Wind

[PoonDog]

What is the best way to figure wind speed at higher than ground level. ?

 

[msinger]

There is no way to calculate the wind speed at altitude.

If you let the aircraft hover in place, you can look at the attitude indicator at the bottom of DJI GO to see how far it's tilting. If it's level, the wind is calm. If it's tilted at a steep angle, the wind is fairly strong. If the aircraft is also drifting with the wind, then the wind is stronger than what the aircraft can withstand.

 

[bwelliott]

What is the best way to figure wind speed at higher than ground level. ?

The UAV forecast app provides a wind profile for your location. It may not be perfect but it is better than nothing....

 

[Mossiback]

What is the best way to figure wind speed at higher than ground level. ?

These won't give you a speed per say, but perhaps could be used for strength and direction indicators.

The trees are a good indicator. Above that, you can see on the "radar" display how much tilt is required to maintain hover. You can also run a short distance at full throttle and see what speeds you get. If faster than normal you have a tailwind. If slower you have a headwind. Experience makes estimating easier and doing these in calm winds will give you a baseline to compare against.

 

[PoonDog]

Thanks guy's.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

You could use a Trump Weathertest though:

Take a piece of paper, throw it up and watch it. If it comes down straight, there is no wind, if it does not return, there is a lot of wind. If it is wet when it returns, it is raining and if it is really hard, it's freezing.

 

[Meta4]

What is the best way to figure wind speed at higher than ground level. ?

It's a safe assumption that higher up, the wind is stronger.
How fast isn't the most important number you need.
What's critically important is how fast can your drone fly against the wind .... and that's easy to discover.
Ideally you find out before flying a long way downwind and turning to come home.

 

[AMann]

If you are trying to accurately measure windspeed AGL, you can do this- it’s a non-directional anemometer designed to fit on top of drones:




I first saw some of them like this one being used at wind farms.

 

[jeplane]

If you are in Wyoming, they have this:

 

[Libertyflights]

the gov has something called RUC's which forecasts the wind at various altitudes at certain grid points. Ryan Carlton for hot air balloonist has a routine that uses RUC's and lets you put in an airport code to get the winds, on the left is the ability to see where the actual grid point is vs the airport OR on the right settings set to GPS and it will use the GPS location of phone or computer and give you closest grid point.
Balloonists' Wind Forecast | RyanCarlton.com
you will see that it gives you several hours. shows wind temp and dewpoint. when temp=dewpoint > clouds.

 

[Plamen Yordanov]

UAV Forecast