Altitude levels

[Patrol11]

Question;
Altitude restrictions for example, 400 feet. Is this from current ground level? Or sea level.
I was in the high country Victoria Australia s and when I lifted off, I had a max altitude of only 22 feet.
I did make the mistake of not re-calibrating first. would this be why?
In the end, I chose not to fly at this point in time.

 

[old man mavic]

it is from the point where you took of from

 

[Meta4]

Altitude restrictions for example, 400 feet. Is this from current ground level? Or sea level.

Obviously they are related to the ground below your drone.
It would be completely pointless to have them relative to sea level.

I was in the high country Victoria Australia s and when I lifted off, I had a max altitude of only 22 feet.
I did make the mistake of not re-calibrating first. would this be why?
In the end, I chose not to fly at this point in time.

It had nothing to do with not recalibrating your compass.
Not recalibrating the compass was not a mistake at all.

If you said the limit was 16 ft, the reason wouldn't be a mystery.
You'll have to post recorded flight data to help find the explanation for this.

 

[skyrex]

Furtherance to above, the regulations is 400ft AGL from under the craft at all times.

If you are atop a 350ft hill and fly straight out from the peak you technically can only go up 50ft from the 350ft takeoff point, assuming the valley floor below/land under the drone is 350ft down.

If you keep the drone directly above you while standing on the mountain peak - you can go up 400ft AGL, referencing the ground straight under the drone.

The drone being limited in altitude possibly have been inadvertently flicked to beginner mode?

The metrics reported by the controller are in reference only to where the drone took-off from.

 

[Patrol11]

Furtherance to above, the regulations is 400ft AGL from under the craft at all times.

If you are atop a 350ft hill and fly straight out from the peak you technically can only go up 50ft from the 350ft takeoff point, assuming the valley floor below/land under the drone is 350ft down.

If you keep the drone directly above you while standing on the mountain peak - you can go up 400ft AGL, referencing the ground straight under the drone.

The drone being limited in altitude possibly have been inadvertently flicked to beginner mode?

The metrics reported by the controller are in reference only to where the drone took-off from.

Wow!! That makes good sense. Thanks for your explanation and good advice. Cheers.

 

[sar104]

Obviously they are related to the ground below your drone.
It would be completely pointless to have them relative to sea level.

It had nothing to do with not recalibrating your compass.
Not recalibrating the compass was not a mistake at all.

If you said the limit was 16 ft, the reason wouldn't be a mystery.
You'll have to post recorded flight data to help find the explanation for this.

16 ft is the altitude limit if GPS is unavailable and the downward vision system is active.

 

[OurAngryBadger]

Furtherance to above, the regulations is 400ft AGL from under the craft at all times.

If you are atop a 350ft hill and fly straight out from the peak you technically can only go up 50ft from the 350ft takeoff point, assuming the valley floor below/land under the drone is 350ft down.

If you keep the drone directly above you while standing on the mountain peak - you can go up 400ft AGL, referencing the ground straight under the drone.

The drone being limited in altitude possibly have been inadvertently flicked to beginner mode?

The metrics reported by the controller are in reference only to where the drone took-off from.

So if I was on a steep 5,000 ft mountain and flew it out over a river at the base of the mountain, I'd be pretty much screwed right because the drone would immediately drop down 4,600 feet and i wouldn't be able to get it up to the home point at the top of the mountain?

 

[Meta4]

So if I was on a steep 5,000 ft mountain and flew it out over a river at the base of the mountain, I'd be pretty much screwed right because the drone would immediately drop down 4,600 feet and i wouldn't be able to get it up to the home point at the top of the mountain?

Why would you think the drone would drop ??.
It's a flying machine and would do just what a plane would do if you flew it out from a high cliff.

 

[Thomas B]

So if I was on a steep 5,000 ft mountain and flew it out over a river at the base of the mountain, I'd be pretty much screwed right because the drone would immediately drop down 4,600 feet and i wouldn't be able to get it up to the home point at the top of the mountain?

No it would maintain the altitude it had while over the mountain unless you command descent.... you would be 5000+ feet above the ground below. The drone does not terrain follow.

