What are sudden, brief increases in wind speed called?

The term for sudden, brief increases in wind speed is indeed wind gusts. Wind gusts refer to short bursts of winds that are significantly stronger than the average wind speed over the same period. These can last for just a few seconds but can have a notable impact, especially for small unmanned aerial systems (UAS), as they can cause sudden changes in flight dynamics.

Understanding wind gusts is important for operators because they can lead to instability and difficulty in controlling a UAS, particularly during takeoff and landing phases. Effective management of these gusts is crucial for maintaining safe flight operations.

Other terms like wind shear, microbursts, and downbursts describe different phenomena related to wind patterns. Wind shear indicates a change in wind speed or direction over a distance, while microbursts and downbursts are specific types of downdrafts associated with thunderstorms that can lead to rapid increases in wind speed, but they are not as generalized as wind gusts.