Mavic air wind limits

[Semiolia1]

Hey guys! What’s the max gusts at 500 ft altitude for you to not fly ? I’m just cautious. Your feedback would be appreciated

 

[Travisimo]

Mavic Air is rated to fly in winds up to 22 mph. It will be okay a little stronger than that but it’s not advisable. Wind speeds increase considerably as you gain altitude, so check with an app or weather site to check wind speeds at various altitudes.

 

[Drone Master]

Here is a interesting wind tool to have.
Direction and ground speeds in real time.
earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions

 

[Spidy Air Man]

Hey guys! What’s the max gusts at 500 ft altitude for you to not fly ? I’m just cautious. Your feedback would be appreciated

I hope you were in unrestricted flight zone, cuz you’re over the 400 ft level.

 

[Defiante]

I hope you were in unrestricted flight zone, cuz you’re over the 400 ft level.

Not in all countries

 

[Prismatic]

To your question about wind: a couple of weeks ago, I flew my Mavic Air in winds of 25mph (11m/s) gusting badly to 30mph (13m/s) or more. Local terrain was treeless and otherwise clear of obstructions, and I was miles from any EM source. I had 17 to 19 GPS contacts at all times, and an against-a-clear-sky line of sight.

Aside from the chilly wind, conditions were close to ideal. After unusually careful pre-flight checks of everything (especially GPS and compass), I launched the Air from the lee side of my vehicle. After it green-lighted its RTH fix, I gingerly sent it up perhaps 40' (12m) and observed its hover. Despite the ferocious wind, tossed and buffeted like a robin in a hurricane, it held its position. As you'd expect, it gave me frequent reminders that, on account of high winds, I should "Fly With Caution". Ha! I was flying with unmitigated terror!

However, satisfied that the MA wasn't about to blow away, I turned my eye to the video feed, and was utterly astonished at the stability of the image. The bird was visibly--and rather violently--correcting all three axes amidst severe turbulence, but the gimbal was simultaneously counter-correcting. Watching from the ground, you would expect horribly unstable video, but the MA zeroed-out the aircraft movement with remarkable precision.

Given its performance to that point, I took the bird out a few hundred yards (m) to my target, and eventually up to about 100' (30m). The warnings became more urgent: "Strong Aircraft Interference". Finally too unnerved to continue, I turned around, dropped altitude, and came home safely.

I really wanted more video of that target, but in those conditions the slightest problem could easily lead to disaster and I felt I had to give up. I'll go back another day, but it's a windy locale; calm days there are uncommon. That experience, however, gives me confidence that the MA will cope well in somewhat lighter winds, providing I have strong GPS, an unerringly calibrated compass, full batteries, and a change of undies. ;-) [Glad you read this far; I know I'm windy!]

 

[Prismatic]

Y'all might have a look at few seconds that illustrate the Mavic Air flying well, though imperfectly, in high winds (25mph+, 12+m/s). Note the bare branches lashing, and the whipping grasses. Note also the erratic movement of the aircraft as it compensates for the turbulence. Finally, I'll say, while the aircraft is getting pummeled, the gimbal does an ace's job of correcting for the jostling, within the constraints of being on board the struggling drone.

 

[Travisimo]

Y'all might have a look at few seconds that illustrate the Mavic Air flying well, though imperfectly, in high winds (25mph+, 12+m/s). Note the bare branches lashing, and the whipping grasses. Note also the erratic movement of the aircraft as it compensates for the turbulence. Finally, I'll say, while the aircraft is getting pummeled, the gimbal does an ace's job of correcting for the jostling, within the constraints of being on board the struggling drone.

Yep, the gimbal is amazing even when you see your little Air being thrashed around in the wind. A remarkable feat of engineering.

 

[ToddR]

My question is more about the video itself.. do I see a glitch or hiccup.. sorry not sure about the tech term.. is that common? Maybe it's my eyes for that matter.. still a great looking video..

 

[Prismatic]

My question is more about the video itself.. do I see a glitch or hiccup.. sorry not sure about the tech term.. is that common? Maybe it's my eyes for that matter.. still a great looking video..

Most likely you had a streaming glitch; the video is, technically speaking, glitch free.

 

[Jameslavis]

Did you grade this? **** nice If you did. Lut?

Y'all might have a look at few seconds that illustrate the Mavic Air flying well, though imperfectly, in high winds (25mph+, 12+m/s). Note the bare branches lashing, and the whipping grasses. Note also the erratic movement of the aircraft as it compensates for the turbulence. Finally, I'll say, while the aircraft is getting pummeled, the gimbal does an ace's job of correcting for the jostling, within the constraints of being on board the struggling drone.

 

[Prismatic]

Did you grade this? **** nice If you did. Lut?

I was using an ND16 polarizing filter. Slight underexposure, so slight compensation for that, nothing more.
And sorry, I wouldn’t know a LUT if it bit me on the ear. Nor do I know how to establish or use one (though I do understand the general idea).

 

[ColinF]

Y'all might have a look at few seconds that illustrate the Mavic Air flying well, though imperfectly, in high winds (25mph+, 12+m/s). Note the bare branches lashing, and the whipping grasses. Note also the erratic movement of the aircraft as it compensates for the turbulence. Finally, I'll say, while the aircraft is getting pummeled, the gimbal does an ace's job of correcting for the jostling, within the constraints of being on board the struggling drone.

Hi. Your vid looks awesomely cinematic. What were your camera settings?

 

[Dylanjibmonkey]

Take a look at how windy it is when this guy flies his..

 

[HYRYSC]

I hope you were in unrestricted flight zone, cuz you’re over the 400 ft level.

isn't 400 ft just a guideline? I didn't think that hobbyist were restricted to any altitude?

 

[Rickolas]

Take a look at how windy it is when this guy flies his..

No way i'd fly over water in that wind!

 

[CanadaDrone]

I was using an ND16 polarizing filter. Slight underexposure, so slight compensation for that, nothing more.
And sorry, I wouldn’t know a LUT if it bit me on the ear. Nor do I know how to establish or use one (though I do understand the general idea).

A LUT is just a "Look up Table". In the simplest terms it is a modifier between an original image and a processed image, usually based on mathematical calculations.

In practical terms it is a profile you can apply to RAW footage to instantly correct or grade your footage, or at least provide a much better starting point. For example you might have a LUT called "Prismatic's favorite settings" and apply that as a starting point to your footage You can make your own or you can buy/download them - Film Poets has a really good one.

 

[dawgpilot]

isn't 400 ft just a guideline? I didn't think that hobbyist were restricted to any altitude?

In the USA, for recreational fliers, it was just a guideline before. However, with the passage of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, it is now a strict legal limit for all drone flyers, recreational and commercial. (although the commercial rules let you go above 400 feet if you are near a tall structure).

 

[FatherXmas]

In the USA, for recreational fliers, it was just a guideline before. However, with the passage of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, it is now a strict legal limit for all drone flyers, recreational and commercial. (although the commercial rules let you go above 400 feet if you are near a tall structure).

Not just the 400' limit. 336 was deleted in it's entirety, so all those pesky 'guidelines' that many have said they didn't have to follow can now be enforced by the FAA.

 

[ColinF]

isn't 400 ft just a guideline? I didn't think that hobbyist were restricted to any altitude?

That seems to be a common opinion among hobbyists. I am commercial and my reading of the FAA regs says hobbyists are restricted and it’s not just a guideline. However, there are different types of airspace, and depending where you are you could be violating Class E, D, or even C or even B. Hobbyists need to fly in class G airspace.