How to Judge Winds Quickly with your Drone !

[Phantomrain.org]

Since we fly mainly in Extreme Weather Conditions were in heavy winds more than most.

Here is a good way to determine very quickly if your drone can negotiate the winds .without an app.

If your drone can hold its Hover Position within 1 ft on either side of its position your in winds less than 10 Mph
2 ft of either side your in roughly 15 mph wind gusts.
3 ft your in 20 to 25 mph winds .
4 to 5 ft your in 30 mph winds of better. Although you can negotiate those winds , there can be risks of damage to the camera and the ribbon cable ..

Once you have judged the wind speed to be 15/20 mph or better keep your flights low if possible under 200 ft .

Here is an example of 20 mph winds as you watch the drone struggle to maintain 2 ft moving closer to 3ft away from its original Hover Position.

Video shows what happens when the drone meets 30 mph winds starts at 3:00 and threatens to tear the gimbal ribbon as the camera takes the full force of the winds at the open sea.

Those of us that have experience in flying in the wind can many times use the wind to our advantage such in this video where
Zeus is able to comeback from his test flight with only 39% battery, its an extraordinary level of understanding wind speed and knowing his drone. . ( note spotters were all around )

Winds are a Constant for every drone pilot and they need to be Negotiated on every flight
If you only fly on days when its 5 mph winds , your cheating yourself out of your hobby and some incredible drone flights.

Here is a good way to practice and prepare for what happens in the wind. Do this with each drone you own.
Choose a day with Consistent Winds and hover your Drone in Place so you can watch its every move.

Determine quickly how far is the Drone Moving from it hover Position . 1ft - 2ft - 3ft or more. 5ft and your passing the drones limits. Mark actual wind speed so you check yourself.
Notice the Tilt of the Drone and how it maintains that form but the gimbal holds the Horizon true.
Watch the Lights and look for the Green lights letting you know your good...
Slowly turn the drone into the wind and around in a circle slowly and watch how the camera responds or flips or turn or pushes up/down
These events can really throw a new pilot into a Panic so be aware that the Camera can mess up , the drone can tilt and drift away but the drone is fine.

The goal is to gain confidence in your drone and be able to fly more.

Snow is coming , and with it some incredible opportunity to have fun.
Judge the winds , and Get a Wet Suit to Protect your drone and the battery and Enjoy the Snow Covered world.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 in the Rain/Snow and Float on Water.

 

[zeusfl]

This is a nice opportunity to demonstrate the drone ability to fly in to extreme weather conditions and how to understand the difference from fly in normal conditions.

Something you can do as well to understand how the drone is fighting the wind is temporary move the drone to FPV mode, this will allow you to see the drone corrections when the camera is not in level and you can understand where is coming from the wind in your fly path.

Flying in rain or bad weather open the opportunity to record or take nice pictures of storms, lightings and nature from other perspective that usually people does not use to it because the weather conditions. To do this you need to gear up your drone with a Wet Suit and understand how to fly under those conditions. Probably this is something that is not for everybody specially not recommended for beginners in my opinions. Learn the skills is easy following training videos like this ones and as more you fly and learn your drone the most you will enjoy this hobby.

Thanks for sharing this nice videos.

 

[boblui]

On the GO app there is the attitude indicator so it's easy to judge the wind speed and direction at the drone's flying altitude.

For drones using the FLY app, the indicator is not available and there has been suggestion to check the amount of tilting of the front leg by paning the camera all the way to one side. I have not tried it because I do not have the Mini or Air 2 but I think it makes sense.

 

[zeusfl]

On the GO app there is the attitude indicator so it's easy to judge the wind speed and direction at the drone's flying altitude.

For drones using the FLY app, the indicator is not available and there has been suggestion to check the amount of tilting of the front leg by paning the camera all the way to one side. I have not tried it because I do not have the Mini or Air 2 but I think it makes sense.

By switching to FPV mode does the work as well.

 

[bkushner]

Since we fly mainly in Extreme Weather Conditions were in heavy winds more than most.

Here is a good way to determine very quickly if your drone can negotiate the winds .without an app.

