Being a drone hobbyist is a fun but sometimes frustrating experience. Depending on where you live, you may find that the weather frequently prevents you from flying due to rain, storms, or strong winds. However, many pilots still decide to fly in windy conditions despite the higher potential for drone damage.

When you’re flying your drone in risky conditions, you need to be aware of the max wind speed your drone can handle to prevent accidents. Safe wind speed varies with each DJI drone, so it’s essential to check what the safe wind speed is for your drone before you take flight.

The max wind speed is listed in your drone’s user manual. We are posting those same details below, as well as tips on flying safely in windy conditions.

Max wind speed resistance for DJI drones range from 18 – 24 mph, depending on your model. Read on to learn what your model's max wind speed resistance is.

The Dangers of Flying in Windy Conditions

There are many dangers to flying in the wind, particularly in extremely stormy conditions. Strong winds can make it tricky for you to launch or land your drone safely. Flying in these conditions can also prove to be extremely dangerous for your drone and can potentially lead to accidents where your quadcopter may get heavily scratched, or parts such as propellers snapped or broke.

Related post: Can I Fly My DJI Drone in the Rain?

There have been numerous reports of hobbyists losing or crashing their drones when flying in windy conditions as they forget to monitor their quadcopter’s battery levels. When flying in windy conditions, quadcopter’s may use more battery power to fly, particularly when moving against the wind. Many hobbyists also underestimate the time it takes for a quadcopter to return to them for a landing, resulting in the drone powering off mid-flight due to an empty battery.

Other users have reported accidents due to unexpected and jarring movements by the quadcopter as the drone gets pushed by gusts of winds, or it struggles with turbulence. Crashes or other accidents become more likely if the drone is flown in small spaces or too close to nearby objects like trees or houses.

If you’re flying in windy conditions, it will be visible that your drone is not leveled horizontally and may be hovering or operating at a tilt. This is because the drone is compensating for the wind. Pilots will also hear the motor and propellers working harder when flying in these conditions.

Lastly, you may notice that your drone moves much slower when flying against the wind because it's working harder to move and is consuming more battery power. While this may spark panic, don't worry, this is normal and is just the drone struggling under the current conditions.

Flying Your Drone in the Wind: The Best Tips

Fly Against and then With the Wind

If you are flying in windy conditions, it's a good idea to first fly against the wind when launching the drone as you'll have a fresh battery with lots of power. Then, when it comes to returning home for a landing on a weaker battery, you can fly with the wind, helping it push the drone back. Still, flying home and landing in conditions like this may prove to be complicated.

Monitor Your Battery Level

When flying your drone in these dangerous conditions, you’ll need to keep an eye on your battery level. As mentioned above, many accidents occur because users don’t realize that their drone’s battery may deplete faster because it’s working harder. So if you notice that your quadcopter’s battery is draining fast, it’s a good idea to return home and move in for a landing.

Try To Fly in an Open Space

If you are flying in windy conditions, we recommend that you fly in an open space, especially if you are still relatively new to the hobby. While the wind may be stronger in unprotected spaces, an open space will have the least restraints and will allow you to work out, practice, and learn how your drone reacts to varying winds. It will also help minimize the chance of an accident occurring due to the lack of objects.

Just Fly a Short Distance

Avoid flying your drone out of eye site during risky conditions. Try to keep a relatively conservative distance both in front of you and above the ground. This will reduce the distance your drone has to fly to return home for a landing and can help prevent your drone from crashing into nearby objects. It will also help alleviate the issue of losing your drone if it shuts down because of dying battery power.

Keep Speeds Slow

While all DJI quadcopters have a maximum wind speed that pilots should adhere to, it' a better idea to keep under these listed speeds. Flying slower will help you avoid unexpected movements when unexpected gusts of wind or turbulence appear. Lower flying speeds also help pilots control the quadcopter more efficiently, which is a significant advantage during dangerous flying conditions.

Wind Speeds for DJI Drones

If you're flying your drone in windy conditions, you should follow the max wind speed instructions detailed in each DJI drone's user manual. As already mentioned, the maximum wind speed varies from drone to drone, so make sure to look this up before flying in windy conditions. If you cannot find your drone user manual, you can either visit the DJI drone website or take a look below.

Mavic Mini

Equipped with a 3-axis gimbal and a 2.7k camera, the new Mavic Mini has a flight time of 30 minutes. Weighing in at a slight 249g, the Mavic Mini can fly in wind speeds up to 18 mph.

Spark

Released in 2017, the DJI Spark was designed to be an affordable drone and remains one of the cheapest DJI quadcopters around. The drone is capable of shooting 1080p video and has a total flight time of around 16 minutes when flying consistently at a speed of 20 kph. The DJI Spark can be flown in wind speeds up to 22 mph.

Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro was released back in 2016 and was the first drone in the Mavic series. Capable of recording 4K video, the drone has a maximum flight time of 27 minutes. The Mavic Pro can be flown in wind speeds of up to 22 mph.

Mavic Air

The Mavic Air was first released in 2018 and is known as a pocket-sized portable drone that can be taken anywhere. With a total flight time of 21 minutes, the DJI Mavic Air drone can withstand wind speeds of up to 22 mph.

Mavic Air 2

Released on April 27'th of 2020, the Mavic Air 2 saw many upgrades over the original Mavic Air. We now get a max flight time of 34 minutes and with OcuSync 2.0 we have a max transmission range of over 6 miles! The Mavic Air 2 can withstand wind speeds up to 23 mph.

Mavic 2 Pro

The Mavic 2 Pro, which was released in 2018, can be flown in max wind speeds of 24 mph. The popular drone can reach a maximum speed of 45 mph with no wind. It has an awesome max flight time of 31 minutes when flown consistently at 16 mph.

Mavic 2 Zoom

The Mavic 2 Zoom was also released in 2018 and included 10 obstacle avoidance sensors on all sides of the quadcopter. What sets the Mavic 2 Zoom apart is its 2x optical zoom feature. Similarly to the Mavic 2 Pro, DJI’s Mavic Zoom has a maximum flight time of 31 minutes and has a max wind resistance of 24 mph.

Phantom 4 Pro

The Phantom 4 Pro and 4 Pro V2.0 both feature similar specs. According to DJI’s documentation, the Phantom 4 Pro and Pro V2.0 share the same max wind speeds of 22 mph in order to remain safe.

Inspire 1

The DJI Inspire 1 was first released in 2014 and was designed for professional drone pilots rather than hobbyists. This quadcopter is capable of shooting 4K video and can fly for 18 minutes when there is no wind. The max wind speed is 22 mph for the Inspire 1.

Inspire 2

Released in 2017, the Inspire 2 drone is a second high-end professional drone. This quadcopter is capable of shooting video in 6K, can capture up to 30 FPS, and has a flight time between 23 and 27 minutes (depending on the camera you mount). When it comes to flying in the wind, the max wind speed is 22 mph for the Inspire 2.

Stay Safe in the Wind

Now you know what the maximum wind speed is for each of the DJI quadcopters, you’ll be able to fly safely in the wind Following the five tips listed above will ensure the safety of your drone. You will prevent accidents from occurring while keeping your drone damage-free.