Sorry, I don't mean to be cringe-worthy...
ATO isn't a standard term...yet!
ATO = Above Take Off
If there's a standard, equally succinct, term for the height above the take-off point, let me know what it is, and I'll use that instead.
I know the AGL limit applies to 107 flights. I'm pretty careful about it. My understanding was, that for Rec flights, you can't go more than 400 ft ATO, even if you're only 200 ft AGL at the time. Like climbing up a hill. I have an image of Pilot Institute vid that shows exactly that.
Is that wrong?
It sounds like you're suggesting that for Rec flights, that both the 400 ft ATO rule, and the 400 ft AGL rule, apply.
Is that right?
That would make sense, now that I write it out, in terms of your description of Rec flight as a "carve out bubble" from the overall 107 rule.
Thx,
TCS