Question, do the propeller guards affect the flight on the Mavic Air 2?

Are there any considerations to be aware of when using the guards? ie. aerodynamic fluctuations? etc.

Thanks everyone and Happy and Safe Flying

They will add a bit of weight but not much, my concern would be with the sail area they add for catching the wind and added drag.
They would also add to the set up and pack away times.
I doubt many people use them unless flying in 'tricky' areas.

They work great, I use them from time to time, mostly when I was a new flyer. They do shorten your flight time because of the effects on aerodynamics. I would recommend them to all.

Hello there Cacike47. Good day and thank you for reaching out. Just a reminder that DJI Mavic Air 2 the propeller guards ( https://store.dji.com/product/mavic-air-2-propeller-guard ) help reduce the risk of damage or injury and these propeller guard protect people and objects from spinning propellers by mounting this small and light propeller guard to ensure a long, safe flight. It is recommended to use propeller guards in windless environments or during indoor and low-speed flight as well. Thank you.

Are there any considerations to be aware of when using the guards?
Prop guards are great.
Great for:
Increasing the weight of the drone
Reducing battery time
Reducing the drone's speed and ability to cope with wind
Catching a strong wind like a sail and making it hard to come back against a headwind.

If you are thinking that propguards might be the answer, a better answer is to fly somewhere else.
Prop guards do have their place ... but that's mostly indoors.

Labroides Posted at 6-9 20:46
Are there any considerations to be aware of when using the guards?
Prop guards are great.
Great for:

Prop guards do have their place ... but that's mostly indoors.

Couldn't agree more.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-10 06:10
Prop guards do have their place ... but that's mostly indoors.

Couldn't agree more.

I haven't flown with the guards yet but I bought them just in case. But now I see I have no need to use then since I fly mostly over water. Thanks for the help.

Labroides Posted at 6-9 20:46
Are there any considerations to be aware of when using the guards?
Prop guards are great.
Great for:

Thanks for allowing me to "see the light".
I don't see a need to use them since I do not intentionally fly over people. Now that you have pointed out all the risks, I doubt I will ever use them. HFTA!!

DJI Stephen Posted at 6-9 19:52
Hello there Cacike47. Good day and thank you for reaching out. Just a reminder that DJI Mavic Air 2 the propeller guards ( https://store.dji.com/product/mavic-air-2-propeller-guard ) help reduce the risk of damage or injury and these propeller guard protect people and objects from spinning propellers by mounting this small and light propeller guard to ensure a long, safe flight. It is recommended to use propeller guards in windless environments or during indoor and low-speed flight as well. Thank you.

Stephan, thank you for your input. I don't intentionally look to fly over people and I fly mainly over water with no risk to anyone. I have my Part 107 which I obtained just to abide by the FAA regulations and to avoid any issues from "inquiring minds." Love my MA2.... Happy Flying to All.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 6-9 12:25
They will add a bit of weight but not much, my concern would be with the sail area they add for catching the wind and added drag.
They would also add to the set up and pack away times.
I doubt many people use them unless flying in 'tricky' areas.

I really appreciate everyone's advice and I will consider using them if the need arises but like I mentioned before I fly mostly over NY Hudson river and the only risk is dropping into the water.

Cacike47 Posted at 6-10 12:23
I haven't flown with the guards yet but I bought them just in case. But now I see I have no need to use then since I fly mostly over water. Thanks for the help.

You're welcome.    Hang onto them in case weather gets too bad to fly for several days and at least you can fly indoors a bit safer then.  

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Cacike47 Posted at 6-10 12:35
I really appreciate everyone's advice and I will consider using them if the need arises but like I mentioned before I fly mostly over NY Hudson river and the only risk is dropping into the water.

Be careful flying too low over water.  I reside on a large live aboard boat and fly almost exclusively over water and I've had a couple of close calls.  I also scuba dive recreationally and have recovered a friend of my grandson's Air 2S in 25 feet of water.  He "swore" he was 3' above the water but obvious he was wrong and took a dunking.  

