Hong Kong: Two Drones Lost to the Wind Between the Skyscrapers

Last Updated: April 2026

I chose the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai for one reason: the Japanese-style rooms had terraces. In my mind, those terraces were perfect drone landing pads - a private launch point overlooking one of the densest urban skylines on earth. The rooms fell short of the comfort I was used to. The terrace made up for it.

Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than any city in the world - roughly 570 buildings over 150 metres, with over 9,000 high-rises in total. If you stacked them end to end, the combined height would stretch approximately 334 kilometres. For a drone cinematographer, this is either a playground or a graveyard. In my case, it was both

Drone One: Lost Over Kowloon

The first incident happened during an autonomous flight over Kowloon. I had underestimated the headwinds - fierce gusts that sweep between the towers and accelerate through the gaps. Sitting on my terrace, I watched my DJI Mavic struggle against the wind, its batter draining as it fought to hold position. The realisation hit too late: it was not going to make it back.

The wind claimed it. Somewhere between the neon signs and the rooftops of Kowloon, a drone I had flown across multiple countries met its end in a concrete jungle.

Drone Two: Victoria Peak

Not long after, on a second business trip, I brought a replacement. This time the target was Victoria Peak - one of the most photographer vantage points in Asia, and an area notorious for unpredictable weather.

I launched the drone and the alarms started almost immediately. “High wind speed.” I pushed through, trying to navigate the increasingly hostile air. Then the rain arrived. Tiny droplets blurred the camera lens first, then the situation escalated. The drone’s controls became unresponsive. I watched it descend, unable to intervene, and lost my second drone to the same city in a matter of weeks.

The City That Wins

Hong Kong does not make it easy on drone operators. Victoria Harbour and its surrounding areas - including much of the airspace where the skyline is most dramatic - are designated restricted flying zones. The city’s density means that even outside restricted zones, there are buildings in every direction, wind corridors between towers, and microclimates that change by the block. It is a city built vertically, and the air between the buildings belongs to the wind, not to you.

Every evening, 44 buildings around Victoria Harbour light up for the symphony of Lights, a nightly show that holds a Guinness World Record. From my terrace at the Grand Hyatt, the view was extraordinary. But what the city gives you visually, it takes back operationally. Two drones in, zero drones out.

I shot with a DJI Mavic 3 Pro and came home with photographs and footage that make the losses almost justifiable. Almost.