Drone exam · Meteorology

The average wind is 7 m/s, but repeated gusts reach 12 m/s and the aircraft limit is 12 m/s. Why is the average alone a poor basis for launch?

Answer

Plan against the gusts and the expected variation, not just the average. With gusts already touching the limit, there is no useful margin for stronger bursts, turbulence, or measurement error.

Explanation

A maximum wind value is a boundary, not a target. Gust spread matters because the aircraft must remain controllable throughout the variation, not only during the calm part of the minute.