If your drone can hold its Hover Position within 1 ft on either side of its position your in winds less than 10 Mph
2 ft of either side your in roughly 15 mph wind gusts.
3 ft your in 20 to 25 mph winds .
4 to 5 ft your in 30 mph winds of better. Although you can negotiate those winds , there can be risks of damage to the camera and the ribbon cable ..

Once you have judged the wind speed to be 15/20 mph or better keep your flights low if possible under 200 ft .

Here is an example of 20 mph winds as you watch the drone struggle to maintain 2 ft moving closer to 3ft away from its original Hover Position.

Video shows what happens when the drone meets 30 mph winds starts at 3:00 and threatens to tear the gimbal ribbon as the camera takes the full force of the winds at the open sea.

Those of us that have experience in flying in the wind can many times use the wind to our advantage such in this video where
Zeus is able to comeback from his test flight with only 39% battery, its an extraordinary level of understanding wind speed and knowing his drone. . ( note spotters were all around )

Winds are a Constant for every drone pilot and they need to be Negotiated on every flight
If you only fly on days when its 5 mph winds , your cheating yourself out of your hobby and some incredible drone flights.

Here is a good way to practice and prepare for what happens in the wind. Do this with each drone you own.
Choose a day with Consistent Winds and hover your Drone in Place so you can watch its every move.

Determine quickly how far is the Drone Moving from it hover Position . 1ft - 2ft - 3ft or more. 5ft and your passing the drones limits. Mark actual wind speed so you check yourself.
Notice the Tilt of the Drone and how it maintains that form but the gimbal holds the Horizon true.
Watch the Lights and look for the Green lights letting you know your good...
Slowly turn the drone into the wind and around in a circle slowly and watch how the camera responds or flips or turn or pushes up/down
These events can really throw a new pilot into a Panic so be aware that the Camera can mess up , the drone can tilt and drift away but the drone is fine.

The goal is to gain confidence in your drone and be able to fly more.

Snow is coming , and with it some incredible opportunity to have fun.
Judge the winds , and Get a Wet Suit to Protect your drone and the battery and Enjoy the Snow Covered world.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 in the Rain/Snow and Float on Water.

The best way used to be ATTI mode...

 

[GadgetGuy]

Since we fly mainly in Extreme Weather Conditions were in heavy winds more than most.

Here is a good way to determine very quickly if your drone can negotiate the winds .without an app.

If your drone can hold its Hover Position within 1 ft on either side of its position your in winds less than 10 Mph
2 ft of either side your in roughly 15 mph wind gusts.
3 ft your in 20 to 25 mph winds .
4 to 5 ft your in 30 mph winds of better. Although you can negotiate those winds , there can be risks of damage to the camera and the ribbon cable ..

Once you have judged the wind speed to be 15/20 mph or better keep your flights low if possible under 200 ft .

Here is an example of 20 mph winds as you watch the drone struggle to maintain 2 ft moving closer to 3ft away from its original Hover Position.

Video shows what happens when the drone meets 30 mph winds starts at 3:00 and threatens to tear the gimbal ribbon as the camera takes the full force of the winds at the open sea.

Those of us that have experience in flying in the wind can many times use the wind to our advantage such in this video where
Zeus is able to comeback from his test flight with only 39% battery, its an extraordinary level of understanding wind speed and knowing his drone. . ( note spotters were all around )

Winds are a Constant for every drone pilot and they need to be Negotiated on every flight
If you only fly on days when its 5 mph winds , your cheating yourself out of your hobby and some incredible drone flights.

Here is a good way to practice and prepare for what happens in the wind. Do this with each drone you own.
Choose a day with Consistent Winds and hover your Drone in Place so you can watch its every move.

Determine quickly how far is the Drone Moving from it hover Position . 1ft - 2ft - 3ft or more. 5ft and your passing the drones limits. Mark actual wind speed so you check yourself.
Notice the Tilt of the Drone and how it maintains that form but the gimbal holds the Horizon true.
Watch the Lights and look for the Green lights letting you know your good...
Slowly turn the drone into the wind and around in a circle slowly and watch how the camera responds or flips or turn or pushes up/down
These events can really throw a new pilot into a Panic so be aware that the Camera can mess up , the drone can tilt and drift away but the drone is fine.

