diff --git a/msg/soaring_estimator_shear.msg b/msg/soaring_estimator_shear.msg
index 7ddbe53faf..5a169e83ec 100644
--- a/msg/soaring_estimator_shear.msg
+++ b/msg/soaring_estimator_shear.msg
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ float32 sigma_by            # covariance of by
 float32 sigma_h             # covariance of h
 float32 sigma_a             # covariance of a
 
-bool params_healthy         # plausibility check
+bool soaring_feasible       # plausibility check
 uint64 reset_counter        # filter reset counter
diff --git a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_control/trajectories/trajectory7.csv b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_control/trajectories/trajectory7.csv
index 506a3cf994..033fdc6449 100644
--- a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_control/trajectories/trajectory7.csv
+++ b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_control/trajectories/trajectory7.csv
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-34.908707,2802.143443,-12010.045206,24897.004025,-31652.414085,24086.196989,-4942.033085,-13772.898892,20576.241530,-12668.675896,-4555.658999,21674.320937,-30001.814698,25832.757640,-13941.536701,3638.740016
--1.920001,7042.626425,-38404.376575,103774.671218,-174237.276934,184373.717471,-89448.645248,-70134.302861,177608.190474,-136819.046222,-30572.012263,196546.815165,-245393.925168,174924.844259,-73416.451006,14256.585131
-90.837687,134.620712,-674.566268,1031.769726,671.319554,-5057.527415,8440.006743,-4910.847468,-5701.223344,13715.392464,-8181.508398,-9147.528585,23538.196976,-23336.500927,12535.088204,-3052.472443
+33.279737,2355.965009,-9853.856406,19962.238258,-24975.068263,19045.215851,-4528.565470,-10036.742015,16387.989801,-11464.538539,-2278.904099,17753.913430,-26381.541512,23421.451272,-12798.876432,3352.799155
+-1.655556,6955.844338,-37836.458976,101707.858193,-169407.588331,177059.774008,-83213.665962,-70079.333339,169854.280775,-127407.321325,-32264.742913,186788.856870,-229810.067680,162394.940106,-67738.519051,13090.706363
+90.256827,695.796077,-3566.592598,8070.766654,-9651.849655,4159.119473,5301.738775,-9269.047782,2572.483886,7898.748320,-9780.034074,-66.886050,11734.271409,-14380.432089,8489.722642,-2195.005657
diff --git a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.cpp b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.cpp
index cbc478aa8f..cbfb52d9bb 100644
--- a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.cpp
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::init()
             _A_horizontal(i,j) = 0.f;
         }
     }
-    _P_prior_horizontal = _Q_horizontal;
-    _P_posterior_horizontal = _Q_horizontal;
+    _P_prior_horizontal = 3.f*_Q_horizontal;
+    _P_posterior_horizontal = 3.f*_Q_horizontal;
 
     // init vertical wind field
     for (uint i=0; i<_dim_vertical; i++){
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::init()
             _A_vertical(i,j) = 0.f;
         }
     }
-    _P_prior_vertical = _Q_vertical;
-    _P_posterior_vertical = _Q_vertical;
+    _P_prior_vertical = 3.f*_Q_vertical;
+    _P_posterior_vertical = 3.f*_Q_vertical;
 
 
     //
@@ -156,16 +156,16 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::reset_filter()
         _X_prior_horizontal(i) = 0.0f;
         _X_posterior_horizontal(i) = 0.0f;
     }
-    _P_prior_horizontal = _Q_horizontal;
-    _P_posterior_horizontal = _Q_horizontal;
+    _P_prior_horizontal = 3.f*_Q_horizontal;
+    _P_posterior_horizontal = 3.f*_Q_horizontal;
 
     // reset vertical wind state
     for (uint i=0;i<_dim_vertical;i++){
         _X_prior_vertical(i) = 0.0f;
         _X_posterior_vertical(i) = 0.0f;
     }
-    _P_prior_vertical = _Q_vertical;
-    _P_posterior_vertical = _Q_vertical;
+    _P_prior_vertical = 3.f*_Q_vertical;
+    _P_posterior_vertical = 3.f*_Q_vertical;
 
