Wind speed

[Jimbo41158]

Hi all.. Newbie here.. Been flying my Mavic Air for 3 weeks now.. Currently at a friend's cottage. Wind is 13 mph and I'm thinking of flying to a little island.. See pic... Is the wind to strong? Should I risk it?

 

[HVYMTL]

Only you can decide if the risk is worth the reward..

 

[spicciani2]

remember to stay at least a few meters off the waters surface in case it decides to dip when it forgets where the "ground" is

 

[msinger]

Wind is 13 mph and I'm thinking of flying to a little island.. See pic... Is the wind to strong?

13 MPH on the ground or up in the air where the Mavic Air will be flying?

Per the Mavic Air specs, the Mavic Air can withstand up to about 23 MPH.

 

[Jimbo41158]

13 MPH on the ground or up in the air where the Mavic Air will be flying?

Per the Mavic Air specs, the Mavic Air can withstand up to about 23 MPH.

Weather app says 13 mph.. Guess it's a lot higher say..30-35 ft. I the air. Don't want to take it up high. Just across and back

 

[Thomas B]

Check it out well before you start.
Recommend 2 things if you do it beyond a freshly charged battery at max charge:
First, pic a day where you will be flying out against the wind and returning home with it, and second, I’d recommend using a Getter Back recovery device.

 

[spicciani2]

Check it out well before you start.
Recommend 2 things if you do it beyond a freshly charged battery at max charge:
First, pic a day where you will be flying out against the wind and returning home with it, and second, I’d recommend using a Getter Back recovery device.

Oh this is cool! I may need one... I wonder where I aught to mount it that it wont be noticed by the sensors

 

[Jimbo41158]

Thank you so much to all of you.. Think I'll wait till supper time and wait and see if the wind dies down. Battery and controller are 100%!!

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

I'd recommend you download and install the free UAV Forecast App (iOS or Android) or visit their website. You get the wind profile at the location and also a rudimentary forecast for 24 hours at that location. If you subscribe you get a week's worth of data . Some argue its not completely accurate, I have had good luck so far using it as one of the tools in my toolbox. Also see windy.com and its apps.

 

[Jimbo41158]

This is so good!! Thanks so much!!

 

[ChrisOutdoors]

As mentioned, what you're comfortable with is up to you. However, my absolute limit is 25mph GUSTING up to 500'.

Important notes on my comment regarding aviation weather. GUSTING is typically higher then sustained and wind is typically FASTER as you increase in altitude. If you keep to those limits I've found you'll usually be OK.

 

[Meta4]

Weather app says 13 mph.. Guess it's a lot higher say..30-35 ft. I the air. Don't want to take it up high. Just across and back

Up 30 feet the wind isn't going to be appreciably stronger than you experience at surface level.

What no-one has mentioned is that the direction of the wind is a more important factor than the speed.
A wind of 13 mph shouldn't be a problem for most general flight, but could be a big problem if you ended up too far away and had to fight a 13 mph headwind coming home with a low battery.
But a stronger wind is no problem if you fly out pushing into a headwind since that means you'll have an easy flight home with a tailwind.
If you are flying any distance over water you should be conservative and have a comfortable safety margin to allow for surprises.

Also be aware that weather apps are just forecasts.
The wind speed you get at your location could be significantly different from what is forecast for a number of reasons.

 

[ZX14-R]

I believe the M2P will fly in 25km/h winds (15.53mph) but experience will tell you if you want to fly or not

 

[Jimbo41158]

Waited till suppertime.. Wind gone!..got a nice shot!! Thank you all for the tips!!

 

[Dan C]

I generally make sure the wind is in my face when ever I fly very far away. Just to be confident I can make it back safely if I lose track of the battery level.

If you do find your drone struggling to get home against a stiff wind on a low battery, you will do better if you push forward on the stick, making it fly faster. Against a strong wind, that is actually going to get you further.

 

[Dakarenduro]

I 2nd the UAV Forecast app. It has a wind profile feature which shows you the projected wind speeds from ground level to 5000ft...

 

[freefaller500]

Thank you so much to all of you.. Think I'll wait till supper time and wait and see if the wind dies down. Battery and controller are 100%!!

You go for it remember no guts no glory, please post you pictures.

 

[Cymruflyer]

You go for it remember no guts no glory, please post you pictures.

Yeah, but that's sort of like that other dumb statement, No Pain - No Gain.
I prefer No Pain... No Pain ! Where is the glory in a costly drone at the bottom of a lake just because you had to show you had some guts?
In flying there should never be a No Guts, No Glory sort of attitude, common sense and safety should always prevail. Leave the guts and glory stuff to people who get paid to do that sort of stuff.

 

[Dan C]

Ah, Grasshopper. Everything has risk.

The true question is only, how risk-averse are you ?

 

[Chuckinay]

Oh this is cool! I may need one... I wonder where I aught to mount it that it wont be noticed by the sensors

That indeed looks pretty slick. Where would be a good place to mount that on a M2P?