I have noticed that there are a lot of flyers are experiencing problems with flying in the wind.

I see that the RTH / Return To Home flight mode is P which has a maximum speed of 18mph, is it possible to manually switch to S mode via the App during the RTH to give to MM a max speed of 30mph without stopping the RTH.

Please DJI could you update the firmware so as when a blow away is being detected during the RTH the MM automatically switch's to S mode to try and combat the wind.

18 mph into 18 mph wind = zero ground  speed, and so on. If it's hovering in 18mph wind, It is already flying at 18 mph.

Any penetration can only be made if the craft can exceed the wind speed.

Try rowing upstream at 4 mph in a 4mph current.  You're not going anywhere.......

The craft attempts to make the requested ground speed until it can't, and it will eat into the sport speed to attempt this on its own.

Going downwind it will attempt to check its groundspeed to avoid adding the windspeed to its total, and may well be moving with
respect to the ground, even though it is in fact hovering.

Best not to fly in that much wind.

Hello and good day grahamjohnson10. Thank you for sharing these information and your valued insights with us. Rest assured that these information will be forwarded to the designated DJI department for further attention. Just a reminder that the DJI Mavic Mini has a max wind speed resistance of 8 m/s ( Scale 4 ). Thank you and have a safe flight always.

If the wind is strong and there is any issue with GPS, AC goes in to Atti mode and good bye drone.
I agree coming home in S can help in manmy situations, I miss having a button on the controller dedicated to S mode. It takes a bit switching from the APP.

DAFlys Posted at 12-9 05:06
Best not to fly in that much wind.

unfortunately wind speed around here changes in a minute and the wind where you are is quite different from the wind up and out there where the drone is located.  where i live, you wouldn't be able to fly at all unless the forecast calls for calm.

Same here.  People who live in calm areas just have no idea what wind really is!

I was encouraged to get the mini based on so many reviews I saw where it's good performance in wind was applauded.

However, people's idea of wind is relative to their own experience and what is common in their location.

What we call calm here might be considered to be quite windy somewhere else.

I remember going on a vacation to Hawaii once.  As our luck would have it, the islands were struck by a hurricane while we were there.  There were dire warnings, and when it happened, we all stayed outside playing and enjoying the vacation.  The locals were all warning us to go inside, but the weather was so much nicer, even during the hurricane, than what we left behind at home, that we didn't want to waste it.

60 MPH winds did a lot of damage on the island.  But what we have here that time of year is 80 mph winds with snow and sub zero temperatures.

It's all relative!

It weighs 249grams. Get yourself an Inspire or Mavic 2 pro. More suited to windy breezy conditions.

Given unlimited funds, I'd have had a Mavic 2 pro and a Mavic 2 zoom some time ago.  ;)

But you're right.  A more powerful drone would be a much better choice here.  I'll just have to be limited to very calm days here with the mini.

C'mon Guys,

Its a VERY SMALL drone!!  Try to remember the VOLUME of air those little bitty teeny tiny props can move.  Max RPM will only get you so much forward movement.

I'd say keep it close in wind over 5mph, and in an open area!!  Many experienced flyers can certainly deal with more wind than that, but the entry level pilot should be more wary!!

Randy

5mph?  Well, that pretty well eliminates using it here... ever.

DJI Stephen Posted at 12-9 08:56
Hello and good day grahamjohnson10. Thank you for sharing these information and your valued insights with us. Rest assured that these information will be forwarded to the designated DJI department for further attention. Just a reminder that the DJI Mavic Mini has a max wind speed resistance of 8 m/s ( Scale 4 ). Thank you and have a safe flight always.

The RTH speed is the same speed as P mode which is 18 mph.

I have been flying drones for about 7 years and totally agree that you should research the conditions before flying.

The problem with the MM is because of it's low price, it's going to be a lot of peoples first drone.

Is you probably already know there have already been blow aways.

S mode on the MM is about 30 mph so therefore if someone hits RTH in a lets say 23 mph head wind it's not going to make it back home.



I have noticed from videos that the P-Mode still shows during the RTH so it should be possible to switch it to S-Mode during the RTH.

So it would make sense for DJI to alter the firmware to detect a blow away as the distance is getting greater in RTH instead of less and automatically switch to S-Mode.

They should also change the silly "incerificant force error" to read "Very Windy".  

I went out to fly yesterday, the winds were calm on the ground, I went up about 50 feet and I immediately saw the Mini struggling, I landed it and put it away.

This site and app is pretty good at forecasting the wind at ground level and at different altitudes. The forecast for my neck of the woods is not looking good for flying a 249g drone anytime soon. I can wait or I can buy a bigger drone.

https://www.uavforecast.com/

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 11:36
The RTH speed is the same speed as P mode which is 18 mph.

I have been flying drones for about 7 years and totally agree that you should research the conditions before flying.

You're right about the low price of the mini being what's encouraging a lot of us to finally buy our first drone.

The low weight is also encouraging to new fliers because it allows them to fly without registering, which probably spooks a lot of people just wanting to start out.

So those things combine to make this an ideal "first drone", and this is echoed in the many reviews and demonstrations we see on YouTube and elsewhere.