Of course your altitude in the case above would be in violation of FAA regs.

 

[OurAngryBadger]

No it would maintain the altitude it had while over the mountain unless you command descent.... you would be 5000+ feet above the ground below. The drone does not terrain follow.

Of course your altitude in the case above would be in violation of FAA regs.

So if it's set to obey 400' AGL it won't drop on its own? I know mine doesn't let me fly higher than 400' AGL.

But in this case, if I descended it down manually from the 5000' peak to lets say, 2000'. Would it let me climb back up to 5000' to RTH? Or would it scream at me and say "youre => 400' AGL so cant go higher".

 

[Thomas B]

So if it's set to obey 400' AGL it won't drop on its own? I know mine doesn't let me fly higher than 400' AGL.

But in this case, if I descended it down manually from the 5000' peak to lets say, 2000'. Would it let me climb back up to 5000' to RTH? Or would it scream at me and say "youre => 400' AGL so cant go higher".

Yes... you can climb back up. Note that all the limits and read outs you see are based on take off point... if you fly down below TO point you controller will show negative altitude.

 

[sar104]

So if it's set to obey 400' AGL it won't drop on its own? I know mine doesn't let me fly higher than 400' AGL.

No - yours doesn't let you fly higher than 400 ft above the takeoff point, if 400 ft is what you have set in the app.

But in this case, if I descended it down manually from the 5000' peak to lets say, 2000'. Would it let me climb back up to 5000' to RTH? Or would it scream at me and say "youre => 400' AGL so cant go higher".

That question has already been answered in several posts.

 

[Meta4]

So if it's set to obey 400' AGL it won't drop on its own? I know mine doesn't let me fly higher than 400' AGL.

How could it?
Your drone has no sensors that could tell it that the ground is 4000 feet below it.

But in this case, if I descended it down manually from the 5000' peak to lets say, 2000'. Would it let me climb back up to 5000' to RTH? Or would it scream at me and say "youre => 400' AGL so cant go higher".

yes it would.
All heights are relative to the point you launch from.

 

[OurAngryBadger]

Ok perfect

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

The op said he was in Australia. I believe many responses may be from those in the US where the FAA has a 400' AGL limit. My first question, is there a 400' limit in Australia? If not, then the answers should be according to Australia's rules which may be different. We want to be sure we are giving him the correct advice. I don't know the rules there, so I will not advise him other than to check the Australian laws.

 

[Thomas B]

The op said he was in Australia. I believe many responses may be from those in the US where the FAA has a 400' AGL limit. My first question, is there a 400' limit in Australia? If not, then the answers should be according to Australia's rules which may be different. We want to be sure we are giving him the correct advice. I don't know the rules there, so I will not advise him other than to check the Australian laws.

Check OP’s original post.

 

[old man mavic]

The op said he was in Australia. I believe many responses may be from those in the US where the FAA has a 400' AGL limit. My first question, is there a 400' limit in Australia? If not, then the answers should be according to Australia's rules which may be different. We want to be sure we are giving him the correct advice. I don't know the rules there, so I will not advise him other than to check the Australian laws.

well i respect your comments but actually the 400 ft rule applies in Australia as well it has been spoken about many times on the forum

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Check OP’s original post.

Thomas B. I was going off of the first post above. "I was in the high country Victoria Australia s " Did not see an earlier post. Not knowing of an earlier one, just wanted to mention it as sometimes I see comments on posts that are well intended but incorrect. The reason I mentioned I was not familiar with Australia's laws.

old man mavic. Have not read any of those forum posts, Thanks for the education on Australia.

 

[old man mavic]

as this is a worldwide forum many different regulations get mentioned all the time ,and i believe that he mentioned 400 ft in his OP,neither myself or Thomas B were saying you were wrong to bring up the subject or were trying to put you down in any way ,please continue to contribute to the forum happy flying OMM

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

as this is a worldwide forum many different regulations get mentioned all the time ,and i believe that he mentioned 400 ft in his OP,neither myself or Thomas B were saying you were wrong to bring up the subject or were trying to put you down in any way ,please continue to contribute to the forum happy flying OMM

Nothing was taken in the negative. Great group and Great people.