The DJI Mini 3 Pro is an excellent drone, but you might want to steer the tiny flier clear of high winds.
All I wanted was one last flight. I knew my time with the estimable DJI Mini 3 Pro was limited and I hoped to experience its easy controls, smooth flight, and excellent camera one more time. And I almost lost it to a gust of wind. In my defense, the weather looked perfect for a drone flight. Clear blue skies dotted with some high, puffy clouds. I was further encouraged by the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the new DJI RC remote’s incredible ease of use to run outside and give it a go. After unfolding the drone and setting it gently on a small glass table in my backyard, I powered up the remote and drone (they auto-pair) and hit the on-screen launch button. The drone automatically lifts off to roughly three meters off the ground. Pressing the right joystick forward, I sent it jetting straight up into the sky until it hit 300ft. Everything was going swimmingly as I pushed the right joystick to the left, sending the DJI Mini 3 Pro whizzing off to the south. The wind hit me on the ground first. It was a gust, really, and I thought, but only for a moment, “Oh, I wonder if it’s windier up there?” The drone was now just a dot over the horizon and I was relying on the camera and feed on the remote to navigate.
