Max wind speed for launching?

[dronerat]

My Mavic Air 2s flipped on launch today, and im not totally sure why.

I assumed I must have installed the props wrong, but I disassembled in a panic before verifying. It occurred to me that this was my first launch in windy conditions. Im not sure of the real wind speed at this location but my guess is that it might have been 15mph, taking off from hand.

What is the max wind speed you would launch in? Would you be more cautious for hand launches?

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Just a point, is it possible to put a prop on the wrong motor of an Air 2s?
With the M2P it is not. On the wrong motor they will not turn wrt to motor and thus the catches can not be engaged.
Can't comment of the numerical value of wind at launch level, sorry, but if it is enough to give you concern I would give it full throttle to get it away from my hand or the ground as quick as possible.
The legs of a Phantom are very handy for windy launches and landings, especially landings lol.

 

[dronerat]

Just a point, is it possible to put a prop on the wrong motor of an Air 2s?
With the M2P it is not. On the wrong motor they will not turn wrt to motor and thus the catches can not be engaged.
Can't comment of the numerical value of wind at launch level, sorry, but if it is enough to give you concern I would give it full throttle to get it away from my hand or the ground as quick as possible.
The legs of a Phantom are very handy for windy launches and landings, especially landings lol.

Yes i think that might have happened. I disassembled quick and ran back to the car without checking prop orientation as my hand was bleeding which freaked me out! Did not think the props were that powerful. Grr i wish they had that feature in the airs

 

[Meta4]

What is the max wind speed you would launch in?

I doubt that anyone can answer that question.
If the wind level is concerning for takeoff, I look for some shelter to prevent the wind catching the prop discs during lift off.

 

[SkyeHigh]

I doubt that anyone can answer that question.
If the wind level is concerning for takeoff, I look for some shelter to prevent the wind catching the prop discs during lift off.

… and landing too. I’ve had quite a few hairy moments while trying to land.

Took-off in the UK using the shelter of a dry stone wall surrounding a field but landed further away with unexpected gusts of wind blowing over a small hill. No issue for the M2P during flight but when coming to a stop and descending the surface wind was making the landing a challenge.

 

[twickers14]

Yes i think that might have happened. I disassembled quick and ran back to the car without checking prop orientation as my hand was bleeding which freaked me out! Did not think the props were that powerful. Grr i wish they had that feature in the airs

Oh yes they are as the top of my right index finger attests. Hope you find the solution.

 

[GFields]

It is more than likely you put the props on the wrong motors instead of a wind issue.
The same thing happened to me with I installed a new set of Master AirScrew props not paying attention. Easy fix.

 

[dronerat]

It is more than likely you put the props on the wrong motors instead of a wind issue.
The same thing happened to me with I installed a new set of Master AirScrew props not paying attention. Easy fix.

Yeah I did this accidentally in my very first launch using a pad, and it behaved very similar.

So is wind of that speed not an issue to fly in for an Air 2S? When people say dont fly in windy conditions, what do they mean? At the beach I was at there was a fairly constant wind of ~15 mph but I (tried to) launch because uav forecast app was all green.

When launching must there be NO wind at all on the ground? And if thats the case is it ok if it encounters that steady/constant 15mph wind when it gets higher, like 10-15 feet up? Or am I asking for the drone to fly down the beach and have to do another emergency land in the sand?

 

[GFields]

Yeah I did this accidentally in my very first launch using a pad, and it behaved very similar.

So is wind of that speed not an issue to fly in for an Air 2S? When people say dont fly in windy conditions, what do they mean? At the beach I was at there was a fairly constant wind of ~15 mph but I (tried to) launch because uav forecast app was all green.

When launching must there be NO wind at all on the ground? And if thats the case is it ok if it encounters that steady/constant 15mph wind when it gets higher, like 10-15 feet up? Or am I asking for the drone to fly down the beach and have to do another emergency land in the sand?

I'm not sure who you are referencing saying not to fly in windy conditions. How windy? Certainly, caution must be taken when flying in windy conditions. Depending on the job also dictates (to me) wind direction and speeds. For example, if I am doing a roof inspection, I want calm winds to prevent accidentally flying into a structure as I often turn off obstacle avoidance to get close-ups. If flying at a beach, you must remember that if you will be flying into headwinds that it will require the drone to work harder and use more battery and you must allow for that. Also, worth noting is that the smaller/ lighter the drone, the more effect the wind will have on it.

If my work requires me to fly in winds greater than 15 mph I use larger drones. That is a general rule for me.

Just know your drone limitations and you should be fine.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

When people say dont fly in windy conditions, what do they mean?

A drone can only fly "so fast" through the air i.e. it has a maximum airspeed. If the wind speed is faster than that maximum airspeed the drone will be blown down wind.
If the wind speed is near the drone's maximum airspeed then the drone will fly upwind but at a low ground speed.
If the drone has been flown downwind and has to return upwind the drone may not have enough battery charge to make it back to the home point.

There is or was an absolutely perfect example of this on youtube where the pilot flew an near brand new, recently released, M3, way WAY downwind during the out bound leg of the over the sea light. By the time he started to bring the drone home the remaining battery charge was insufficient to make the return, upwind journey and he had to land the drone on an island and then hire a boat to take him to the island to search for the drone.
He found the drone.

