Flying in windy conditions

[storm_333]

It's been pretty windy here today (gusts over 30mph) but I decided to take my PV2 out for a spin anyway. I was surprised at how stable it was. I could hear the rotors working hard to ensure it maintained its position, but even at 400ft it held station remarkably well. I was impressed

Has anyone else flown in windy conditions, and where would you draw the line?

 

[2trickpony]

I have flown in 25-30 mph wind but my main fear is not knowing how gusty it is at altitude.
But you are right, the P2 is remarkably stable in the wind.

 

[dtdyer01]

Hopefully the wind calms tomorrow in south UK. Still not comfortable flying in today's wind

 

[Pull_Up]

My personal limit is 20mph steady or gusts over 25mph at ground level. The Vision can handle the wind, but you get lower flight times fighting it, shakier video and stills and you need to limit yourself to operating upwind only (so in a RTH or low battery situation the wind brings it home, and it won't have to fight its way upwind with low power). I'd fly in that if I was desperate for some stick time but it wouldn't be all that much fun.

About 15mph winds at ground level is the max for enjoying "normal" operations and near-normal flight times for me. Plus at this time of year you get bloody cold standing there while it whistles round your ears!

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

My personal limit is 20mph steady or gusts over 25mph at ground level. The Vision can handle the wind, but you get lower flight times fighting it, shakier video and stills and you need to limit yourself to operating upwind only (so in a RTH or low battery situation the wind brings it home, and it won't have to fight its way upwind with low power). I'd fly in that if I was desperate for some stick time but it wouldn't be all that much fun.

About 15mph winds at ground level is the max for enjoying "normal" operations and near-normal flight times for me. Plus at this time of year you get bloody cold standing there while it whistles round your ears!

Good advice re operating upwind only. I went to Beachy Head today with the intention of flying but chickened out. I use an app I got for the iPhone which uses the microphone to read the windspeed. I don't know how accurate it is but it was an average of 24mph there today. I self impose a 12mph wind speed limit but I am able to fly most days if the weather is kind so I understand why people who don't get the chance often have higher limits.

 

[Pull_Up]

Whatever your personal limit, and however you record it, just stick to it. Better to have the Vision on the ground wishing it was up there than the other way around...

I have a cheap digital anemometer in my flight case and I take a reading before I set everything up. If it's over my personal limit I pack up and go home or go somewhere else less windy. Once you start saying "it'll be ok this time, it's only a bit over" then it's a slippery slope! Live to fight another day, I say.

 

[Dhutch]

Nearly lost my p2v in strong wind

Hello,
This is my first post on the forum but I have checked it pretty much every day since getting my p2v in December. I live near Lincoln in UK. So far I have generally had quite an event free experience with around 30 flights to date. Yesterday was a different story. I had a quick flight after work down on the Fens. It was windy but I still went for it only intending to hover at about 10 meters to test my new filer set up out. Anyway ended up going to about 100 meters when the wind really got up. Hard to gauge but prob more than 30mph. The p2v was fighting the wind but gradually moving down wind. I tried to bring it back but it was gradually going north and gaining height. At times it was also spinning from side to side. I considered bringing it down in a wetland area but it got to about 550 meters away at 450 meters high and I lost connection (impressive range!). I was gutted at this stage and ran half a mile down the river witham to cross a bridge to go over to the wetland area to find it. By this stage the wind is whistling in the trees. I checked find my phantom and got a location about a mile away although did not have the mapping function. I searched for about half an hour with no success before deciding to get back to my car and search further down wind. When I returned to my car there she was! Patiently waiting where I had taken off from with about 10% battery. I also found my car keys on the path back which I had dropped in my panic. My only explanation it that the p2v managed to drop to the 20 meter return home altitude and maybe the wind dropped for a couple of minutes. A whole range of emotions in 1 hour and full credit to how awesome the p2v is. Valuable lesson learnt! Just ordered a rotor pixel gimbal so would have been doubly gutted to lose!

 

[Pull_Up]

Wow, great story for your first post!

The Vision wouldn't have dropped to 20m - the RTH algorithm says climb to 20m or hold current altitude if higher. It may be that the wind eased enough, or backed or veered enough, that it could power its way through and get back to you. However it did it, give it a kiss and promise never to take it up in winds like that again - you can't be that lucky twice, surely?!

 

[Dhutch]

Agreed, massive lesson learnt. Thanks for the insight on the return home function.

Cheers

David

 

[pault]

Strange that is was being blown away downwind and gaining height - must have been very scary.

As mentioned on other threads recently I always briefly put her into ATTI on the way up to check the wind. I do quite a bit of sailing and have got an anemometer on the top of the mast which is 50' high. Sometimes when I measure the wind at deck level there can be 10 - 15 knots difference to the top of the mast - and that is just a 50' difference ! I can imagine if you took off in the lee of some shelter it would be easy to be caught out when the PV2 gets up into the true wind.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Agreed, massive lesson learnt. Thanks for the insight on the return home function.

Cheers

David

I will be posting a video later demonstrating 2 techniques for recovering a phantom that has got too far away. Glad to hear you got it back.