If you ran a preflight check today and your score looks different from what you expected, here is why.
We updated the safety score to version 2.0 -- and have continued refining it since. The biggest changes: wind thresholds are now specific to your aircraft class, surface wind no longer tells the whole story, and controlled airspace carries more weight in the score than before.
Why one wind threshold was wrong for everyone
The original score penalized any wind over 15 mph the same way regardless of what you were flying. A DJI Mini 3 pilot and a DJI Matrice 350 pilot at the same location got the same score.
That was wrong. The Mini 3 has a rated maximum wind resistance of 10.7 m/s (~24 mph). The Matrice 350 is rated to 15 m/s (~33 mph). At 25 mph sustained wind, the Mini 3 is operating above its rated limit. The Matrice 350 has significant margin left. These are not equivalent risk situations.
What changed in Score v2.0
Wind thresholds by aircraft class:
| Class | Example | High wind threshold | Danger threshold | |-------|---------|-------------------|-----------------| | Mini/Nano (<250g) | DJI Mini 3/4 Pro | 20 mph | 23 mph | | Standard (250g-2kg) | DJI Mavic 3, Air 3 | 23 mph | 28 mph | | Heavy/Pro (>2kg) | Matrice 350, Skydio X10 | 28 mph | 34 mph |
Precipitation scored from 15% -- a 20% chance of rain is not trivial for electronics. Now starts at -3 and scales to -15 for near-certain precipitation.
Compounding risk -- when multiple categories are simultaneously elevated, total risk is greater than the sum. The score adds -4 or -8 when two or three categories carry elevated penalties simultaneously.
Population density proxy -- urban area (-5) and suburban/park (-2) ground-risk factors informed by the SORA framework.
What changed since v2.0
Wind altitude profile (new):
Surface wind no longer tells the whole story. A calm 5 mph at ground level can become 22 mph at 400 ft AGL -- well above the danger threshold for a Mini drone. UAS SkyCheck now fetches wind data at four altitude levels (33 ft, 262 ft, 394 ft, 591 ft) from Open-Meteo and scores the increase:
- +5-9 mph increase with altitude: -3
- +10-14 mph increase: -6
- +15+ mph increase: -10
The Advisor tab also explains this when it fires -- "Surface conditions do not reflect what your drone will encounter at altitude."
LAANC penalty recalibrated:
LAANC Required was previously -10. It is now -15. Controlled airspace authorization is a meaningful operational constraint -- you need to open a separate app, authorize, and actively manage your ceiling. The old penalty put it in the same range as moderate gusts. The new value better reflects the operational weight.
Proximity double-penalty removed:
The airspace proximity gradient (-1 to -5 for being near a Class B/C/D boundary) previously could stack on top of a LAANC penalty for the same airport. This was double-counting the same condition. The proximity penalty is now suppressed when LAANC is already required.
Full penalty breakdown visible:
The score card now shows all penalties, not just the top three. Tap "+N more factors" to see every deduction. A score of 74 should be explainable -- you should be able to see exactly where every point went.
What this means for your score
LAANC-only locations with no other flags now score 85 = EXCELLENT, which is the correct label for a straightforward controlled airspace authorization with good weather. Previously they scored 90 but any moderate wind would push them to CAUTION -- now the thresholds are more consistent.
Locations where surface wind looks fine but altitude wind is high will show a lower score than before. That is the correct direction -- the pilot needs to know.
Full methodology
The complete scoring methodology -- all thresholds, empirical basis, regulatory references, and limitations -- is published in the repository for anyone who wants to review or cite it.
UAS SkyCheck, a subsidiary of SudoKodes LLC
If you ran a preflight check today and your score looks different from what you expected, here is why.
We updated the safety score model to version 2.0. The most significant change: wind thresholds are now specific to your aircraft class, not a single number applied to every drone.
Why one wind threshold was wrong for everyone
The original score penalized any wind over 15 mph the same way regardless of what you were flying. A DJI Mini 3 pilot and a DJI Matrice 350 pilot at the same location in the same conditions got the same score.
That was wrong. The Mini 3 has a rated maximum wind resistance of 10.7 m/s (~24 mph). The Matrice 350 is rated to 15 m/s (~33 mph). At 25 mph sustained wind, the Mini 3 is operating above its rated limit. The Matrice 350 has significant margin left. These are not equivalent risk situations and the score should not treat them as if they are.
What changed
Wind thresholds by aircraft class:
When you select your drone weight class in the preflight check, the score now uses thresholds calibrated to that class:
| Class | Example | High wind threshold | Danger threshold | |-------|---------|-------------------|-----------------| | Mini/Nano (<250g) | DJI Mini 3/4 Pro | 20 mph | 23 mph | | Standard (250g-2kg) | DJI Mavic 3, Air 3 | 23 mph | 28 mph | | Heavy/Pro (>2kg) | Matrice 350, Skydio X10 | 28 mph | 34 mph |
Thresholds are based on published manufacturer wind resistance specifications. The Automated Advisor also now refers to your specific aircraft class in its wind assessment -- "approaching the safe limit for Mini/Nano class aircraft" rather than a generic warning.
Precipitation now scored from 15%:
A 20% precipitation probability is not trivial for a drone operation. It affects battery performance, introduces moisture risk for electronics, and can reduce visibility. Previously the score only started penalizing at 30% and above. Now:
- 15-29%: -3 (elevated risk)
- 30-49%: -7
- 50-69%: -12
- 70%+: -15 (near-certain precipitation)
Compounding risk factor:
When multiple risk categories are simultaneously elevated -- controlled airspace plus high winds plus night flight, for example -- total risk is greater than the sum of individual factors. This is standard accident causation analysis (Reason's Swiss Cheese Model). The score now adds a -4 or -8 compounding factor when two or three categories simultaneously carry elevated penalties.
Population density proxy:
Operations over populated areas carry higher ground risk in the event of an uncontrolled landing. The score now adds a small ground-risk proxy based on nearby zone types -- urban area (-5), suburban/park area (-2) -- informed by the SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) framework used in international UAS safety standards.
What this means for your score
If you fly a mini drone in areas with moderate wind, your score may be somewhat lower than before. That is the correct direction -- the old model was under-reporting risk for light aircraft in those conditions.
If you fly a heavy professional aircraft, your score in moderate wind conditions may be higher than before, because the old model was applying thresholds designed for lighter aircraft.
The score is not a flight authorization. It never was. It is a conditions indicator that tells you which factors are flagged and how severely. The aircraft-aware update makes the flags more specific to your actual flight situation.
Full methodology
The complete scoring methodology -- including all thresholds, their empirical basis, regulatory references, and limitations -- is published at code/assets/uas-skycheck-scoring-methodology.md in the repository for anyone who wants to review or cite it.
UAS SkyCheck, a subsidiary of SudoKodes LLC