Working out wind speed in flight

[RayOZ]

I posted this as a reply in an old Mavic Air 2 discussion, but this would be applicable to other models with DJI Go 4 app. I think it might be helpful to people flying in windy conditions.

I’ve worked out a much more accurate way to estimate the wind speed in flight using the attitude indicator. I’ve done this with my Mavic 2 Pro.
1. Rotate the drone until the indicator is horizontal and below the centre horizontal line. Now you are facing the direction of the wind.
2. Fly forward until the drone’s horizontal indicator is at the centre horizontal line. The speed it’s flying is the wind speed, kinda like ATTI mode without being in ATTI mode.
Here’s an example I made of my flight today.
I was flying in the direction of the wind at around 25.6kph. Uploading flight log to AirData, speed was determined to be about 24kph. So about 1.5kph out.

Note: Wind speed change over time and is usually different for different altitude. So can repeat the steps if you change flight altitude or feel the wind speed and direction might have changed.

 

[slup]

Under point 2 ... recon you mean fly backwards (with the wind) until horizontal indicator is at the center horizontal line.

Or do I misunderstand you ... are you pointing with the wind in point 1 (having a tail wind)?

*EDIT*

Well doesn't matter ... but you might add in that with having a headwind in point 1 you fly backwards in point 2 or vice versa ?

 

[Deleted member 103366]

EDIT
sugar lumps, got me too, I give Homer Simpson a run for his money at times

I often fly with the gmbal in fpv mode and side-on to the wind just so I can see how much the drone is having to tilt relative to the earth's horizon to hold position.
Flyable wind around here tends to be blustery but on one fortunate day there was a steady wind. I did a prolonged, entirely automated but side on to the wind, down-wind RTH and the drone was nigh on horizontal for the whole return.

 

[RayOZ]

Under point 2 ... recon you mean fly backwards (with the wind) until horizontal indicator is at the center horizontal line.

Or do I misunderstand you ... are you pointing with the wind in point 1 (having a tail wind)?

*EDIT*

Well doesn't matter ... but you might add in that with having a headwind in point 1 you fly backwards in point 2 or vice versa ?

With point 1, the wind is behind pushing the drone, so it’s pitching up to stay in position. So the level indicator is below the centre line.
When you move forward, you aim to make the pitch 0, which means the wind is pushing the drone at the speed it’s blowing.
Maybe ‘my point 1’s facing the direction of the wind’ is misleading. If the wind is blowing from west to east, I meant the drone is facing east, the direction the wind is blowing to.

 

[Fort Pierce Pilot]

With point 1, the wind is behind pushing the drone, so it’s pitching up to stay in position. So the level indicator is below the centre line.
When you move forward, you aim to make the pitch 0, which means the wind is pushing the drone at the speed it’s blowing.
Maybe ‘my point 1’s facing the direction of the wind’ is misleading. If the wind is blowing from west to east, I meant the drone is facing east, the direction the wind is blowing to.

Makes sense, but if I understand you correctly, it requires you fly with the wind making speed over ground 2 X wind-speed. This might be OK if you first beat your way up wind from the home point and run the test on the way back. But, if I am already downwind of Home I'll be rapidly increasing the distance I must fly back against the wind. This could lead to a situation where I can't make it Home.

 

[RayOZ]

Makes sense, but if I understand you correctly, it requires you fly with the wind making speed over ground 2 X wind-speed. This might be OK if you first beat your way up wind from the home point and run the test on the way back. But, if I am already downwind of Home I'll be rapidly increasing the distance I must fly back against the wind. This could lead to a situation where I can't make it Home.

No. It is not double wind speed. You are making your drone’s pitch 0. If there’s no wind, it’s are stationary. You are leveling your drone to horizontal and allowing the wind to push the drone.
I won’t be flying in really windy conditions. 40kph is max what I am comfortable flying in. It’ll only take abt 30s to work out the wind speed. At 50kph, even if it took you 1 min, it would’ve only flown 800m. If you do it at the start of the flight, plenty of juice to get back home in sports mode.

 

[hiflyer201]

on any windy day if you're getting max speed..42mph in sport A2.. you can pretty well bet that you're flying down wind. A quick 180 will prove it.