When you're deciding whether it's good enough weather to fly or not, do you look at wind speed or gust speed?

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yeah, I wouldn't say flying in storm gusts is a great idea, most pilots would be talking flying in milder winds with occasional gusts.
Storm gusts can be really more unstable / unpredicable.

Only the truly mad pilots out there fly in storms

edit typo

 

[spsphotos]

For example, average wind speed today is 4-5m/s, but gust speed is 10-12m/s

Would you go flying in this weather? (assuming mini drone)

Sure. Even the Mini 2 and 3 pro can handle 12mph winds. Flown in worse. Just realize that your battery life will be reduced because it has to fight the wind, especially on the return. Figure 50% of normal flight to be safe.

 

[IronSky1]

Mini 1 and 2 do not work well above 25mph . I have had 1 flyaway airdata logs showed ther was a 50mph continuous wind between 30-100 ft. I live up on hill so more danger.Bye Bye birdie. The Mini 2 went out of control in a 30mph gust about 60 feet up and crashed on chiminy . I try to always check ground wind and in air. I just tested the Mini 3 pro yesterday at 400 ft gusting to 25mph no problem. It seems more stable however, why take chances? If you are using UAV app set the wind to your average flying altitude. If you need to fly in wind use a heavier drone.

 

[ahagert]

Using the UAV forecast app , I usually check the wind at higher altitudes.
Sometimes the wind can seem very calm at ground level, but be much different at 350 feet up.
Good luck to you!

how can you check higher altitudes on the app?

 

[Deleted member 137163]

It makes no difference to your drone what you call the wind it has to deal with, whether that is wind or gust.
It's all the same to the drone.

And forecast apps are just forecasts.
There are many reasons that the actual wind you experience where you fly can be quite different from what apps might indicate.

I am amazed how well my little MA2 handles wind. I am not a dare devil and I am cautious. Meta4 is right on saying basically forecasts are just forecasts and your results may vary.
I will tell you that a fixed wing single or multi-engine airplane are effected by gusts...lots of changing control inputs. I was again amazed how well a light weight MA2 handles it. Skills/experience and more important currency of experience are critical factors. You as Pilot In Command need to set your own personal minimums and stick to them. There is always another day to fly.

 

[Meta4]

Sure. Even the Mini 2 and 3 pro can handle 12mph winds. Flown in worse. Just realize that your battery life will be reduced because it has to fight the wind, especially on the return. Figure 50% of normal flight to be safe.

10-12 m/s (metres per second) is quite different.
It's 22-27 mph.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

From my understanding, gusts are not constant wind but more just bursts of wind. 12m/s gusts would be VERY different to 12m/s consistent winds...

But how long does a gust last?
I have had a Mavic Mini blown away in a gust that lasted maybe 2 seconds it went down wind like a rocket, after the gust died the drone was able to fly upwind. I have had a phantom 3 blown away by a gust the lasted maybe a minute, that scared me, and I was getting ready to crash the drone rather than let it go further, fortunately the gust died just as I was about to start the crash.
I would go by gusts but since they are highly random I would use my eyes and trees rather than any webpages.
If you get caught in one, as is probably inevitable, try, if safe, to descend out of it.

 

[Meta4]

10-12 m/s (metres per second) is quite different.
It's 22-27 mph.

But how long does a gust last?

The predicted gust strength is just the highest wind speed when the wind is variable.
Knowing the predicted upper limit doesn't tell anything about how much of the time the wind will be near that level.
And since it only a forecast, the actual wind could be significantly more or less.

 

[spsphotos]

Mini 1 and 2 do not work well above 25mph . I have had 1 flyaway airdata logs showed ther was a 50mph continuous wind between 30-100 ft. I live up on hill so more danger.Bye Bye birdie. The Mini 2 went out of control in a 30mph gust about 60 feet up and crashed on chiminy . I try to always check ground wind and in air. I just tested the Mini 3 pro yesterday at 400 ft gusting to 25mph no problem. It seems more stable however, why take chances? If you are using UAV app set the wind to your average flying altitude. If you need to fly in wind use a heavier drone.

Right. I would never fly my mini's in anything more then 12-15 gusts and not in sustained winds at that speed.

 

[IronSky1]

In UAV app click on "Wind" or gust tile it will open the configuration parameters.

I set mine at average flying height 100Ft not the best wish it had two setting so you could set one at 25ft near ground and average altitude.

Best practice is keep check and be careful on windy days (or use a heavier drone)

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Only the truly mad pilots out there fly in storms

would this qualify??

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[dozzn]

how can you check higher altitudes on the app?

Go to ‘Wind Profile’ , it’s at the bottom of the app.

 

[BarbT]

I check both and it would depend on what drone I would be flying.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

For example, average wind speed today is 4-5m/s, but gust speed is 10-12m/s

Would you go flying in this weather? (assuming mini drone)

Assess both. Prefer km/hr and compare to daily weather. Anything above 30 kph and I would park my Air 2, if there was a chance of continuous wind draining batteries and making RTH uncertain.

 

[Hodge]

I too like using the UAV forecast app. I'll use the wind profile section to see the wind and gusts at different altitudes. Then if it's a day when I really want to get some flight time in, I see what kind of altitude is safe for a particular drome to fly in and decide if I'll go out. If I get a window that will give me at least up to 150ft I'll take out one of my drones out then. That is of course, all other parameters also being in the safe zone.

 

[eva2000]

would this qualify??

Holy Moses! Mini 2 @100 MPH!

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Holy Moses! Mini 2 @100 MPH!

Guy expected this to blow away like it did.
Video done for youtube for hits, simply because he could afford to lose it if that eventuated, and it'd be 'fresh' new type of footage.
Someone will do a 'car running over my * drone test' soon because that hasn't been done yet, lol.

 

[eva2000]

Video done for youtube for hits, simply because he could afford to lose it if that eventuated, and it'd be 'fresh' new type of footage.

I always wondered if anyone's tried having one drone find + pick up/retrieve another drone?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I always wondered if anyone's tried having one drone find + pick up/retrieve another drone?

Plenty, even on here there've been thread to that effect.
Most larger models can lift a mini or two !

Not without danger of losing a 2nd drone of course, any sort of lanyard / wire and hook dangling under a drone might end badly.

 

[OldGuy]

For example, average wind speed today is 4-5m/s, but gust speed is 10-12m/s

Would you go flying in this weather? (assuming mini drone)

I always check the wind speed and do a visual on the trees close by. If it's gusting then I don't fly!