Another warning about wind...

[brilock1]

If you do have to land some distance away dont turn your transmitter off! The drone may take of again and try to return to home (lost signal). This has happened on a post on here and the Mavic was lost!

 

[51 Drones]

One word: Switchback. Zig zag to get back against a wind like that. I had a similar situation flying over a lake. It was a 20mph onthe ground, so who knows what it was at 200ft. My Mavic stalled flying directly into the wind. I zig zagged and got it home just before the low battery kicked in.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

One word: Switchback. Zig zag to get back against a wind like that. I had a similar situation flying over a lake. It was a 20mph onthe ground, so who knows what it was at 200ft. My Mavic stalled flying directly into the wind. I zig zagged and got it home just before the low battery kicked in.

That's just contrary to physics and common sense. If Mavic is zigzaging, it still has to have the same component along the wind line to penetrate the wind, plus the component sideways. Think about walking against a level travelator in airport - if you walk as fast as possible and still making no progress, zigzaging will make it only worse and you'll be pushed backwards.

 

[51 Drones]

That's just contrary to physics and common sense. If Mavic is zigzaging, it still has to have the same component along the wind line to penetrate the wind, plus the component sideways. Think about walking against a level travelator in airport - if you walk as fast as possible and still making no progress, zigzaging will make it only worse and you'll be pushed backwards.

Maybe so, but it worked. Don't know what else to tell ya man.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Maybe so, but it worked. Don't know what else to tell ya man.

Maybe, it stalled in that direction because of OA in sun glare, and not because windspeed was equal to Mavic's max airspeed in selected mode? Was OA on?

 

[51 Drones]

Yes it was on, and I know what happens when braking occurs against the sun. I have 100 flight hours. It didnt brake, it went 0mph at full throttle, so I zig zagged, and was able to travel between 4 and 6mph. Took longer, but better than zero. Tonight I ran a test against the wind, and turned off OA as suggested by many in this forum and gained about 9mph, so yes, it is the best way. Thanks.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Yes it was on, and I know what happens when braking occurs against the sun. I have 100 flight hours. It didnt brake, it went 0mph at full throttle, so I zig zagged, and was able to travel between 4 and 6mph. Took longer, but better than zero. Tonight I ran a test against the wind, and turned off OA as suggested by many in this forum and gained about 9mph, so yes, it is the best way. Thanks.

By zigzagging, do you mean turning the nose at an angle and flying forward at a new heading, or keeping heading into the wind, but applying both forward and sideway sticks? If the latter, it may explain the apparent violation of physics, as it's possible that when Mavic is both pitched and rolled at the same time, it can achieve more airspeed.

 

[Gonchys]

i had a similar issue the other night. i flew right at sunset. went out with the wind about 3000' from my house and then hit RTH. it just hovered for a minute. then i canceled it and flew it back a bit manually. then i hit RTH again (my hands were cold and i didn't bring gloves ) and it made no progress once again. so i flipped it into sport mode and came back myself. the winds were probably 20-25mph at 200'. but it also could have been me trying to fly back into the sun. so maybe obstacle avoidance kicked in or something. i don't remember seeing a warning but who knows.

sup, just wondering, How did you do to fly at night? you don't suppose to.also right at sunset.What was your flight plan?

 

[Porto]

By zigzagging, do you mean turning the nose at an angle and flying forward at a new heading, or keeping heading into the wind, but applying both forward and sideway sticks? If the latter, it may explain the apparent violation of physics, as it's possible that when Mavic is both pitched and rolled at the same time, it can achieve more airspeed.

You fly in a direction that is not head on against the wind, but still getting closer to your home point, then you change to a direction that will still make you closer to your HP but also not head on against the wind. To simplify, think of it this way as an example: fly 500m at 45 deg, then 500m at 135 deg. You will not be 1000m closer to your HP, but already closer, especially if you are making a very slow progress going head on.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

You fly in a direction that is not head on against the wind, but still getting closer to your home point, then you change to a direction that will still make you closer to your HP but also not head on against the wind. To simplify, think of it this way as an example: fly 500m at 45 deg, then 500m at 135 deg. You will not be 1000m closer to your HP, but already closer, especially if you are making a very slow progress going head on.

Sorry, I don't understand. Are we talking about Mavic being directly downwind from the home point? Or line home-Mavic is at an angle to the windline?

 

[Porto]

Sorry, I don't understand. Are we talking about Mavic being directly downwind from the home point? Or line home-Mavic is at an angle to the windline?

I have to admit I am rather bad in explaining things

May be this hand drawing can explain it better

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

I have to admit I am rather bad in explaining things

May be this hand drawing can explain it better

View attachment 26046

Ok. This is the same picture I had in mind. So, suppose the wind is 20mph and Mavic's max airspeed in given configuration is also 20mph (it's actually 22 with OA enabled, but let's take 20 as a round number). If you try to fly it directly against the wind, the groundspeed will be 0. No good. If you point its nose at 45 degrees to the wind, its velocity component against the wind will be only 20*cos(45) = 14mph, so it will be pushed back at 6mph in wind direction, while also moving 20*sin(45) = 14mph laterally. It'll never reach home!