     // set height to enable convergence
     _X_prior_horizontal(4) = _init_height;
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::perform_prior_update()
     // get time since last run
     float dt = (float)(hrt_absolute_time() - _last_run)/1000000.f;
     _last_run = hrt_absolute_time();
-    if (dt>10.f) {
-        dt = 10.f;
+    if (dt>1.f) {
+        dt = 1.f;
     }
 
     // perform prior update assuming trivial dynamics of the wind field (mean field stays the same)
@@ -334,10 +334,11 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::Run()
 
             // check if filter diverges 
             // maybe reset filters...
-            if (sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(4,4))>=6.f||sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(5,5))>=0.2f) {
+            if (sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(4,4))>=5.f||sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(5,5))>=0.3f) {
                 PX4_WARN("large height uncertainty, resetting filter");
                 reset_filter();
             }
+
         }
 
         // publish shear params
@@ -357,6 +358,7 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::Run()
         _soaring_estimator_shear.sigma_by = sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(3,3))*_unit_v;
         _soaring_estimator_shear.sigma_h = sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(4,4))*_unit_h;
         _soaring_estimator_shear.sigma_a = sqrtf(_P_posterior_horizontal(5,5))*_unit_a;
+        _soaring_estimator_shear.soaring_feasible = check_feasibility();
         _soaring_estimator_shear.reset_counter = _reset_counter;
         _soaring_estimator_shear_pub.publish(_soaring_estimator_shear);
     }
@@ -364,6 +366,41 @@ FixedwingShearEstimator::Run()
 
 }
 
+bool FixedwingShearEstimator::check_feasibility()
+{
+    // ================================================================
+    // simple check, if dynamic soaring is feasible in these conditions
+    // ================================================================
+
+    float shear_x = _X_posterior_horizontal(0) - _X_posterior_horizontal(2);
+    float shear_y = _X_posterior_horizontal(1) - _X_posterior_horizontal(3);
+    float shear_strength = _X_posterior_horizontal(5);
+    //float heading = atan2f(shear_x, shear_y);
+    //float heading_stdev = 0.f;
+
+    // require shear strength above 10 m/s
+    float shear = sqrtf(powf(shear_x,2) + powf(shear_y,2));
+    if (shear<10.f) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // require shear strength above 0.3 1/s
+    if (shear_strength<0.3f) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // require covariance certainty below 2 m/s (use propagation of variance)
+    float shear_stdev = sqrtf(powf(shear_x/shear,2)*_P_posterior_horizontal(0,0) + 
+                                powf(shear_x/shear,2)*_P_posterior_horizontal(2,2) +
+                                powf(shear_y/shear,2)*_P_posterior_horizontal(1,1) +
+                                powf(shear_y/shear,2)*_P_posterior_horizontal(3,3));
+    if (shear_stdev>3.f) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 
 int FixedwingShearEstimator::task_spawn(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
diff --git a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.hpp b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.hpp
index a2b830803d..4a789ae3ce 100644
--- a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.hpp
+++ b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/FixedwingShearEstimator.hpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ private:
     void    reset_filter();
     void    perform_prior_update();
     void    perform_posterior_update(float height, Vector3f wind);
-    bool    check_plausibility();
+    bool    check_feasibility();
     void    publish_estimate();
     void	status_publish();
 
diff --git a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/fw_dyn_soar_estimator_params.c b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/fw_dyn_soar_estimator_params.c
index cfdd76f2a1..1554146a24 100644
--- a/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/fw_dyn_soar_estimator_params.c
+++ b/src/modules/fw_dyn_soar_estimator/fw_dyn_soar_estimator_params.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_SIGMA_Q_H, 0.3f);
  * @increment 0.000001
  * @group FW DYN SOAR Control
  */
-PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_SIGMA_Q_A, 0.03f);
+PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_SIGMA_Q_A, 0.02f);
 
 /**
  * Standard deviation of velicity measurement (wind)
@@ -78,4 +78,4 @@ PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_SIGMA_R_V, 3.f);
  * @increment 0.1
  * @group FW DYN SOAR Control
  */
-PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_INIT_H, 110.f);
\ No newline at end of file
+PARAM_DEFINE_FLOAT(DS_INIT_H, 90.f);
\ No newline at end of file