 

[zinnware]

A drone can only fly "so fast" through the air i.e. it has a maximum airspeed. If the wind speed is faster than that maximum airspeed the drone will be blown down wind.
If the wind speed is near the drone's maximum airspeed then the drone will fly upwind but at a low ground speed.
If the drone has been flown downwind and has to return upwind the drone may not have enough battery charge to make it back to the home point.

There is or was an absolutely perfect example of this on youtube where the pilot flew an near brand new, recently released, M3, way WAY downwind during the out bound leg of the over the sea light. By the time he started to bring the drone home the remaining battery charge was insufficient to make the return, upwind journey and he had to land the drone on an island and then hire a boat to take him to the island to search for the drone.
He found the drone.

Ref: "If the drone has been flown downwind and has to return upwind the drone may not have enough battery charge to make it back to the home point."

Back in 2014 I was flying at a resort on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. I began my flight by flying out over the ocean with a Phantom 2 (Go-Pro). I wanted to get the perspective of the resort coming in from the ocean. When I took off I was sheltered by the resort buildings from the unknowingly high winds. The winds were going out to sea. I flew out about 1/4 mile out over the ocean at about 200ft elevation and turned around to get my shot. I was in GPS mode and was full throttle. I noticed my numbers on the screen showing that my drone was still going out to sea despite being a full throttle. I obviously was alarmed but did not panic. I flipped the mode from GPS mode into ATT mode (a.k.a Sport mode) hoping to get a good boost. I also lowered the drone closer to the sea to see if I could avoid higher winds that at my current altitude. I did make it back but it came back at only about 2-3 mph at full throttle in ATTI mode. The winds were somewhere between 25 to 30 mph. The Phantom has a max speed of 33mph in ATTI mode and about 22mph in GPS mode. One recommendation to all pilots is to know and understand most if not all of the features of your craft. Doing so helped me and I was lucky to get it back safely.

 

[YVRGUY]

I'm not sure who you are referencing saying not to fly in windy conditions. How windy? Certainly, caution must be taken when flying in windy conditions. Depending on the job also dictates (to me) wind direction and speeds. For example, if I am doing a roof inspection, I want calm winds to prevent accidentally flying into a structure as I often turn off obstacle avoidance to get close-ups. If flying at a beach, you must remember that if you will be flying into headwinds that it will require the drone to work harder and use more battery and you must allow for that. Also, worth noting is that the smaller/ lighter the drone, the more effect the wind will have on it.

If my work requires me to fly in winds greater than 15 mph I use larger drones. That is a general rule for me.

Just know your drone limitations and you should be fine.

Gfields…ditto. These drones, all drones have their limitations. WHY?, If we sense the wind speeds are questionable at ground level, what do you figure they’re going to be at 400’? . It’s keeping the ‘DJI Care Refresh’ program busy…that’s for sure.

 

[karlblessing]

If my work requires me to fly in winds greater than 15 mph I use larger drones. That is a general rule for me.

15 seems kind of low. 15Mph is basically the 'limit' of say my first Mini 1. But it's like nothing for the Air 2S or even my Mini 2. I've launched the Air 2S in winds around 30mph without issue, course once I get up to around 150-200 it does want to scream at me about strong wind warning (Air Data estimated it was about 37mph gust based on the drone data).

Was also able to land (onto a parking lot, not sand) in the same conditions, shown in the scene about 1:43 here

So flipping from just 15mph, I highly doubt it was the wind, and more like the props with the orange weren't matched with the arms with the orange marks.

 

[GFields]

15 seems kind of low. 15Mph is basically the 'limit' of say my first Mini 1. But it's like nothing for the Air 2S or even my Mini 2. I've launched the Air 2S in winds around 30mph without issue, course once I get up to around 150-200 it does want to scream at me about strong wind warning (Air Data estimated it was about 37mph gust based on the drone data).

Was also able to land (onto a parking lot, not sand) in the same conditions, shown in the scene about 1:43 here

View attachment 156511

View attachment 156512

So flipping from just 15mph, I highly doubt it was the wind, and more like the props with the orange weren't matched with the arms with the orange marks.

As I stated, it’s a rule that I use.

I agree that it was likely the props installed incorrectly.

 

[Jacob2s]

Earlier this year in the high winds (40mph +) I took my air 2s out to a big field to see how it would be. I couldn’t believe how well it handled. Video was very impressive considering the battering the wind was giving it.
After that test I would say 15 mph is calm

 

[karlblessing]

Today is the day I wouldn't dare take my air 2s out of the bag. Sustained winds of around 40mph, with gusts up to 55~60mph with rain here and there.

Even if it could hold, it would be very hard to land or take off.

 

[Cosmo0g]

My Mavic Air 2s flipped on launch today, and im not totally sure why.

I assumed I must have installed the props wrong, but I disassembled in a panic before verifying. It occurred to me that this was my first launch in windy conditions. Im not sure of the real wind speed at this location but my guess is that it might have been 15mph, taking off from hand.

What is the max wind speed you would launch in? Would you be more cautious for hand launches?

A2S can definitely handle 15mph winds, but I wouldn't take off by hand in that because it could easily sway back and cut your face. And, always take off with the drone facing into the wind. That will help it get air-born as well as land if you use RTH.

 

[tokertm]

In Cornwall, UK it's rare not to get any wind here. Takes off fine from the hand at 15mph any higher mph and I usually use the ground to take off and it's never had a flip issue. Average speeds down my way are 15-25, drone looks like it's working it's butt off but the footage is always so stable
Won't even bother trying anything higher than 30 since the max speed is barely above that.