RTH canceled in high winds on Air 2s

[tlswift58]

Flying my DJI Air 2s in hilly area it reported on app that it was experiencing high winds and that RTH would not be allowed. I was told to lower the altitude and fly home manually.
My previous drone the original Mavic pro would never do this . Hate to think that if contact to the drone was lost that it wouldn’t RTH .

If winds were that high to signal it - then yes, you need to lower altitude to a safer wind speed (if possible). I prefer to not use RTH, as some seem to become dependent on it and if your settings are not set correctly - then a good likelihood the drone "may" crash.

Absolutely no problem flying the drone home myself. Many times the " homepoint" may not be close to where you are with the controller, so RTH would not bring the drone back to you.

Apps like UAV Forecast will tell you BEFORE you fly if high winds are expected - so you won't try flying in them and it affects the drone, like you encountered.

 

[cgmaxed]

Hi all, i get this message regularly on all my DJI drones. Especially in the late afternoon during spring and summer months here in the Sacramento valley. I fly a lot at Folsom Lake, in the afternoon we get what they call the Delta Breeze and it can be pretty strong at times at the lake. Depending on what model I'm flying will depend on the frequency of the message. My M2Zoom and P3A not so much, but my MM2... a lot. I have purposely activated the RTH on my MM2 after receiving the massage to see what it does. The result... depending on your altitude set in your RTH, if it has to climb... you could be in trouble, if already at RTH altitude or above it will try, but at times, it makes no real headway. I just cancel the RTH, lower it, and fly back or if the wind was too strong, i just tacked it back like a sailboat would and hope you have enough battery to get it back. If it doesn't make it... well either i get my dive gear out or i start walking. I do however try most of the time flying out into the wind and use the tail wind as a boast to get back especially when flying the MM2.

Happy and Safe Flying
inno

I fly out against a headwind and use the tail wind to push me back home, usually. I also test the wind by flying toward a destination, then, early in the flight, I fly backwards for a few seconds , to see which way it flies faster. If it flies faster leaving the home point, I know I'll need more power to get home as it will fly slower on the way back.

 

[Meta4]

If winds were that high to signal it - then yes, you need to lower altitude to a safer wind speed (if possible).

What many here don't properly understand is that the wind's direction is even more than it's speed.
The distance you have to fly with/against it is also important
A wind strong enough to trigger DJI's warning won't cause problems unless you are trying to fly into it

 

[cgmaxed]

I've just watched the recent Phillip Skraba video where he had exactly the same problem with the Air2S & it ditched itself in the sea

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

It's obviously his fault. He seems to lack experience regarding wind. He would have made it home if he just flew back instead of to the right. When he got the warning, I don't see any attempt to fly toward the beach. In my experience trying to return home at 40% battery is a super bad idea in windy conditions, unless you are positive the wind is directed toward the home point. Sad if you were new at flying drones, but this guy and his friend seem to have experience. Also, on windy days, I always fly my most powerful drone. I rarely risk the light weight drones. I own the M2P and EVO2Pro. The EVO has much more power than the mav2. Good news though, sounds like the next mavic, the mav3, will be as powerful or more than the EVO2. I hear it's going to have a bigger image sensor as well. Can't wait to see the MAV3

 

[cgmaxed]

What many here don't properly understand is that the wind's direction is even more than it's speed.
The distance you have to fly with/against it is also important
A wind strong enough to trigger DJI's warning won't cause problems unless you are trying to fly into it

when i take off, I always test the wind direction and speed using the drone itself. I observe wind directions that increase the speed of the drone and which decrease the speed of the drone. As a newbie , I learned how important it was to know wind directions and the strength of that wind. Especially, if you want to fly to the batteries limits.

 

[Meta4]

The EVO has much more power than the mav2.