The goal is to gain confidence in your drone and be able to fly more.

Snow is coming , and with it some incredible opportunity to have fun.
Judge the winds , and Get a Wet Suit to Protect your drone and the battery and Enjoy the Snow Covered world.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 in the Rain/Snow and Float on Water.

Only thing missing from this approach is that the wind at altitude and away from your launch point may be significantly stronger than while hovering in front of yourself. Just take that into consideration.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

Having spent around $NZ2200 on the Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo plus some extra accessories and run it off a new iPhone 11 Pro, I have absolutely zero intention or interest in poking it up in a torrential downpour with a high chance of a blow away, also! Similarly any of my other expensive Nikon and Sony camera gear. And if I owned a Ferrari, it would not be doing spins along a salty beach flat ........ ?????????? I will just sit back and enjoy seeing somebody else’s hurricane weather shots!

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

Having spent around $NZ2200 on the Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo plus some extra accessories and run it off a new iPhone 11 Pro, I have absolutely zero intention or interest in poking it up in a torrential downpour with a high chance of a blow away, also! Similarly any of my other expensive Nikon and Sony camera gear. And if I owned a Ferrari, it would not be doing spins along a salty beach flat ........ ?????????? I will just sit back and enjoy seeing somebody else’s hurricane weather shots! And watch them shorten the life of their drone.

 

[Lets Fly]

Having spent around $NZ2200 on the Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo plus some extra accessories and run it off a new iPhone 11 Pro, I have absolutely zero intention or interest in poking it up in a torrential downpour with a high chance of a blow away, also! Similarly any of my other expensive Nikon and Sony camera gear. And if I owned a Ferrari, it would not be doing spins along a salty beach flat ........ ?????????? I will just sit back and enjoy seeing somebody else’s hurricane weather shots!

I agree completely. Most if not all of us would not and should not fly in these conditions. This is of course another commercial for wet suits and flotation attachments.
Thats fine if the forum allows it, but we see these same videos constantly.

 

[zeusfl]

I can speak for myself.
Flying in Florida, you can take off and go a little bit far and in 10 minutes you have a storm on top of you and get the drone wet on the way back. This happened to me twice having no signal of rain. That's why I got the product. But I agree with you when you want to avoid fly under those conditions unless you really need in purpose to take pictures or videos.

 

[Tony McDrone]

We got ran this past weekend for the first time since April. The first thing I did was look at buying a rain suit...then I came to my senses. We get rain only a few times a year, so no real need for a wetsuit. But they sure do look great flying in torrential rains though!

 

[zeusfl]

We got ran this past weekend for the first time since April. The first thing I did was look at buying a rain suit...then I came to my senses. We get rain only a few times a year, so no real need for a wetsuit. But they sure do look great flying in torrential rains though!

You are in California. Probably is not for you. Is like I say before. Is not for everybody unless you travel or want to record on the coast over the ocean close to the water. For me is a cool-looking + Protection.

I will like to make a video going back to the topic of how to handle wind or extreme weather conditions and learn how to fly safely. The wetsuit is not the main topic, I guess @Phantomrain.org has tons of experience flying under windy or bad weather conditions and we can learn a lot from him and we have a lot of experienced pilots that can apport and share experiences to help beginners or even experienced pilots to be better pilots.

 

[Tony McDrone]

If I lived in Northern California I would have a great need for the wetsuit. They get rain and snow year round. I do fly my drone above the beach, but seldom go out over the ocean. I would like to take photos as storms are approaching, the lightning strikes specifically. I am aware that there is a lot of persistence and luck involved with this type of photography.

 

[droncek]

It is very simple.

Mavic Air 2 max speed is 68 km/h.

Just fly forward with full speed. If it flies 58 km/h this meens you have 10 km/h contra wind. Try this in all directions and you get exact wind speed and wind direction on desired altitude.

 

[zeusfl]

It is very simple.

Mavic Air 2 max speed is 68 km/h.

