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Dock keeps aborting landings in crosswinds above 10 m/s. Normal?

Started by Tom Becker on 29 October 20263 replies from 3 people

Tom BeckerOperations manager, GridSpan Utilities6 h agoWhatsApp

Our substation dock has aborted 4 of the last 9 landings, every time the gusts go past ~10 m/s crosswind. The drone hovers, tries twice, then goes to the backup landing spot. Is that normal or is something off?

Landing log, last 9 flightsPhoto

3 replies

Sara LindqvistFounder, Skyward Inspections6 h agoWhatsApp

Tom BeckerOur substation dock has aborted 4 of the last 9 landings, every time the gusts go past ~10 m/s crosswind. The drone hovers, tries twice, then goes to the backup landing spot. Is that normal or is something off?

Same here on the coast. Where's your weather station mounted? Ours was reading the wind in the dock's shadow, so it was way under the real number.

Priya NairSolutions engineer5 h agoWhatsApp

The answer

Normal. Most docks refuse a landing above about 10–12 m/s crosswind; the precise number is in your model's spec sheet. Three things help:

Move the anemometer clear of the dock and any wall, 2 m up if you can.
Give it a divert dock or a hover-and-wait of a few minutes. Gusts usually pass.
Plan on the forecast gusts, not the mean wind. That alone cut our aborts by more than half.

Tom BeckerOperations manager, GridSpan Utilities4 h agoWhatsApp

Priya NairNormal. Most docks refuse a landing above about 10–12 m/s crosswind; the precise number is in your model's spec sheet. Three things help: Move the anemometer clear of the dock and any wall, 2 m up if you can. Give it a divert dock or a hover-and-wait of a few minutes. Gusts usually pass. Plan on the forecast gusts, not the mean wind. That alone cut our aborts by more than half.

Moved the station this morning. Two landings since, both clean. Will report back after the weekend.

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