The real flight time?

[R.Perry]

DJI states that I should be able to fly the Inspire 2 for 25 minutes, and my 4P4 about the same. That advertised flight time must be in perfect conditions with brand new batteries, no wind, and not taking any photos or videos.

Yesterday on my job site was pushing the 100 degree mark, and I was shooting a lot of photos, and moving around a lot. I averaged 15 minutes on my batteries. It was hot and windy to the point I was getting wind warnings. To accomplish two hours of flying time I used eight pairs of batteries.

These batteries have very good cell voltages, and all within 0.01 volt, they are fairly new. The one thing I don't know is the cell resistance on a new battery verses the ones I now have.

I would like to hear what others are getting for flight time on the P4P or either the inspire 1 or 2.

 

[BigAl07]

While I'm not flying either of those platforms I can give some "general" input from a lot of flight hours.

A) The flight times from the manufacturer are just like the MPG sticker on new cars. Those figures are created in a controlled environment, with perfect equipment, and by a trained flight professional who is very good at "pushing" flight/MPG numbers.

B) High Wind will always suck the life out of your batteries because the AC is having to use extra energy to compensate for the wind.

C) Older batteries (with higher resistance) will lose their punch requiring even more energy to maintain/compensate for the wind.

D) The Flight Engineers who help "create" the estimated flight times tend to push the limits of the aircraft because what have THEY got to lose?

E) Flight times are very much "fudged" by Marketing Professionals.

That's my 2 cents LOL

 

[AIA.AI]

On my P4 Pro using a Hi capacity battery, I’m getting close to 23-24 minutes and that’s taking batteries down to 30% mark (which I normally try not to do).

Mind you- my jobs are usually taking sets of 34 pictures around the structure’s: corners, sides and above (for 360x180)...or photos/video at various altitude- and I’m done...

As for my Inspire 2(x4s), I just got it and haven’t flown it, yet.

@BigAl seemed to some it up best with his above post...

 

[Meta4]

DJI states that I should be able to fly the Inspire 2 for 25 minutes, and my 4P4 about the same. That advertised flight time must be in perfect conditions with brand new batteries, no wind, and not taking any photos or videos.

Actually DJI don't state that you can fly for 25 minutes.
What they say in the specs is:

Max Flight Time
Approx. 27min (with Zenmuse X4S)
Approx. 23min (with Zenmuse X7)
(Hovering at sea level with no wind.)​

Because no two flights are the same, DJI can't say how long you can fly on one of your jobs on any particular day.
So they give a max flight time under standardised conditions.

You know you are going to have to allow for speed, wind, a comfortable safety margin and many other factors that will reduce your actual flight time.
But the max flight time in the specs gives you a starting point for comparisons with other machines (which will also give ideal flight times under similar conditions).

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

DJI states that I should be able to fly the Inspire 2 for 25 minutes, and my 4P4 about the same. That advertised flight time must be in perfect conditions with brand new batteries, no wind, and not taking any photos or videos.

Yesterday on my job site was pushing the 100 degree mark, and I was shooting a lot of photos, and moving around a lot. I averaged 15 minutes on my batteries. It was hot and windy to the point I was getting wind warnings. To accomplish two hours of flying time I used eight pairs of batteries.

These batteries have very good cell voltages, and all within 0.01 volt, they are fairly new. The one thing I don't know is the cell resistance on a new battery verses the ones I now have.

I would like to hear what others are getting for flight time on the P4P or either the inspire 1 or 2.

I look at advertised flight times with the same jaded eye as car manufacturers' MPG on window sticker.

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

DJI states that I should be able to fly the Inspire 2 for 25 minutes, and my 4P4 about the same. That advertised flight time must be in perfect conditions with brand new batteries, no wind, and not taking any photos or videos.

Yesterday on my job site was pushing the 100 degree mark, and I was shooting a lot of photos, and moving around a lot. I averaged 15 minutes on my batteries. It was hot and windy to the point I was getting wind warnings. To accomplish two hours of flying time I used eight pairs of batteries.

These batteries have very good cell voltages, and all within 0.01 volt, they are fairly new. The one thing I don't know is the cell resistance on a new battery verses the ones I now have.

I would like to hear what others are getting for flight time on the P4P or either the inspire 1 or 2.

We have found these numbers to be accurate for our flights, P4P...24 minutes, Inspire 1...13 minutes, Inspire 2...18 minutes.

 

[R Martin]

DJI states that I should be able to fly the Inspire 2 for 25 minutes, and my 4P4 about the same. That advertised flight time must be in perfect conditions with brand new batteries, no wind, and not taking any photos or videos.

Yesterday on my job site was pushing the 100 degree mark, and I was shooting a lot of photos, and moving around a lot. I averaged 15 minutes on my batteries. It was hot and windy to the point I was getting wind warnings. To accomplish two hours of flying time I used eight pairs of batteries.

These batteries have very good cell voltages, and all within 0.01 volt, they are fairly new. The one thing I don't know is the cell resistance on a new battery verses the ones I now have.

I would like to hear what others are getting for flight time on the P4P or either the inspire 1 or 2.

I fly an Inspire 1 v2 with TB 48 batteries. On a new battery in the spring or fall I have about 20-22 minutes in the air in perfect conditions. In 100° heat with 10-18 mph winds at altitude I get about 18 minutes max till I hit to 10% warning and RTH. Haven't tried winter because we just don't get that here anymore.
With stock TB 47 batteries, you can safely knock about 5 minutes off the above times.

 

[Randy Bailey]

Density altitude is a major factor at 100°

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

I fly an Inspire 1 v2 with TB 48 batteries. On a new battery in the spring or fall I have about 20-22 minutes in the air in perfect conditions. In 100° heat with 10-18 mph winds at altitude I get about 18 minutes max till I hit to 10% warning and RTH. Haven't tried winter because we just don't get that here anymore.
With stock TB 47 batteries, you can safely knock about 5 minutes off the above times.

That's what I get with my I1P v2, easy 22-23 minutes in calm air.

 

[R Martin]

That's what I get with my I1P v2, easy 22-23 minutes in calm air.

If only it was always calm....

 

[R.Perry]

Density altitude is a major factor at 100°

I do understand density altitude plays a factor, my launch altitude is around 280 MSL highest temp was 97, and I shot 168 photos and 2 minutes of video.Wind was 15 to 18 mph so it was light. Camera is the X5. Video tracked POIs that were preset. Most of my photos were building elevations and close up.

My mapping shoots 604 photos and uses three pairs of batteries, so it doesn't seem to me that the camera is not pulling much power, probably milliamps per photo.

My past experience has been closer to twenty minutes, I got looking at my history files and mean average was 18 to 20 minutes as Florida Drone stated was there avarage.

Thanks for the responses most likely was wind and constant re-positioning the drone.

 

[Meta4]

My mapping shoots 604 photos and uses three pairs of batteries, so it doesn't seem to me that the camera is not pulling much power, probably milliamps per photo.

The camera hardly uses any power to take photos ... but it takes a lot of power to keep the weight of the camera, lens and gimbal up in the air.

 

[Randy Bailey]

There are so many variables that affect flight dynamics and flight time. Chances are good that the same flight 30 minutes later would provide completely different results.

 

[R.Perry]

There are so many variables that affect flight dynamics and flight time. Chances are good that the same flight 30 minutes later would provide completely different results.

I do realize that is true, went, temperature, and the type of work one is doing. All my batteries have good individual cell voltage reading and don't vary over 0.02 volts so the batteries are not an issue other than I have no way of reading battery resistance in these batteries.