They have identical top speed - 20 metres/sec in SPort Mode

Good news though, sounds like the next mavic, the mav3, will be as powerful or more than the EVO2. I hear it's going to have a bigger image sensor as well. Can't wait to see the MAV3

There is no credible reports of what DJI might release in a Mavic 3.
But a larger camera sensor would be unlikely.
Larger cameras have bigger, heavier lenses and need bigger, heavier gimbals.
To carry a bigger camera, the drone would have to be significantly larger than the current Mavic 2 format.

 

[cgmaxed]

They have identical top speed - 20 metres/sec in SPort Mode

There is no credible reports of what DJI might release in a Mavic 3.
But a larger camera sensor would be unlikely.
Larger cameras have bigger, heavier lenses and need bigger, heavier gimbals.
To carry a bigger camera, the drone would have to be significantly larger than the current Mavic 2 format.

1st: I said power. I meant lifting power. The EVO2 lifts heavier objects than the Mav 2 pro. I own and tested both. However the Mav2 Pro is faster. 2nd: The source of data I got on the Mav3 was very reputable. They specifically said a 4/3 micro image sensor, 8k video, larger battery and size. Release expected by end of 2021. Just google DJI MAVIC 3 NEWS. There are some pretty legit sources out there. Those stats are from an actual prototype. There are about 3 prototypes undergoing testing I think. You don't have to believe me. It's just that the information being let out by DJI is and has been more specific.

 

[Thomas B]

Google brings up a lot of speculation, wish list items, price speculation. The sites al waffle saying “if” and no site with testing an M3 came up in the 1st 10 pages of the Google search.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

[Meta4]

The source of data I got on the Mav3 was very reputable.

I've read way too many similar articles (some from the same site) that were completely bogus to accept another as fact.

 

[cgmaxed]

Google brings up a lot of speculation, wish list items, price speculation. The sites al waffle saying “if” and no site with testing an M3 came up in the 1st 10 pages of the Google search.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

They really need something to kill the EVO2 competition. I know evo didn't take a lot of the market, but they put a dent in DJI's shares. DJI will have to make a significant leep to remove EVO from it's market share.

 

[ninja_geezer]

i used to see this all the time when i flew my air 2 ,where i live its very windy a lot of the time ,tbh i used to ignore it and had no rth issues ever.

 

[Oakley75]

The slightly misleading message is telling you that it doesn't think it will be able to auto RTH. But it will still try, and will probably make it as well as the Air 2 and 2 S can handle pretty strong winds. I tested this here:
Cheers
Ian

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Trust this guy.

 

[GFields]

I have an Air 2s and have been caught in a strong headwind while doing a photoshoot and know the panic when you have the forward stick full forward and the drone just sets there or goes backward. I don't have a degree in physics but I knew the only way to overcome the strong wind was to change the angle of the drone. By flying downward while going forward the tilt of the drone changes and allows it to move through the wind easier. I flew in a down and up pattern while flying forward and successfully brought the drone home. I believe if he had tried this he would have got his drone back.

 

[Bebopperoo]

Please could you just clarify one thing? Advise is repeatedly given NOT to use sport mode as it consumes battery faster. My understanding is that the rates increase in sport mode, and the drone can achieve a greater angle of attack. Both of these are beneficial when fighting strong winds, and if the pilot remains within the angles of P mode, battery use should also remain within the parameters of P mode. What am i not understanding?

 

[Meta4]

Please could you just clarify one thing? Advise is repeatedly given NOT to use sport mode as it consumes battery faster. My understanding is that the rates increase in sport mode, and the drone can achieve a greater angle of attack. Both of these are beneficial when fighting strong winds,

To go faster your drone tilts forward more (and the motors run faster to compensate for the reduced lift).
The max tilt angle in P-GPS mode is limited.
If you switch to Sport Mode, the drone can tilt further.

and if the pilot remains within the angles of P mode, battery use should also remain within the parameters of P mode. What am i not understanding?

If you only push the right stick gently and don't go past the max tilt angle that P-GPS Mode uses, your drone doesn't go faster than it would in P-GPS mode.

But why ask the same question in two different threads?