Wind speeds for first flights

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i have my P3P now, indeed I have had it for a few weeks. But health problems, rain and now wind keeps it grounded.
I have some experience flying RC helicopters. But this is a new experience. Can someone advise me what sort of winds I should start to fly in please? I know what is recommended but that may well be for experienced pilots.
I live on the coast, literally a few yards from the sea, with a prevailing wind that blows off it on to the land. Apps like Hover say frequently that I can fly, but my own weather station tells me speeds are often too high. I cannot get detailed upper winds , between say 100-1000 feet, but. The upper air plots are not accurate enough. So I am trying to err on the safe side and not run my newly acquired drone on its first few flights.

Many thanks

Mike
 
Thanks guys. That sort of confirms the type of approach I was thinking of.
I have the uavforecast app but only the free version. I guess the upper winds are only available with the paid for version.

Once again my thanks

Mike
 
I didn't pay. I tried to pay them once but it didn't seem secure to me. So I didn't. I check wind speeds at 400 feet every flight...
 
i went to the online version rather than the iPad app and I see what you mean now. It can be very useful. I will see how it compares to my own 10m high readings and see if adjustments can be made.
No flying at the mo as forecast is for string winds and rain for the next few days.

Mike
 
No, I am the other side of the pond in Lancashire in the UK. The wind for me comes almost straight of the Atlantic some days, and almost every day we have a sea breeze. I am not going to be beaten I will be flying regularly somehow, and soon.

Mike
 
I try different altitudes in atti mode to get wind direction. Flew last night at 54.5mph with tail wind. Record for me lol P3P with windsurfers only mod!



Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
I will certainly be trying different altitudes, when I can fly reasonably well. Too much money to through away being an idiot about it. When I feel good about that then I might just try atti mode, but at my age I need all the help I can get.

Mike
 
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I have found that the Phantom handles wind surprisingly well: 15-20 mph is not at all impossible. My personal limit however is 10 mph - see, even if the Phantom can hold its ground in higher winds, in case there is a GPS/compass malfunction and I will need to switch to Atti mode, I don't want it to start drifting like crazy (ask me how I know). Also with higher wind velicities, the drone will start moving in a slightly tilted position (angled against the wind), with a much higher probability for the props to be visible in the footage.

Oh yes and these figures are with no prop guards attached. Those dreadful abominations will act like sails, so if you are using them, cut the wind speeds above in half (again, ask me how I know).

/// Tom
 
What you say sounds quite reasonable and logical. You certainly do not need a wind tunnel to show the problem you mention. It's also not too much of a leap to imagine how quickly the wind can increase as it moves away from the friction of the earth. That is why I am trying find out first. Ertainly the data from Hover does not match my own real time data, and thus makes me worry about its validity. I need to spend more time with UAVforecast.
But I have to ask, "Hiw do you know"

Best wishes

Mike
 
What you say sounds quite reasonable and logical. You certainly do not need a wind tunnel to show the problem you mention. It's also not too much of a leap to imagine how quickly the wind can increase as it moves away from the friction of the earth. That is why I am trying find out first. Ertainly the data from Hover does not match my own real time data, and thus makes me worry about its validity. I need to spend more time with UAVforecast.
Take forecast winds with a grain of salt (or two).
They are just based on data from a few stations that could be well away from your location and won't necessarily reflect the actual winds you will fly.
With a little experience you get plenty of indications from the wind on your face, blowing the trees or the water's surface and can tell if it's likely to be a problem.
The Phantom can handle a lot more wind than most users would expect.
In strong winds you just have to take care launching and landing and definitely not fly away downwind.
Fly upwind and you'll have an easy trip home.
Doing the opposite is one of the ways to come unstuck and go home droneless..
 
Without being too scientific, take the wind at the ground and shift it 30 degrees to the right as you go higher up, while also calculating twice the wind speed above the friction layer (~3000 feet). Usually quite irrelevant for our drones as we don't fly that high.

However, if you pass through a low level inversion, things might be radically different above the inversion layer - like the wind shifting to the opposite direction. Such a low level inversion can be present at all altitudes, even really low, like at a hundred feet. You can often spot these inversion layers by checking the plumes from chimneys "fanning out" as the smoke/steam rises.

The biggest risk for our drones is really flying too far away downwind, and then having to struggle against the wind on the way back, running out of juice and then autolanding at an inappropriate location. I never perform long distance flights downwind, only upwind (into the wind).

/// Tom
 
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