How to Fly a Drone in High Winds - 013
Forgive me for the eye-catching title, but I’m not sure how many folks would be interested in an article called, “How not to fly in high winds,” but I digress. There are many challenging factors we will point out besides the obvious “high wind warning” that some drones have built into their app.
Personal experience attracted me to this topic. I was asked by an author friend to do some aerial video and photo for a book with a theme that centered around a beachside mailbox in Sunset Beach, North Carolina (USA).
I was flying a large Yuneec Q500 at the time, which required putting the drone case on a handcart and walking a mile and a half to the mail. No sympathy necessary, but it did dawn on me how nice it would be to have a smaller drone.
As we closed in on the mailbox my author friend asked, “Are you going to be able to fly in this kind of (high) wind?” My response was that if the GPS stabilization is operational, we were in good shape, however, if the GPS quit working it would be all I could do to get the aircraft on the ground safely. Since the closest airport with weather reporting was many miles away, I had to rely on my own estimates about the winds. All I knew was that we were at maximum manufacturer wind parameters with occasional gusts.
Considering the maximum winds, it was time to survey the risk factors for the flight. The main advantage was that it was off season and the beach was deserted minus the occasional pedestrian, like the guy that thought it was a nude beach, anyway. Landing-wise, I had miles of beach with which to land the drone. GPS and stabilization were working, worst-case scenario if the GPS stopped, I could salvage some semblance of a landing on the beach.
Copyright 2023 Remote Pilot Association (TC Freeman)
Fortunately, the shoot went well, from a safety and customer standpoint. Never-the-less, it was interesting to see the props in a few frames, that was a first.
Next, we will break down all the factors and consideration when flying in high winds.
Wind and Weather (WX) Reports
Weather reports in the field away from airports (that have weather reporting, are not available, therefore it falls on the flight crew to determine wind. Sure, your drone may have high wind warnings, but it’s still falls on the pilot’s shoulders to have a rough idea of the winds (and overall weather).
You might be thinking at this point about the fancy app you have that provides weather information in any location, even away from an airport. While this is a neat service, these apps receive information from a variety of sources, which are not recognized as FAA approved weather. Use these type resources but understand the limitations.
Another option is to go old school with an anemometer, windsock and/or your old-fashioned senses. In the absence of official FAA approved weather reporting.
Weather geeks like myself will be familiar with the anemometer that’s part of a home weather station. There are handheld versions that have a small fan looking device, not the “cups” as with home WX stations, that measure windspeed. Care must be taken to orient the device according to the manufacturer instructions, which is typically into the predominant wind.
Windsocks are nice because they don’t require batteries and looking at another screen. Wind enters the large end of the “sock” and exits through the small end, indicating wind direction. Some windsocks are rated, meaning if it’s fully extended, for example, it’s indicating 20 mph of wind. I have a smaller, non-aviation windsock, which requires interpreting, which can be done with an FAA approved or home weather station. Using a small flag holder, it can be attached to a vehicle easily, just make sure to be in a clear area without obstructions (or the least you can find).
When it comes to weather and the regulations, it’s important to have a record of checking FAA weather sources, like calling or going online to the FAA Automated Service Stations at 1800WXbrief.com (the contractor the FAA uses for weather services). If you set up an account, you can set it up to show weather reports in your area on your home (main) screen. Fortunately, more third-party apps and websites are being approved every year.
Aircraft Limitations
Drone manufacturers publish wind limitations in the manufactures, or owner’s manual. Basically, the manual will state the maximum wind approved for the drone.
As mentioned, many manufactures drone app will notify the pilot of high wind. How does it determine if there’s an upper wind limit breach? My best, non-technical explanation is that if the drone stabilization programming senses it is having to compensate to a large degree to maintain stabilization, it will equate that to high winds.
One point to consider: Manned aviation has seen cases where manned pilots knowingly flew above maximum manufacturer crosswind (component) limits that resulted in an accident. During the trial the attorney for the other side points out to the jury that the pilot violated manufacturer set limitations.
This is an important consideration for the macho drone pilots that believe flying well above recommended winds makes them better than other pilots.
I can easily geek-out about how impressive the stabilization systems and wind warning technology is on modern drones. However, our advice is to use them, but not as a crutch.
Experience
It goes without saying, the more experience a pilot has typically means they can fly in higher winds. The only disclaimer is that not all experience is created equal, if the pilot has only been flying on very nice days it will show up negatively during high winds. However, as a rule, experience pays.
A practical plan is to fly in high winds to gain said experience, but you might ask, “How do I get experience without crashing my drone?” My suggestion is to determine the highest wind you feel comfortable, that’s also below the manufacturer’s guidelines, and go out in slightly higher wind. Once comfortable, pick a windier day to extend that number a couple of miles per hour.
I give the analogy to my students that expanding wind tolerance is like lifting weights, add a little more weight each time you work out until your body becomes accustomed, then go up a little more. When pushing the upper limit, it’s a good idea to have a spotter, to use a weightlifting term. In our case, a spotter would be a flight instructor that can help a drone pilot safely expand their flying envelope.
Risk Factors
The examination of risk before a flight is important. As with the Sunset Beach shoot mentioned in the beginning of the article consider factors like people, alternative/emergency landing, etc. I didn’t realize it until well in to writing this article, the key factors outlines are basically a version of the FAAs PAVE risk assessment acronym (while not in the exact order). PAVE stands for Pilot, Aircraft, eVironment and External factors. Flight team should examine each category and brainstorm if there are any risk factors associated with each one.
In conclusion, flying in legal high wind may require a drone pilot to fly in another mode besides “cine-mode,” like “sport mode” for instance. Wind and wind gust can necessitate allowing for multiple takes, as this variable can make it difficult to get on the first take. Don’t forget that flying in wind can make landings tricky too. Get out there, be safe, and practice.
TC Freeman is the Chief Instructor for the RemotePilotAssociation.com (RPA) and has a passion for helping recreational and commercial drone pilots learn to fly and earn FAA commercial Remote drone Pilot certification through live, hybrid or self-study courses.
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