Drone exam · Operational procedures

A drone uses only 25 percent battery reaching the far end of a route with a strong tailwind. The pilot thinks this proves there is enough energy to add another kilometre. What is missing from that reasoning?

Answer

The return leg may face the same wind as a headwind and demand much more power. The pilot should evaluate the most demanding expected leg and preserve the planned reserve.

Explanation

Outbound consumption is not a reliable predictor of return consumption when wind direction changes the aircraft's power requirement.