Flying over a ravine or similar

[Grant Kelly]

Hi guys. This has probably been covered but I can’t find it if it has.
I’m currently in the Philippines and looking to fly over the mountain range in Luzon. I just want to make sure I’m not being a numpty before I take to the air so here goes.
Picture the scene. I’m at 6,600 ft above sea level. Presuming my mini 2’s altitude limit is set at 400 ft for arguments sake, when I launch and fly out over the mountain range, will the mini automatically drop to 400 ft from 6000 because of the altitude limit I’ve set ?
The numpty in me says yes don’t do it lol.
The common sense side tells me that the limit I’ve set is from the launch point so it’ll be fine.
Is that the case ?

 

[SpinItUp]

Going by your fear of mountain logic the drone will drill a path through the rock until it reaches 400ft ASL instead of taking off.

 

[Grant Kelly]

Told you I was a numpty

 

[SpinItUp]

Just make double sure to get a GPS lock before launch

 

[Meta4]

Picture the scene. I’m at 6,600 ft above sea level. Presuming my mini 2’s altitude limit is set at 400 ft for arguments sake, when I launch and fly out over the mountain range, will the mini automatically drop to 400 ft from 6000 because of the altitude limit I’ve set ?

A couple of points to consider.
Sea level has no meaning to the drone and it has no way to tell how far it is above or below sea level.
If you fly out from a high mountain, the drone has no way to tell how far it is above the ground below it.

 

[Carll]

There is no such thing as a stupid question, only the occasional stupid answer.
I agree after take off wait untill you have a good solid home point updated message and plenty of satalites before continuing.

 

[umanbean]

The common sense side tells me that the limit I’ve set is from the launch point so it’ll be fine.
Is that the case ?

Yes, that's the case.

As an aside: What's an numpty?

 

[Grant Kelly]

Guys, thank you for your replies, all very helpful.
Oh and a numpty is basically a stupid or dim person lol.

 

[Grant Kelly]

There is no such thing as a stupid question, only the occasional stupid answer.
I agree after take off wait untill you have a good solid home point updated message and plenty of satalites before continuing.

Thanks Carl, I’ll do that.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

The height measured and 'thought about' by the drone is ALWAYS relative to the take off point and the take off point alone.
The drone has no knowledge of its height above sea level. The height above sea level only becomes a concern when the air becomes so thin that the propellors can not shift a big enough mass of air fast enough to provide the thrust to lift the drone.
For the Mini 2 that height is around 4000m so not a concern at 6000ft.
If in the Philippines there is a height limit for drones of 400ft it means that the drone should be flown so that it is never more than 400ft above the ground directly beneath the drone. So, if you take off from the mountain top and climb to 400ft above that mountain top then fly out over a valley you should command the drone to descend as it flies out over that valley so that it remains within that 400ft deep layer of air.

 

[old man mavic]

@Grant Kelly just a few things to remember when flying from a high take off point ,to help you get your drone back safely in one piece
firstly be aware that in the event of having an issue ,with signal loss or a crash ,then it could be impossible to retrieve your drone due to the terrain
the return to home height setting is above the home point and is what the drone will rise to in the event of it being triggered
so because of that set it as low as possible ,bearing in mind your surroundings at the launch point, so the drone does not have to continue climbing once it reaches the height it took off from
try to make sure you have a good safe place to be close to the edge as you will need to keep the flat part of the antennas of the RC pointing towards the drone as best you can during flight
and lastly because of the terrain you are flying in be aware of shifting wind conditions ,and allow for the fact that as you climb back to your home point the drone is going to use more battery power so factor that in
i have not made this post to put you off ,but just to make you aware of some of the issues that could arise ,have a safe flight and enjoy

 

[Grant Kelly]

The height measured and 'thought about' by the drone is ALWAYS relative to the take off point and the take off point alone.
The drone has no knowledge of its height above sea level. The height above sea level only becomes a concern when the air becomes so thin that the propellors can not shift a big enough mass of air fast enough to provide the thrust to lift the drone.
For the Mini 2 that height is around 4000m so not a concern at 6000ft.
If in the Philippines there is a height limit for drones of 400ft it means that the drone should be flown so that it is never more than 400ft above the ground directly beneath the drone. So, if you take off from the mountain top and climb to 400ft above that mountain top then fly out over a valley you should command the drone to descend as it flies out over that valley so that it remains within that 400ft deep layer of air.

