When Should You Decide Not to Fly an RC Plane?

Andres Soto · RC Fly Base founder and RC pilot

Most RC planes can fly in more wind than you would enjoy flying them in. The real question isn't whether the plane can get airborne — it's whether the whole flight, from takeoff to landing, is worth the risk.

I've learned that lesson the hard way a few times.

I learned this one the hard way

Early in my RC flying, I was pretty excited about the hobby. I also had a little one at home, so finding time to fly wasn't always easy.

One Friday, my wife told me she was going to lunch with our son and some of the ladies in her family. So I decided to load up my one and only plane at the time: my AeroScout.

I had recently put together an FPV setup and was excited to try it. I remember looking up the wind conditions and asking ChatGPT what was too much wind for an AeroScout.

The forecast was 21 mph winds, gusting to 26 mph.

I knew it was sketchy.

I went anyway.

I didn't actually fly FPV that day. Part of the reason was that I wanted to follow the AMA rules around FPV, which require a spotter. So instead I flew it line-of-sight.

Even getting into the air was a little challenging. The wind was coming across the runway, so I couldn't really use the runway the way I normally would. I ended up taking off from the grass.

Once it was in the air, though, the AeroScout was actually fine.

I flew a few laps and then decided it was time to land.

That's where things got difficult.

The strong headwind made it difficult to get the plane down and make progress toward the landing area. I ran out of room and ended up hitting a tree on the way down.

It wasn't a catastrophic crash, but I got my first wing nicks.

And then I made the classic RC pilot mistake:

"Well, it's already damaged. What's the worst that could happen?"

So I flew again.

The real problem wasn't that the AeroScout couldn't handle the wind. It was that the crosswind was gradually moving my flight path farther away from me. I wasn't taking the time to fly all the way back toward myself on every lap.

Eventually I got far enough away that I lost my sense of orientation.

I thought the plane was facing me because it wasn't getting any closer. I figured maybe I had somehow turned around.

Later, when I watched the video, I realized I actually had the orientation correct.

The plane was facing me.

It just wasn't making much headway because it was flying directly into the wind.

That was an important lesson.

When what you're seeing seems to contradict the plane's recent movement, trust the movement.

If the plane was clearly flying toward you two seconds ago and you haven't seen a major change in its direction, it is probably still flying toward you. Sun glare, distance, orientation and visual tricks can make a plane look like it is doing something it isn't.

Eventually I crash-landed the AeroScout and used a lot of glue to put my faithful Scout back together.

That plane has crashed several more times since then. But that first windy-day crash taught me something that I still use today:

Sometimes the plane can fly in the wind. That doesn't mean you should.

The hardest part isn't always flying

One of the biggest things I've learned about wind is that the air is often the easy part.

The plane can fly around just fine.

The difficult parts are often:

  • Taking off
  • Landing
  • Dealing with crosswinds
  • Keeping track of your position
  • Maintaining orientation
  • Getting back to the field when flying into the wind

That's why I don't think you can determine whether it's too windy simply by looking at the plane's maximum speed.

You have to think about the entire flight.

A plane might fly perfectly well once it's 100 feet in the air, but that doesn't help much if the wind makes the takeoff dangerous or the landing extremely difficult.

When I decide not to fly

For me, 20+ mph is usually where I start thinking seriously about staying home.

I can fly in it. I've done it.

But being able to fly doesn't mean I should.

If it's 22 mph gusting to 29 mph, I'm probably going to leave the plane in the car unless there's a really good reason to fly.

At the most recent Model Aviation Day, those were essentially the conditions. I decided to fly because it was a once-a-year event, but I landed after only about two and a half minutes.

It was safe enough to fly, but it wasn't fun.

Only a few of the pilots flew that day. A lot of people simply left their planes at home.

And honestly, that's probably the right decision sometimes.

There is nothing wrong with deciding that the conditions aren't worth it.

One safe landing doesn't mean you should immediately go back up and test your luck again.

That's probably the biggest lesson I've learned from my windy flights:

Learn when to call it.

RC flying is supposed to be fun. If the conditions have reached the point where you're constantly fighting the plane, mistakes are becoming much more dangerous, and you're no longer enjoying yourself, there isn't much reason to stay in the air.

Sometimes the best flight of the day is the one you decide not to take.

Check the weather before you head to the field

The forecast is only part of the picture.

Before I leave, I look at the forecast. When I get to the field, I watch the trees, any windsock, and whether other pilots are flying. A few minutes of watching another plane in the same conditions is often worth more than the forecast alone.

For a detailed breakdown of how I evaluate wind speed, gusts, direction and aircraft limits, see is it too windy to fly an RC plane?.

The decision isn't always about wind speed

A wind forecast can give you a number, but that number doesn't tell you everything.

You also have to think about:

  • The aircraft you're flying
  • Your experience level
  • Sustained wind
  • Gusts
  • Wind direction
  • Takeoff conditions
  • Landing conditions
  • Your ability to maintain orientation
  • Whether you're actually enjoying the flight

A plane being capable of flying in strong wind doesn't necessarily mean it's a good day to fly.

That's something I've learned from actually putting planes in those conditions. If you're trying to figure out where your own limit is, this breakdown of wind speed, gusts, and aircraft limits may help.

Sometimes the best flight is no flight

Deciding not to fly isn't a failure of skill. It's often the smartest call you can make.

The details in this article come from my actual flight records in RC Fly Base. Looking back at what I really flew, and in what conditions, has made it much easier to spot the difference between a challenging day and a day I should have skipped.

RC flying is supposed to be fun. When the wind turns the flight into a constant fight, the risk goes up and the enjoyment goes down. That's when the best decision is usually the simplest one:

Land the plane, pack it up, and go flying another day.