I also have to hand launch/recover my drones as a norm so I had to master that quickly.  Comes in handy if I'm out on a smaller boat and can easily launch and recover.

Cacike47 Posted at 6-10 12:32
Stephan, thank you for your input. I don't intentionally look to fly over people and I fly mainly over water with no risk to anyone. I have my Part 107 which I obtained just to abide by the FAA regulations and to avoid any issues from "inquiring minds." Love my MA2.... Happy Flying to All.

Hi there Cacike47. Thank you for the reply and for these additional information. Have a safe and a happy flying always. .

In the past I used Propeller Guards all the time, I consider those propellers as whirling knives.  But, there are many who do hand landings/takeoff, and they say it is safe "for them."  Now, I have not been using them, and I enjoy longer flights.  Recently when I lost the Mini2 into a 50 feet tall Palm Tree, the propeller guards (had they been on) MAY have helped, as it was the Mini2 came through with a smudge, but all else works fine.  Do what YOU feel comfortable with.

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-11 04:56
You're welcome.    Hang onto them in case weather gets too bad to fly for several days and at least you can fly indoors a bit safer then.  

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Great advice, I wish had you advice and these props back in 2020 when I was so desperate to fly that I flew inside my home and made a bad turn that cost me a minor repair.

Bob-Mini-2 Posted at 6-30 11:10
In the past I used Propeller Guards all the time, I consider those propellers as whirling knives.  But, there are many who do hand landings/takeoff, and they say it is safe "for them."  Now, I have not been using them, and I enjoy longer flights.  Recently when I lost the Mini2 into a 50 feet tall Palm Tree, the propeller guards (had they been on) MAY have helped, as it was the Mini2 came through with a smudge, but all else works fine.  Do what YOU feel comfortable with.

Thank you for your advice, I have no problem using them, I just wanted to know if there was an potential setback or risk to account for before using them. Enjoy the summer.

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-11 05:01
Be careful flying too low over water.  I reside on a large live aboard boat and fly almost exclusively over water and I've had a couple of close calls.  I also scuba dive recreationally and have recovered a friend of my grandson's Air 2S in 25 feet of water.  He "swore" he was 3' above the water but obvious he was wrong and took a dunking.  

I also have to hand launch/recover my drones as a norm so I had to master that quickly.  Comes in handy if I'm out on a smaller boat and can easily launch and recover.

Aah! that's a good tip, Downtown, I have always worried when I take off if I'm too close to water. I try to go up to 80 feet before taking off over the water and I try to stay higher. Once I fly to close to a boat that was anchored offshore. I hit one of the mast cable and watched in terror as the drone started to free fall.
Miraculously, the Air2 righted itself and came home.  i never have come close to any boat or ship again, and that's also when I realized that DJI is #1.

Cacike47 Posted at 7-2 18:01
Great advice, I wish had you advice and these props back in 2020 when I was so desperate to fly that I flew inside my home and made a bad turn that cost me a minor repair.

Well you know what they say....hindsight is always better than foresight.  We all learn from our mistakes.  

Cacike47 Posted at 7-2 18:05
Thank you for your advice, I have no problem using them, I just wanted to know if there was an potential setback or risk to account for before using them. Enjoy the summer.

You're very welcome Cacike.  

You too have a wonderful summer and keep on flying.  

Cacike47 Posted at 7-2 18:05
Thank you for your advice, I have no problem using them, I just wanted to know if there was an potential setback or risk to account for before using them. Enjoy the summer.

You have a good summer as well.  I am going to get some propeller guards for the Mavic Air2, and perhaps some of the less noisy propellers.

Yes, they will affect the aerodynamics and add some weight but usually it is marginal and relevant only on windy conditions. I use them indoors, and even then, sometimes.

OCristo Posted at 7-24 17:17
Yes, they will affect the aerodynamics and add some weight but usually it is marginal and relevant only on windy conditions. I use them indoors, and even then, sometimes.

Thanks for the tip.
I haven't flown much this year but hopefully the weather here in NY will cool down long enough to get a relaxing flight in. Have a great summer