Guide
Drone wind resistance, in plain English.
The number on the spec sheet is the strongest sustained wind the manufacturer will still call flyable. It is not a dare, and it is not measured at 400 ft AGL.
DJI usually quotes a Beaufort style level plus m/s. Level 5 is about 10.7 to 12 m/s. Level 4 is closer to 8 m/s, typical of a DJI Neo. Gusts can blow through that number while the 10 m average still looks fine.
Sustained vs gusts
Sustained wind is what the rating describes. Gusts are the kicks. If you only watch a single “wind speed” widget, you are often looking at the mean. A Mini class quad cares about the kick. This site takes the worse of the two at each height.
Why 10 m is not 400 ft
Phone weather and many airports report near 10 m. US recreational ceiling is about 120 m. The same front can be a breeze at your knees and over the rating at the top of the envelope. That is the gap the field check is built to show: 10 m, 80 m, and 120 m.
How windy is too windy
Too windy is when peak wind or gusts eat the buffer on your airframe, not when a forum says “15 mph.” A Mini 4 Pro and an Air 3S do not share a limit. How the call works uses about 65% for caution and 85% for no go. Those are planning thresholds, not law.
Trees, flags, and the sound of the props still beat an app. If they disagree, stay down.
Questions
- What wind speed is safe for a drone?
- There is no single number. Use the published limit for that model, then stay well under it. On this site, caution starts around 65% of the limit and no go around 85%, including gusts at 10 m, 80 m, and 120 m.
- What is Level 5 wind resistance?
- On DJI’s scale, Level 5 is roughly 10.7 to 12 m/s sustained (about 24 to 27 mph). It is a manufacturer class, not a guarantee at 400 ft. See the levels guide for Level 4 and Level 6.
- Is wind speed the same as gust speed?
- No. Sustained wind is the average. Gusts are short spikes. Ratings are usually sustained. A gust at the rating is still a problem for a light airframe.
- How does altitude affect drone wind?
- Wind often increases with height. 120 m can be several meters per second above what you feel at takeoff. That is why a ground reading alone is a poor go / no go.
- Does advertised wind resistance guarantee a safe flight?
- No. It is a spec sheet ceiling in a test condition. Terrain, rotors, rain, and battery all sit outside that number. You still decide.