I'm interested to see where other pilots draw the line when flying in very windy situations. With all productions, we have a contract that states if the wind goes above Xmph, flight will be at the discretion of the RPIC. With the Inspire 2, we have it set at 15mph, but I've flown in it gusts up to 25mph before with no issues. Obviously, this is a much different beast. Where would you say flight would no longer be safe?
Hi Daniel: I think that the max wind speed is going to depend on several factors such as the payload (and the amount of wetted cross section that that presents to the wind) and also your comfort level in flying in strong winds. To be prudent you have to assume that just when you don't want the GPS position hold to fail, then it will fail...and then you're going to have to bring the ALTA back entirely manually. Therefore I think it's a matter of personal preference depending on pilot skill level. Or as Dirty Harry would put it "D'ya feel lucky today, punk? D'ya?" . Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
I made a chart. At full gross with an open landing area = 15 - 18 Kts. At full gross in an obstructed landing area like in a small clearing in the forest, 12 - 15 Kts because the obstructions change the wind direction, can cause downdrafts, and the approach can be very unpredictable. Landing in sheltered areas like the downwind side of a building can be tricky. There can be a lot of unpredictable turbulence around the edges of a building and just below the roof line. For every pound under gross full gross, I add 1 knot. Ten knots is eleven and a half miles per hour. If there is any kind of a noticeable breeze I pull out my anemometer (HOLDPEAK 866B Digital Anemometer) and measure the wind speed. When It's gusty I always walk around and check the wind everywhere. I also have a 3/16" diameter 24" carbon fiber rod with a 7-inch piece of yard attached to the top with shrink tubing. It's my portable windsock. When the yarn is at a 45º angle the wind is about 6 Knt/7 mph. When the yarn is at a 60º angle the wind is close to 12Knt/14 Mph so it's time to be really careful. You can use an anemometer to calibrate your wind indicator. Having it near the landing area really helps build confidence with you have to make the approach manually. I hope this helps. It's never a good idea to fly anything if you don't know where the wind is coming from and how fast it is blowing.