composed of numerous tiny water droplets or ice crystals. When a drone enters the cloud layer, it is actually flying in an environment with a large amount of water vapor.

Therefore, "flying through clouds" does not mean passing through a physical barrier, but rather flying in a high-humidity environment.

Autel drone flying over sea level

Can Drones Fly Inside Clouds?

Theoretically, yes, but it is not recommended for ordinary drones to actively fly through clouds, while also considering legal and regulatory compliance.

Most consumer drones have a maximum flight altitude of approximately 500 meters from the takeoff point and a maximum takeoff altitude (above sea level) of approximately 4000 meters. The FAA and EASA restrict recreational and standard commercial flights to within 400 feet (120 meters) above ground level, and pilots must also adhere to visual line-of-sight (VLS) flight regulations.

Secondly, aerial photography drones are not designed for all-weather flight. Entering high-altitude cloud cover can severely impact their internal control and propulsion systems.

Therefore, to ensure drone safety and comply with regulations, drones flying through clouds should only be considered an ideal scenario.

Why are there risks associated with drones flying through clouds?

1. Moisture in clouds can damage electronic equipment

Most drones are not completely waterproof. Industrial drones typically have an IP43 or higher protection rating and are not recommended to penetrate cloud cover.

Clouds contain a large number of suspended water droplets. When a drone flies at high speed, this water vapor can quickly adhere to and enter the drone's motors, circuit boards, camera components, and gimbal structure, causing short circuits, motor shutdowns, or electronic device malfunctions, directly leading to a mid-air crash.

2. Cloud airflow is more complex

From the ground, we often perceive clouds as very calm, but in reality, cloud formation and dissipation are often accompanied by air movement.

After entering clouds, drones may encounter updrafts, downdrafts, gusts, and turbulence. These airflows can affect the drone's propulsion system, significantly reducing its stability in the air.

3. Visual positioning capabilities may decline

Modern drones heavily rely on visual obstacle avoidance sensors such as look-down and look-forward sensors, as well as optical flow positioning. Once inside clouds, visual sensors may become completely "blinded" due to a lack of reference points or lenses covered in water droplets.

The drone's obstacle avoidance system may misinterpret thick fog as solid walls, causing it to stop or land in mid-air. Since clouds are far beyond the pilot's visual range, determining the drone's position becomes difficult.

How to Safely Capture Sea of Clouds?

Sunrise above the clouds, mountain peaks piercing through the clouds—these magnificent views above the clouds certainly offer a unique visual experience. However, drone pilots don't necessarily have to risk "flying through the clouds." Drone photographers can:

Utilize elevation differences (shoot from a mountaintop): Find a mountain peak or viewing platform above the cloud layer (i.e., the "sea of clouds" is below the mountainside). Take off from the mountaintop; the drone can then fly directly above the sea of clouds without needing to penetrate the cloud layer, satisfying visual requirements and preventing the drone from getting wet.

Find weak points in radiation fog and advection fog: In the early morning, valleys often have thin fog or low-altitude advection fog, usually only a few tens of meters high and unevenly distributed. In a safe environment where you can clearly see the opposite mountains or landmarks, use the edge outside your line of sight to shoot from above, which can also produce stunning visuals.

Choose stable weather for flying: When shooting clouds, pilots should try to choose weather with low wind speeds, low probability of rain, and good visibility.

Maintain visual line of sight (Voice over Line of Sight) flight for your drone: This is not only a legal requirement but also a crucial guarantee for safe aerial photography. Staying within visual range allows for accurate observation of the drone's position, timely adjustments to flight status, and avoidance of loss of control risks.

Is flying through clouds legal for drones?

Besides technical issues, flying through clouds also involves legal restrictions.

Different countries and regions have regulations regarding drone flight altitude, airspace management, and weather conditions.

Before flying, you should confirm local drone regulations, maximum flight altitude limits, no-fly zones, and weather conditions. Safe and legal flight is more important than capturing special footage.

In the United States, all recreational drones must comply with FAA Section 107, requiring visual line of sight flight. The 400-foot altitude limit is a strict requirement. Industrial drones are approved for beyond-visual-sight flight, focusing more on reliability and mission completion capabilities rather than simply pursuing cloud-penetrating effects.

Flying below clouds or fog not only violates multiple federal regulations but is also extremely reckless, triggering Section 107.23.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also states in its Advisory Circular (AC) that "small drones must not be operated above any cloud cover...", therefore, drone pilots should carefully review the regulations.

5.12.3 from AC 107-2A

What's the difference between flying in the rain and flying through clouds?

Clouds contain a large amount of condensation droplets, so what's the difference between flying through clouds and flying in the rain?

This is a situation that many drone users easily confuse. Simply put, both carry risks, but flying in the rain is riskier.

Clouds often present a high-humidity environment with water vapor but no significant precipitation. Flying in the rain involves a large number of water droplets impacting the drone, resulting in even higher humidity and a greater risk of water ingress into the equipment.

Even if a drone can briefly enter a cloud cover without problems, flying in rainy conditions is not recommended.

In summary

The greatest value of drones is not the risk of flying through clouds, but the ability to safely explore and record the world we cannot normally see from an aerial perspective.

Flying through clouds not only tests the drone equipment but also violates relevant regulations. Drone pilots should only attempt to photograph cloudscapes and appreciate natural beauty under limited and reasonable conditions.