How high can it go?

[CountryGuy]

Demonstrating the Air2 with a small group of family members watching. At one point someone asked "So high can it go?" I replied by explaining the limitations in effect with respect to FAA regs as well as the risks inherent in ignoring those restrictions.

While they understood and apparently appreciated my explanation, they still wanted to know, in theory at least, how high. I offered "pretty high" but they weren't having it.

So from a theoretical perspective only, with no regard for any rules or risk to your aircraft, with a full battery, calm environment, you just climb until it won't climb any longer. how high could it go? Assuming there's a way to defeat RTH of course. Would it just continue to climb until the battery was exhausted then drop out of the sky? Would a full power climb be an different than a slower one? (reminds me of the old story about a guy low on gas stomping on the gas to "get there quick before I run out of gas")

 

[011111110]

According to DJI, the service ceiling is 5000m

Mavic Air 2 Specs

That's how high it can theoretically go before the atmosphere becomes too thin to provide sufficient lift.

But there is likely a software limitation that prevents you from going beyond a certain height above the takeoff point. I don't know what that limit is, or if there is one, and I'm not going to try it to find out...

 

[z28lt1]

The stock firmware will limit you to 500 meters above the takeoff point.

 

[Rich QR]

According to DJI, the service ceiling is 5000m

Mavic Air 2 Specs

That's how high it can theoretically go before the atmosphere becomes too thin to provide sufficient lift.

Correct, but there's a subtlety. The service ceiling is defined as the highest the aircraft can fly in standard atmosphere, at a given weight, while maintaining the ability to sustain a given climb rate.

The standard definition I've always seen is that the service ceiling is the max altitude at which a 100 ft/minute climb rate can be maintained. But at least in theory, one could choose another climb rate that was felt acceptable.

An aircraft at its service ceiling can still go higher, but it's just limited to a really slow climb rate.

The absolute ceiling, on the other hand, is the maximum altitude where level flight can just barely be maintained. It's higher than the service ceiling. I haven't seen it documented for any DJI drone.

 

[outasite]

I seen a video on this sight of ma2 running up a mountain side. It went high but stayed close to 400 ft from the mountain side I’ll see if I can find is again

 

[outasite]

 

[bmwbob]

I ran mine up the side of a mountain and hit 1600 feet and message said no higher.

 

[jigsaw]

I ran mine up the side of a mountain and hit 1600 feet and message said no higher.

I think mine went to 1640 ft.

 

[w00dy67]

Would you have VLOS at 5000m? ???

 

[PHZ]

I wonder if you flew to 1600’ and reset the home point, would it allow another 1600’?

 

[hiflyer201]

I fly from a density altitude of around 5000 ft. all the time and I see no difference with performance than I see at sea level standard atmosphere.
I don't know about the 1600 hundred foot restriction. I do know that you can opt out of the altitude restriction if you have given DJI your credit card info. You are still required to remain legal. Since your on the map your AGL height would be known and that could kick off a warning, but you would think that it would also show that you were within 400 feet of the terrain. It's certainly not the barometric altimeter.

 

[sar104]

I fly from a density altitude of around 5000 ft. all the time and I see no difference with performance than I see at sea level standard atmosphere.
I don't know about the 1600 hundred foot restriction. I do know that you can opt out of the altitude restriction if you have given DJI your credit card info. You are still required to remain legal. Since your on the map your AGL height would be known and that could kick off a warning, but you would think that it would also show that you were within 400 feet of the terrain. It's certainly not the barometric altimeter.

Which altitude restriction are you referring to opting out of?

All the DJI aircraft are limited in firmware to a maximum of 500 meters (1640 ft) above the takeoff point, and the only way to bypass that (a few older hacks excepted) is via the DJI QEP program, which obviously is not available to most pilots.

 

[hiflyer201]

DJI QEP program, which obviously is not available to most pilots.

I think the QEP drops the nearness to terrain restriction doesn't it? Your my goto for all drone operations boss.

 

[sar104]

I think the QEP drops the nearness to terrain restriction doesn't it? Your my goto for all drone operations boss.

The QEP (Qualified Entities Program) simply removes all firmware geofencing and altitude restrictions from the aircraft - it doesn't change anything with regard to flying legally (e.g. the 400 ft AGL requirement and controlled airspace). It's intended mainly for LE and emergency services, and it is assumed that they will have all the necessary FAA authorizations/waivers in place to conduct their flights. For example, we often use SGI waivers to make some of our operations legally compliant.

 

[Meta4]

I wonder if you flew to 1600’ and reset the home point, would it allow another 1600’?

Resetting the home point doesn't change your zero height reference.
You have to shut down the drone and a new zero point is set when you power up again.

 

[hiflyer201]

the last thing you'd want to see while your bumping along at 6500 ft. is a drone...but you'd be surprised how often you see balloons with strings attached near city's.. Los Angeles for instance

 

[Thomas B]

Resetting the home point doesn't change your zero height reference.
You have to shut down the drone and a new zero point is set when you power up again.

This not the case for my M2P. I have used the landing and then TO after 20-30 seconds w/o shutdown to reset altimeters to 0’ AGL to allow me to see over mountains in XS of 2200 ‘ tall.

 

[Rich QR]

Would you have VLOS at 5000m? ???

The 5000m ceiling is one of altitude above sea level. There are places where a drone at 5000m MSL would not have VLOS because it would be buried underneath thousands of meters of rock and dirt.

But assuming you were standing on ground at, say, 4950m MSL, it's entirely possible you'd have VLOS. ?

 

[Crashdummytest]

Demonstrating the Air2 with a small group of family members watching. At one point someone asked "So high can it go?" I replied by explaining the limitations in effect with respect to FAA regs as well as the risks inherent in ignoring those restrictions.

While they understood and apparently appreciated my explanation, they still wanted to know, in theory at least, how high. I offered "pretty high" but they weren't having it.

So from a theoretical perspective only, with no regard for any rules or risk to your aircraft, with a full battery, calm environment, you just climb until it won't climb any longer. how high could it go? Assuming there's a way to defeat RTH of course. Would it just continue to climb until the battery was exhausted then drop out of the sky? Would a full power climb be an different than a slower one? (reminds me of the old story about a guy low on gas stomping on the gas to "get there quick before I run out of gas")

It can go high enough to be no fun what so ever.
In fact, in my thousands of flights the only really scary ones where those where the drone for some reason would not descend. This has happened a couple of times, due to fog/clouds. Always pilot error on my part. This is why it is important to only do safe flying, with no risk to others.

 

[LA 2020]

Demonstrating the Air2 with a small group of family members watching. At one point someone asked "So high can it go?" I replied by explaining the limitations in effect with respect to FAA regs as well as the risks inherent in ignoring those restrictions.

While they understood and apparently appreciated my explanation, they still wanted to know, in theory at least, how high. I offered "pretty high" but they weren't having it.

So from a theoretical perspective only, with no regard for any rules or risk to your aircraft, with a full battery, calm environment, you just climb until it won't climb any longer. how high could it go? Assuming there's a way to defeat RTH of course. Would it just continue to climb until the battery was exhausted then drop out of the sky? Would a full power climb be an different than a slower one? (reminds me of the old story about a guy low on gas stomping on the gas to "get there quick before I run out of gas")

probably until you lose contact with the controller