The only mechanism I see on how it can penetrate the wind as it actually tilts sideways (i.e. rolls) and increases the power, all to maintain moving at the same course of 45 degrees on the ground as the 45 degree heading of the nose. In other words, airplane's heading and course are not the same when in sidewind; but Mavic tries to maintain both the same by actively adjusting thrust on 4 props to satisfy its Supreme Commander, which results in airspeed actually greater than the default 20mph and penetrate the wind.

 

[Porto]

Ok. This is the same picture I had in mind. So, suppose the wind is 20mph and Mavic's max airspeed in given configuration is also 20mph (it's actually 22 with OA enabled, but let's take 20 as a round number). If you try to fly it directly against the wind, the groundspeed will be 0. No good. If you point its nose at 45 degrees to the wind, its velocity component against the wind will be only 20*cos(45) = 14mph, so it will be pushed back at 6mph in wind direction, while also moving 20*sin(45) = 14mph laterally. It'll never reach home!

The only mechanism I see on how it can penetrate the wind as it actually tilts sideways (i.e. rolls) and increases the power, all to maintain moving at the same course of 45 degrees on the ground as the 45 degree heading of the nose. In other words, airplane's heading and course are not the same when in sidewind; but Mavic tries to maintain both the same by actively adjusting thrust on 4 props to satisfy its Supreme Commander, which results in airspeed actually greater than the default 20mph and penetrate the wind.

TBH, I also thought it wouldn't work, but somehow it does. Granted, I've never flown it in 60mph wind and very likely won't even try!

I read something about this method before and decided to try it on several occasions. The forward speed when cutting sideways against the wind was higher than when head on and I could reach HP that way. Indeed the wind wasn't too strong that I couldn't move forward if I flew head on though.

I think the most important is always to remember rule #1: not to fly too far when the wind is very strong.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

TBH, I also thought it wouldn't work, but somehow it does. Granted, I've never flown it in 60mph wind and very likely won't even try!

I read something about this method before and decided to try it on several occasions. The forward speed when cutting sideways against the wind was higher than when head on and I could reach HP that way. Indeed the wind wasn't too strong that I couldn't move forward if I flew head on though.

I think the most important is always to remember rule #1: not to fly too far when the wind is very strong.

Thanks, Porto and 51 Drones, I gotta try this myself! Who would have thought!

 

[jetyancey]

Also, if nobody mentioned it. IF you have to force land, tap the landing icon. Not the left stick down.. a guy on youtube was getting low on batt and emergency landed (left stick down) then got in his car to go find it. Well, lost signal, took off to try and make “Home” with little battery, never saw it again. ~Careful flying folks.

 

[Porto]

Also, if nobody mentioned it. IF you have to force land, tap the landing icon. Not the left stick down.. a guy on youtube was getting low on batt and emergency landed (left stick down) then got in his car to go find it. Well, lost signal, took off to try and make “Home” with little battery, never saw it again. ~Careful flying folks.

I did mention it in post #18. I even wrote it in bold

 

[TerryJ]

I dont fly in winds above 15 mph. My goal is smooth awesome video and I see no point to recording video if the conditions are not right for that.
Kind of like the distance flights people do. Its an unnecessary risk that doesn't make any sense to me. Why take a risk for something pointless? Because your curious? I'm a very conservative person by nature. I won't take risks unless there is a **** good purpose for taking the risk. To date I've had my mavic for 6 months. 1100 ft away is my farthest flight so far. I also like being responsible and following the laws regarding drone flying. It won't be me who does something idiotic with my drone that ends up ruining it for everybody. There's already way to many idiots who will do that for us. You know, the same idiots who modify the software so they can break the law anytime they want to and screw it up for everybody. Some of those people are on this site daily. Can you digdat, O i bet you can!!

 

[wytnyt]

I dont fly in winds above 15 mph. My goal is smooth awesome video and I see no point to recording video if the conditions are not right for that.
Kind of like the distance flights people do. Its an unnecessary risk that doesn't make any sense to me. Why take a risk for something pointless? Because your curious? I'm a very conservative person by nature. I won't take risks unless there is a **** good purpose for taking the risk. To date I've had my mavic for 6 months. 1100 ft away is my farthest flight so far. I also like being responsible and following the laws regarding drone flying. It won't be me who does something idiotic with my drone that ends up ruining it for everybody. There's already way to many idiots who will do that for us. You know, the same idiots who modify the software so they can break the law anytime they want to and screw it up for everybody. Some of those people are on this site daily. Can you digdat, O i bet you can!!

you flying 1100 ft away puts you in the same category as those you criticize as taking risks with long flights and unnecessary risks and you cant really say your following LOS rules at 1100 feet.
we all will seem to bend the rules to tailor to our own needs,just saying.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Why take a risk for something pointless?

"One man's junk is another man's treasure."

 

[51 Drones]

Ok, so I had to try this. Credit goes to all of you guys for mentioning that you could simply turn off OA to gain more speed in a headwind. Keep in mind this is not a scientific study (as all of mine aren't!) and the wind wasn't more than 15mph, but I did learn something, so thank you. The last tip in this video. . . .