Morning all,

  I few new-b questions for those who have flown more than me ( that would be most of you )

1) how much wind is TOO much wind for a P4P+ to fly

2) is it possible to keep the beginner mode joy stick control ( soften the actions ) but raise the distance and hight for a flght ?  Or I guess the question should be can I get the same softer controls without being in beginner mode ?  

as to Q #1,  I realize that any wind above ( or even aproching ) the max speed of the bird will result in a fly away - just wondering if there is a accepted rule of thumb...

Thanks
Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I believe the manual says above 16 mph winds is not recommended but I would use your best judgement based on environment and skill level.
You have the ability to control how the stick responds (fast or slow) by leaving the controller in P mode, take it out of beginner mode, and only move the stick slightly. The P4P will only respond quickly if full stick is commanded in any direction, and very quickly if in "S" or sport mode. Slight movements of the stick will result in slow movement of the P4P. Very easy to fly.

Let me preface my response with the following:  Baby steps, dude!

1)  Listed max speed for the Phantom 4 Pro:

S-mode: 45 mph (72 kph)
A-mode: 36 mph (58 kph)
P-mode: 31 mph (50 kph)

You certainly shouldn't use the max speed for each mode as a guide for whether or not you should fly.  First, rarely will you have a wind that blows at a constant speed.  Second, ground level wind and winds at altitude are rarely the same.  Third, GUSTS!  Finally, as you pointed out, you are a newbie -- we don't want to read your very next post starting with:  "Uh guys, the wind caught my Phantom..."

2)  Yes.  You can adjust Expo, Stick Filtering and Gain.  Go to MC Settings -> Advanced Settings.  
(Once again, baby steps!)

I usually fly when the wind speed is 13 MPH or less because I always take video. I have flown my P4/P3P in wind speeds of ~20 MPH but don't recommend that. The bird can handle it but it's just a pain to get and keep things framed and lined up like you want. With my P4P I have flown in winds between 15 and 19 MPH but that was because I had a new bird and wanted to fly. I was getting flights in whenever I could between rain, snow, etc.

As for your 2nd question, yes, you can soften the actions in the DJI Go app. I have found several useful YouTube video tutorials about which settings to adjust and by how much. I'm away from my drone now or would rattle some of them off but the videos aren't hard to find. Also, check out the Tripod flight mode for a more stable camera platform.

"is a accepted rule of thumb..."
The most important wind rule is:
Never fly away downwind in a strong wind situation because it will mean a hard time getting back.
Be aware that winds higher up will be stronger.

Yes, to be on the safe side, as Labroides said, when it is quite windy it is smarter to fly upwind first so that you will not have any trouble getting back (either from the battery life or high wind) and then return with the wind (can you say high speeds?  :-).   

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-1-27 15:31
Yes, to be on the safe side, as Labroides said, when it is quite windy it is smarter to fly upwind first so that you will not have any trouble getting back (either from the battery life or high wind) and then return with the wind (can you say high speeds?  :-).

Thanks for the pointers on the stick settings - I will play with them after watching some of the videos on the web.  

Wind - you all have confirmed what I felt was a baseline and I will get a better feel for it as I fly more, for now I will stick to calm-ish days to be sure.   I do not want to be posting that my bird flew the coop

Kevin