What is the maximum wind speed at which you should still fly your drone? We answer this question for you in the following article.
At what wind speed should you stop flying a drone?
There is no legal regulation or standardised value for this. However, if we take a look at the technical data of the DJI Air 3, one of the most popular drones in the consumer sector, as an example, we can see the following:
- Wind resistance: 12 m/s (43.2 km/h)
As a rule, every drone manufacturer provides such information for its drone models. You may have to search a little on the respective manufacturer’s website.
A frequently used formula that you can use in case of doubt:
Maximum wind speed = Maximum airspeed / 2
The information on the maximum flight speed of a drone can also be found on the respective manufacturer’s website.
Maximum wind resistance of DJI drones
DJI is always very informative on its product pages. Therefore, you will also find information on the maximum wind resistance of the company’s own drones. The following table lists the latest and most popular DJI drones with the maximum wind speed at which they can still be flown according to the manufacturer.
Drohne | maximaler Windwiderstand (laut Hersteller) |
---|---|
DJI Mavic Mini | 28 km/h |
DJI Mini 2 | 29 – 38 km/h |
DJI Mini 3 Pro | 38 km/h |
DJI Mini 4 Pro | 38 km/h |
DJI Mavic Air 2 | 29 – 38 km/h |
DJI Air 2S | 38 km/h |
DJI Air 3 | 43 km/h |
DJI Air 3S | 43 km/h |
DJI Mavic Pro | 29 - 38 km/h |
DJI Mavic 2 Pro | 29 - 38 km/h |
DJI Mavic 3 | 43 km/h |
DJI FPV | 39 bis 49 km/h |
DJI Avata | 38 km/h |
DJI Avata 2 | 38 km/h |
DJI Inspire 3 | 50 km/h |
DJI Matrice 300 RTK | 54 km/h |
Due to the similar design and maximum speeds, the maximum values are also identical. It becomes clear: the larger and heavier the drone, the higher the maximum wind resistance. Small drones from the Mini series are therefore the quickest to struggle with strong winds.
Find out the current wind speed
To quickly find out a rough value for the current wind speed, it helps to do a quick google search, as the following animation shows.
If you need more precision, you can use the relevant services or view the results in detail to see the speed for a specific location or time on a future day.
The best option for finding out the exact wind speed is to use special wind measuring devices. These are available from various dealers at different prices and naturally provide the best results for the current time at a location where you are already located. As a drone pilot, this is the only information that really helps you.
- 4-In-1 Handheld Windmesser: Professionelle Messung von Windgeschwindigkeit, Windtemperatur, Luftvolumen und Windchilligkeit (< 0 ° C wird angezeigt), Auswahl von MAX / Durchschnitt / Aktueller Windgeschwindigkeit; 5 Windgeschwindigkeitseinheiten m/s, ft/min, Knoten, km/h, mph; 14 Minuten ohne Betrieb Automatische Abschaltung; Das LCD-Display zeigt deutliche Messwerte an, und im MAX-Modus wird die Funktion zum Einfrieren der Messwerte durch das Herunterfahren nicht beeinträchtigt.
Dangers at high wind speeds
The risks that can occur when flying drones at high wind speeds are actually obvious. As wind speeds increase, it becomes increasingly difficult for any drone to maintain its position. Automatically, thanks to existing sensors, but especially manually by the pilot himself.
This naturally means that the flight becomes more demanding, the risk of losing control increases and accidents can occur under certain circumstances. How dangerous it becomes also depends crucially on the environment in which it is flown. While there are probably not too many obstacles lurking in an open meadow, it can be a different story on an inspection flight near one or more buildings.
In addition, the battery life is of course also reduced as the drone has to “work” much harder to defy the wind. This must of course be taken into account when planning the flight.
Summary
If possible, drones should not be flown when wind speeds are too high, as this would be grossly negligent. Information on the maximum wind speed at which a drone should be flown can be found on the manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, the above formula can be used. The current wind speed for a location and time can be quickly found on the internet, but only serves as an initial guide. If you want to be on the safe side, measure the actual wind speed directly on site.
Paying attention to this avoids risks. It is better to postpone the flight than to cause an unnecessary accident.
The specifications can vary from drone to drone (overview in the article). A generally valid formula can be found in the article.
The stronger the wind, the more difficult it is to fly / control the drone, which significantly reduces flight safety. In addition, the battery life also decreases as the drone has to work more against the wind. Further information in the article.
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Letzte Aktualisierung am 2024-11-18 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API