The first drone I ever saw flown, in person, was the original Mavic.   The thing performed amazingly well, flying far, and well, and returning against the wind nicely here.  So it worked just fine, in some wind, and at this elevation.

And various reviews have shown the mini flying at up to 10,000 feet of elevation and with the reviewers commenting on how well it does in the wind.

So people's expectations have been high.  I know mine are (were).  ;)

I'm OK with only being able to fly in relatively calm conditions.  I guess it remains to be seen if things are ever "calm enough" here, though.  So far, I haven't had the guts to take it outside, and based on forecasts, it's not gonna happen for at least the next 10 days unless I want to fly at night.  It's often far more calm at night here.

Hmmmm.  Dangerous windy conditions flying versus dangerous night flying.  ;)

tcg550 Posted at 12-9 11:53
I went out to fly yesterday, the winds were calm on the ground, I went up about 50 feet and I immediately saw the Mini struggling, I landed it and put it away.

This site and app is pretty good at forecasting the wind at ground level and at different altitudes. The forecast for my neck of the woods is not looking good for flying a 249g drone anytime soon. I can wait or I can buy a bigger drone.

Wow.  That's a really handy site!  Thanks for posting the link.

Well:  I'm boned (as Bender would say).  ;)


Wow, it even looks at space weather!  (KP index).  Great site!

From:

https://www.uavforecast.com/

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 11:36
The RTH speed is the same speed as P mode which is 18 mph.

I have been flying drones for about 7 years and totally agree that you should research the conditions before flying.

You are the pilot in command of that drone. It's your responsibility for go/no go flight. A drone shouldn't tell you it's too windy to fly.   

Sigmo Posted at 12-9 10:25
Same here.  People who live in calm areas just have no idea what wind really is!

I was encouraged to get the mini based on so many reviews I saw where it's good performance in wind was applauded.

People who live in calm areas just have no idea what wind really is!

Around these here parts, it is considered windy when a gate chain is flapping.  

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 11:36
The RTH speed is the same speed as P mode which is 18 mph.

I have been flying drones for about 7 years and totally agree that you should research the conditions before flying.

It will most certainly make it back home in 23 mph wind with RTH invoked at precisely 7 mph.

https://aviationhumor.net/wyoming-wind-sock/

The Saint Posted at 12-9 10:07
unfortunately wind speed around here changes in a minute and the wind where you are is quite different from the wind up and out there where the drone is located.  where i live, you wouldn't be able to fly at all unless the forecast calls for calm.

Sell it and use the money to get a Mavic 2 pro which are on closeout sale before Mavic 3 launches or get Mavic 3 next year.

Sigmo Posted at 12-9 12:14
Wow.  That's a really handy site!  Thanks for posting the link.

Well:  I'm boned (as Bender would say).  ;)

I used to use uavforcast but now I use https://oktofly.com/

Bright Spark Posted at 12-9 13:36
It will most certainly make it back home in 23 mph wind with RTH invoked at precisely 7 mph.

Sorry as far as I can see RTH only uses P mode so therefore it can only do 18 mph and will fly away at -6 mph.

I would love someone to test doing a RTH in S mode and see if it does 30 mph and still stay in RTH mode.

Just imagine the same people that are struggling to subtract 2 numbers, 18 & 23 are the same people out there flying. LOL

Third time is a charm - any other answers? We have it making RTH progress at 7 MPH and one at it would lose ground at 6 MPH.

Just messing with you LOL

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 17:25
Sorry as far as I can see RTH only uses P mode so therefore it can only do 18 mph and will fly away at -6 mph.

I would love someone to test doing a RTH in S mode and see if it does 30 mph and still stay in RTH mode.

It's more subtle than that.
It 's its ground speed that is at max  of 18 in  p mode.
The 'throttle' is a fly by wire control.
Simplifying the maths  a bit, if you  set  it in a 15 mph wind at 15 mph speed  and  then set some yaw it will describe a near perfect circle at 15 mph ground speed , when observed from the ground.
To do this it will automatically adjust its AIRspeed from 30 mph on the upwind leg to zero on the downwind leg.
If you run around in circle holding a paper windmill in breeze you will see the airspeed vary as above.
Only in this way can it keep a constant ground speed, since the wind is infinitely variable.
To RTH at constant 18mph, it will use all its speed  until the windspeed beats it,around 40 mph I guess,  when the quad will blow its mind and you'll call it a flyaway.

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 17:21
I used to use uavforcast but now I use https://oktofly.com/

Well, that site confirms that I'm boned for the foreseeable future as well.  

But that's another good site.  Thanks for the link!

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 17:21
I used to use uavforcast but now I use https://oktofly.com/

That's a nice find thanks, the fact that you can see more days and hours is very useful!

Sigmo Posted at 12-10 00:09
Well, that site confirms that I'm boned for the foreseeable future as well.  

But that's another good site.  Thanks for the link!

Same here in the UK.

grahamjohnson10 Posted at 12-9 11:36
The RTH speed is the same speed as P mode which is 18 mph.

I have been flying drones for about 7 years and totally agree that you should research the conditions before flying.

Thank you for sharing these additional information with us grahamjohnson10. These information will also be forwarded to the designated DJI department for further attention. Thank you.