The laws here are similar to the EU and us except you don’t need a licence of any kind until the drone exceeds 7kg in weight lol.

 

[Grant Kelly]

@Grant Kelly just a few things to remember when flying from a high take off point ,to help you get your drone back safely in one piece
firstly be aware that in the event of having an issue ,with signal loss or a crash ,then it could be impossible to retrieve your drone due to the terrain
the return to home height setting is above the home point and is what the drone will rise to in the event of it being triggered
so because of that set it as low as possible ,bearing in mind your surroundings at the launch point, so the drone does not have to continue climbing once it reaches the height it took off from
try to make sure you have a good safe place to be close to the edge as you will need to keep the flat part of the antennas of the RC pointing towards the drone as best you can during flight
and lastly because of the terrain you are flying in be aware of shifting wind conditions ,and allow for the fact that as you climb back to your home point the drone is going to use more battery power so factor that in
i have not made this post to put you off ,but just to make you aware of some of the issues that could arise ,have a safe flight and enjoy

I’m grateful for your pointers mate, many thanks.

 

[Grant Kelly]

Guys your input has been invaluable, thank you .

 

[Deleted member 154956]

Hi guys. This has probably been covered but I can’t find it if it has.
I’m currently in the Philippines and looking to fly over the mountain range in Luzon. I just want to make sure I’m not being a numpty before I take to the air so here goes.
Picture the scene. I’m at 6,600 ft above sea level. Presuming my mini 2’s altitude limit is set at 400 ft for arguments sake, when I launch and fly out over the mountain range, will the mini automatically drop to 400 ft from 6000 because of the altitude limit I’ve set ?
The numpty in me says yes don’t do it lol.
The common sense side tells me that the limit I’ve set is from the launch point so it’ll be fine.
Is that the case ?

Luzon! some of my old stomping grounds when I was stationed dito! Anywhere near Olongapo?

 

[Grant Kelly]

Luzon! some of my old stomping grounds when I was stationed dito! Anywhere near Olongapo?

Not that far away actually mate. I’m in Capas between Tarlac and Angeles.

 

[Deleted member 154956]

Not that far away actually mate. I’m in Capas between Tarlac and Angeles.

Beautiful scenery in that part of Luzon. You should try Corrigador, last I was there they still had the entrenched WW2 big guns in the jungle. It’d be interesting to see how they look in 2022. Cheers!

 

[Grant Kelly]

Beautiful scenery in that part of Luzon. You should try Corrigador, last I was there they still had the entrenched WW2 big guns in the jungle. It’d be interesting to see how they look in 2022. Cheers!

Corregidor Island still has the batteries of “Wheeler, Crockett, Grubbs, Hearn, Way & Geary”. There’s also a pacific war museum on the island.
Unfortunately I won’t have time to go down there and have a gander.

 

[Deleted member 93449]

I believe the drone determines changes in altitude based on changes in barometric pressure. If that is accurate then the drone isn't concerned with the actual distance from the ground. If you set a 400 foot maximum altitude it will limit the altitude based on barometric pressure rather than the actual height above the ground.

 

[Grant Kelly]

I believe the drone determines changes in altitude based on changes in barometric pressure. If that is accurate then the drone isn't concerned with the actual distance from the ground. If you set a 400 foot maximum altitude it will limit the altitude based on barometric pressure rather than the actual height above the ground.

I didn’t know that. Clever little beggars