KP- Index number

[facasi]

Hello friends,

I was wondering if KP Index value is an important data to consider before flying. So far I understand that is related to the disturbances in the earth magnetic field and satellites locks.

Do you take this in consideration since "lower then better".

Thanks

 

[msinger]

It doesn't affect most people. Check out these search results to find existing threads on this topic.

 

[gnirtS]

Its not important on the mavic scale of things at all, especially if you dont live at the north pole.

 

[W7GMC]

Hello friends,

I was wondering if KP Index value is an important data to consider before flying. So far I understand that is related to the disturbances in the earth magnetic field and satellites locks.

Do you take this in consideration since "lower then better".

Thanks

The higher the Kp index, the greater affect on GPS signals. A strong coronal mass ejection can strongly interfere with GPS signals, induce high voltage in power lines and cause power failures.

 

[W7GMC]

It doesn't affect most people. Check out these search results to find existing threads on this topic.

What Is the Kp Index and Why Does It Matter to Drone Pilots?

What is the Kp Index and how does it impact drone operations? Exploring geomagnetic activity and its impact on GNSS/GPS guided drone flights.

www.droneacademy.com

 

[Meta4]

The higher the Kp index, the greater affect on GPS signals. A strong coronal mass ejection can strongly interfere with GPS signals, induce high voltage in power lines and cause power failures.

Despite hundreds of thousands of drones flying all around the world, there still hasn't been a single incident that could be attributed to the much-hyped high Kp index.
The kind of errors it might actually cause in GPS accuracy are within the (commonly) 1.5-2 metre error that's inherrent in consumer GPS already.

It's easy to find articles and forum posts suggesting that flying in a high Kp index is or might be a problem.
It's harder to find anything authoritative that shows exactly what this problem might be.
Here's a scientific paper that does:

Assessing the Performance of GPS Precise Point Positioning Under Different Geomagnetic Storm Conditions during Solar Cycle 24

The geomagnetic storm, which is an abnormal space weather phenomenon, can sometimes severely affect GPS signal propagation, thereby impacting the performance of GPS precise point positioning (PPP). However, the investigation of GPS PPP accuracy over the ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Just skip to the conclusions for the information.