I am planning to visit Orkney at the beginning of September. I understand that it can be very windy there.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for drone flying or recommendations for good TOAL sites and good drone subjects?
Hi, I envy you as I hear it’s lovely up there. Best to check the bumpf about your drone and check the max wind speeds it can fly in. Also check a weather app (Windy is good) & buy an anemometer.
With these tools check the wind speed BUT also check for gusts!
If you feel you drone is being blown away toggle the remote to Sport mode, land it and go to the pub. Good luck!
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Used to go over to Orkney often as a kid, but haven’t been back for about 5 years. Never got the chance to fly over there, so can’t help with practical TOAL experience… but yes, it can be quite breezy and changes quite rapidly with height (Caithness is just over the water and has similar challenges - had a pretty interesting time trying to keep the Mini2 up a couple of weeks back).
Couple of thoughts on things to be aware of in planning…
Orkney has a lot of little airports and a quick look on DroneScene confirms there are seven different FRZs to watch out for.
You’ll see some of the best neolithic archaeology in the world. But be aware that it’s mostly managed by Historic Environment Scotland and they do have rules…
On a non-drone note - if you’re planning on doing the neolithic sites, plan ahead and book your visits. Gone are the days when you could just rock up at Maeshowe and wander across the field for a look. Guided tours these days.
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Those “rules” seem to be trying it on - you can take off from land outside their control, but mustn’t fly over their land. They don’t seem to understand the law.
