Wind Speed

[Dave Walters]

Afternoon all: Just wondering what the safest wind speed to fly in is? Is there a stat on this or anyone have experience?

I avoid flying in the wind and always wait for a very calm day but would like to know the safe limits.

 

[GMack]

I had a bad experience with a fly-away once with a regular RC helicopter. Wind above treeline was too much and it flew away like a kite and dropped like a rock once out of RC range onto someone's patio roof and bounced onto their pool deck and was destroyed. They seem more prone to that stuff than the drone though.

Autologic's Autopilot has this in orange:
"! Warning: Use caution while operating Autopilot in wind conditions over 10 mph / 15 kph. Operation above 15 mph / 25 kph is not recommended."

I have one of those old Dwyer wind speed indicators with the little rising ball that has a 2-10 MPH scale and another scale next to it going up to 60 MPH. Works pretty well and I follow the 10 MPH side and can see the gusts as well. No batteries either so I leave it in the case, and it must be 40 years old now too and still working. They are still in business with the same model (~$30) and some newer electronic ones.

 

[Meta4]

Afternoon all: Just wondering what the safest wind speed to fly in is? Is there a stat on this or anyone have experience?
I avoid flying in the wind and always wait for a very calm day but would like to know the safe limits.

Your Phantom is very capable in the wind as well as calm conditions.
It can easily hold position in 20 knot winds.
You just have to be careful landing and taking off in gusty conditions and be aware that flying away downwind may make things difficult for the return trip.

 

[Dave Walters]

Wow, quite surprised by that. I live near the coast in the UK and I really want to do some flying over the water but it's always felt a little too windy.. maybe 18 mph or so from the weather app I use... I guess common sense in the main thing but good to know, thanks for the advice

 

[RodPad]

Wow, quite surprised by that. I live near the coast in the UK and I really want to do some flying over the water but it's always felt a little too windy.. maybe 18 mph or so from the weather app I use... I guess common sense in the main thing but good to know, thanks for the advice

Go up to the elevation your going to fly at, above any obstacles of coarse, flip the switch to Atti, and watch which way it goes and how fast.

I was flying 150' up, and flying over a valley, trying to look at my neighbor hood (area). My wife looking at the Ipad trying to figure out what houses we were viewing, I think about 12 mins had a low battery warning, it didn't make it back. It went in to critical landing, it powered off 75' below the take of elevation point and dropped 225' to the ground. Was not a pretty sight.

Flying in GPS mode, hovering a lot and trying to figure out what we were looking, neither one of us was paying attention to the battery. I have moved my low battery warning up 10% since then, a duh for me.

Rod

 

[Pharm]

...Just wondering what the safest wind speed to fly in is?...

The manual (p. 37) says 10m/s (22.36 mph) is the max "safe" wind speed.

"1. DO NOT use the aircraft in...wind speeds exceeding 10 m/s."

The manual:
https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/pha...antom_3_Standard_User_Manual_v1.4_en_0112.pdf

 

[RottweilerluvNZ]

Hi guys, cherry here, first message! - on the handbook I got here it says up to 30km winds? not that I would try that!!!

Have had out on some windy days though, probably only blowing 10 - 15kms though, holds well.

 

[RodPad]

Hi guys, cherry here, first message! - on the handbook I got here it says up to 30km winds? not that I would try that!!!

Have had out on some windy days though, probably only blowing 10 - 15kms though, holds well.

Welcome to the forum!

I flew once when it was windy at my house, I went in to the wind West which is usually the wind direction, I live in the Pacific North Winds (Windsurf capital of the world). It blew past me on a RTH, I was just playing around for few minutes anyway, took it up just to see, it had lots of battery, it made it back with no problem, but every time a big gust hit it it pushed to the east some, when it got closer to me the wind was weaker, sure fun to watch and hear the four prop Buzzard make its way back.

Wow what a cool name, I will have to add that to...
What have you named your drone?

@RottweilerluvNZ, here some more useless stuff I can share,
http://www.phantompilots.com/search/16463141/?q=what+have+you+named&o=relevance


Anyways, the day I failed on RTH, I should have been watching the battery, canceled the RTH which it raised up another 50'. Brought down to about 50' and headed toward me full speed. Because RTH being slower than full speed ahead.

Easy to say now, after you have thought about it 6 weeks what you did wrong.


Rod

 

[RottweilerluvNZ]

Welcome to the forum!

I flew once when it was windy at my house, I went in to the wind West which is usually the wind direction, I live in the Pacific North Winds (Windsurf capital of the world). It blew past me on a RTH, I was just playing around for few minutes anyway, took it up just to see, it had lots of battery, it made it back with no problem, but every time a big gust hit it it pushed to the east some, when it got closer to me the wind was weaker, sure fun to watch and hear the four prop Buzzard make its way back.

Wow what a cool name, I will have to add that to...
What have you named your drone?

@RottweilerluvNZ, here some more useless stuff I can share,
http://www.phantompilots.com/search/16463141/?q=what+have+you+named&o=relevance


Anyways, the day I failed on RTH, I should have been watching the battery, canceled the RTH which it raised up another 50'. Brought down to about 50' and headed toward me full speed. Because RTH being slower than full speed ahead.

Easy to say now, after you have thought about it 6 weeks what you did wrong.


Rod

Hey thanks for that!

My name is my gamertag on Xbox, PS4, Youtube, and other forums - big Titanfall player representing little old NZ!!! so I keep it real and maintain the same nickname around the place which is cool I run into other people from the Xbox community all the time, so that's where it mainly comes from.

I actually have Rottweilers though!! yes!, 3 of them. And grew up with the breed, so it's well fitting!.

I found my Phantom to be pretty awesome in the wind. But I could tell it was cheeky if you tried to fly it around things like buildings and what not, probably a recipe for disaster!. It is truly an amazing gadget though in how it works and I am really enjoying it.

Just about to embark on some fishing missions with it soon, have the line drop attachment on the way looking forward to that.

Trying to fly everyday weather permitting.

Heres a vid I made with 2 of my 3 pups, quite hard case!! -

Thanks for the links, I'm heading there now!!!

Matt.

 

[RodPad]

Wow, that keep in shape, and help the sleep at night.

Gave me the thought of the dog chasing the rabbit.

Rod