SFO
Does this Satelitte uplink/downlink thingy drop out as frequently as my Sky does everytime a dirty big cloud sits over ma hoose?
It depends on your frequency of your satellite transponder up/downlink. Ku band can suffer from "rain fade" when precipitation approaches >4 inches per hour. However, Sky are too tight to turn the power output from their transponders to correct for this effect. Also, the lower end of Ku is less affected compared to the upper end. Finally, if you use X-band then the effect is even less but sadly your dish has to get bigger!
So if you aren't doing everything on the cheap like Sky (cheap dishes and LNBs as well) then you cannot compare your satellite TV experiences to RPAS flying; apart from the physics of the techniques involved.
iRaven