Just fly forward with full speed. If it flies 58 km/h this meens you have 10 km/h contra wind. Try this in all directions and you get exact wind speed and wind direction on desired altitude.

This can be helpful but not 100% accurate. The drone can still archive the top speed having headwinds since is able to add additional power to archive the top speed, of course, there is a limit. But having 15-20 mph winds or more wind your strategy works.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

If I lived in Northern California I would have a great need for the wetsuit. They get rain and snow year round. I do fly my drone above the beach, but seldom go out over the ocean. I would like to take photos as storms are approaching, the lightning strikes specifically. I am aware that there is a lot of persistence and luck involved with this type of photography.

Thanks for your interest Tony
we do offer the Forum Member a nice discount on the Wet Suit Package
so email me at [email protected]

 

[boblui]

It is very simple.

Mavic Air 2 max speed is 68 km/h.

Just fly forward with full speed. If it flies 58 km/h this meens you have 10 km/h contra wind. Try this in all directions and you get exact wind speed and wind direction on desired altitude.

I am afraid it does not work that way.

I tested my M2P a few days ago in P mode. The maximum speed of the craft as stated in the spec and seen in actual flying is 50 km/hr in P mode. In the test there was a direct head wind of 25 km/hr. The ground speed was found to be 42 km/hr instead of 50 - 25 = 25 km/hr.

The craft has a limit on the maximum ground speed and the tilt angle. The craft will stop accelerating further if any of these limits is reached. For M2P, the limits are respectively 50 km/hr and 25 degrees in P mode. If there is no wind, the speed limit will be reached first at a pitch angle of about 18 degrees. If there is a head wind, the craft will increase the pitch angle to maintain the speed until the tilting limit of 25 degrees is reached. Only after that will the craft's speed start to reduce. From relevant flight logs I have seen, the Air 2 works the same way although the values of the limits are different.

 

[zeusfl]

I am afraid it does not work that way.

I tested my M2P a few days ago in P mode. The maximum speed of the craft as stated in the spec and seen in actual flying is 50 km/hr in P mode. In the test there was a direct head wind of 25 km/hr. The ground speed was found to be 42 km/hr instead of 50 - 25 = 25 km/hr.

The craft has a limit on the maximum ground speed and the tilt angle. The craft will stop accelerating further if any of these limits is reached. For M2P, the limits are respectively 50 km/hr and 25 degrees in P mode. If there is no wind, the max. speed will be reached first at a pitch angle of about 18 degrees. If there is a head wind, the craft will increase the pitch angle to maintain the speed until the tilting limit of 25 degrees is reached. Only after that will the craft's speed start to reduce. From relevant flight logs I have seen, the Air 2 works the same way although the values of the limits are different.

View attachment 116879

That is correct. The aircraft will stop adding power once reach the max speed on the mode or ingress the power to reached unless the wind is stronger than the max power the aircraft will apply to keep up, then the speed will be reduced.

 

[itsneedtokno]

If I lived in Northern California I would have a great need for the wetsuit. They get rain and snow year round. I do fly my drone above the beach, but seldom go out over the ocean. I would like to take photos as storms are approaching, the lightning strikes specifically. I am aware that there is a lot of persistence and luck involved with this type of photography.

Something like that? lol

I love FL for very few reasons. Thunderstorms are up top.

 

[kidroc]

This is a nice opportunity to demonstrate the drone ability to fly in to extreme weather conditions and how to understand the difference from fly in normal conditions.

Something you can do as well to understand how the drone is fighting the wind is temporary move the drone to FPV mode, this will allow you to see the drone corrections when the camera is not in level and you can understand where is coming from the wind in your fly path.
I really hope DJI put the same wind indicator that the go app has I liked have that as an aid.

Flying in rain or bad weather open the opportunity to record or take nice pictures of storms, lightings and nature from other perspective that usually people does not use to it because the weather conditions. To do this you need to gear up your drone with a Wet Suit and understand how to fly under those conditions. Probably this is something that is not for everybody specially not recommended for beginners in my opinions. Learn the skills is easy following training videos like this ones and as more you fly and learn your drone the most you will enjoy this hobby.

Thanks for sharing this nice videos.