Question on wind

[arnok9010]

So finally took my P4 out to get some awesome shots at the national park. Problem was every time a gust of wind hit it and the motors revved I'd panic and bring it back. Considering I was standing on a rocky outpost and there was a cliff going down at least 300 feet you may understand my reluctance. Basically am I being over cautious ? Or is a soft breeze nothing to worry about even though the drone revs really hard.




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[arnok9010]

From the app. Haven't downloaded yet.


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[Lucone]

I'm very comfortable in winds/gusts up to 10 MPH. Anything more and I'll be relatively cautious. I'm not flying at all in 20+ MPH. I think you'll realize that these are very capable birds though. You'll grow in confidence with time! One thing to double check is flying in a national park. Not sure if that could be illegal where you are. Happy droning!


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[Meta4]

So finally took my P4 out to get some awesome shots at the national park. Problem was every time a gust of wind hit it and the motors revved I'd panic and bring it back. Considering I was standing on a rocky outpost and there was a cliff going down at least 300 feet you may understand my reluctance. Basically am I being over cautious ? Or is a soft breeze nothing to worry about even though the drone revs really hard.

You're probably being over-cautious.
The Phantom is very capable and handles more wind than you would imagine.
If you have a gusty updraft on a cliff edge, the Phantom has to work harder because although it can make 15 metres/sec horizontally, it is limited vertically to 5 m/sec up and 3 m/sec down.
If the updraft gets faster than 5m/sec, the Phantom can't hold vertical position properly and will be working harder attempting to.

 

[arnok9010]

I made a request to get the pics in the park (they haven't answered yet but still didn't say no !!). I've spent 20 years with RC planes and helos but this is by far the most expensive and most advanced device I've had. And the thought of watching it plummet 300 feet down. Kinda worries me. Haha


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[Kirby Johnson]

Caution is your friend. To get a feel of it, hover it shoulder height in your yard. Then without using the remote control, walk up, grab a leg and start 'dragging' it across your yard. You can do it but your pet will be talking s**t the whole way, and as soon as you release it it will indignantly scurry back to where it KNOWS it was supposed to be. I have done that many times, dragging it 10 or 12 feet and letting it run back as a demo for my friends and neighbors. And you will hear and feel firsthand what it sounds like when it is in the angry bee mode.

 

[Meta4]

I made a request to get the pics in the park (they haven't answered yet but still didn't say no !!).

Looks like that's up in the Blue Mountains.
Here's the NSW National Parks webpage relating to drone use: Drones in Parks Policy | NSW Environment & Heritage

 

[Brockrock]

"Angry Bee Mode". I love it! That's exactly what it is. Wind should be avoided. Can it handle it? Yes. Is it a stressor that limits lifespan? Yes. Avoid it.

 

[arnok9010]

Looks like that's up in the Blue Mountains.
Here's the NSW National Parks webpage relating to drone use: Drones in Parks Policy | NSW Environment & Heritage

Correct... its on the outer fringes up the north western side of the park at Walls Lookout. Very close to the edge so not sure if its in the park or not. I did speak to national parks and NSW Environment & Parks prior to going and whilst the 3 sisters, Wentworth Falls etc was a definite no go (I put in a written request regardless which they are still assessing) they weren't too fussed about the outlying areas that required a reasonable walk to get to. Pretty much one of those scenarios where if no one is going to be bothered they didn't see too much harm but don't expect them to fetch it if it gets lost.

 

[John Locke]

So finally took my P4 out to get some awesome shots at the national park. Problem was every time a gust of wind hit it and the motors revved I'd panic and bring it back. Considering I was standing on a rocky outpost and there was a cliff going down at least 300 feet you may understand my reluctance. Basically am I being over cautious ? Or is a soft breeze nothing to worry about even though the drone revs really hard.

A soft breeze (less than 10mph) is nothing to worry about while flying. My limit is 25mph winds. I will test the winds at altitude by letting it float away in ATTI mode, no stick input. About 20 seconds is enough time to measure the speed, but while looking at the speed indicator in GO during the ATTI float, when it stops accelerating, that's your wind speed. If you get into a bad wind, fly as low as you feel comfortable to minimize the wind effect on your craft, and then go home asap, if it's possible.

By the way, if you do get into a windy scenario, this is your opportunity to fly upwind and then make a fast pass flying downwind......to set a personal speed record. Breaking 60 is the goal.

In windy conditions it may be impossible to safely land the craft, forcing you into a hand catch. So you need to be comfortable hand catching if you get into a 15+ mph wind scenario, otherwise don't launch. If you have a upwind natural windblock, such as a building or a cliff, you may be OK to land on the ground. When landing in 15+mph winds, sometimes even 10mph, the craft has a tendency to tip over when landing on the ground, breaking props. Taking off in a wind can do this too, so I try to launch downwind of a structure that will block the wind. If a windblock isn't available, I will hand launch, which can be dicey if you don't have a helper to help do the hand launch. It is possible to hand launch by yourself, but you need a harness to hold the RC in order to facilitate one handed motor activation.

 

[Darren Roach]

The phantom will be fine in wind as long as gps "P mode" is engaged. If there is two of you you could launch it in the air an retrieve it again in the air thus not worrying about a landing where it may tip over with a gust of wind