Mavic pro altitude question

[MariaEvri]

Hey all relatively new pilot here
I think I have asked this question before but I can;t remember the answer so bare with me pls. I know drones have a maximum altitude they can fly. What will happen if I film on a cliff where the altitude changes sharply? Will the drone crash?

 

[Bunny Too]

Hey all relatively new pilot here
I think I have asked this question before but I can;t remember the answer so bare with me pls. I know drones have a maximum altitude they can fly. What will happen if I film on a cliff where the altitude changes sharply? Will the drone crash?

the altitude is AGL (above ground level) so if you take off and hover, then fly over a cliff you will be fine.

 

[Qoncussion]

Altitude is calculated from the point where you take off (your home point). The craft will not plummet over a cliff. If you are flying at, say, an altitude of 50 feet above your home point and the terrain falls away under the craft, it will still show you at 50'. It has nothing to do with actual altitude over the ground - only altitude above, or below, your home point.

 

[MariaEvri]

ah thanks. That helps a lot

 

[Mossiback]

The altitude starts at zero and is relative to the take-off point. If you take off from a cliff and go down your altitude will show as a negative number. People are running into the problem of wanting to fly up a hill, maintaing their height above ground at say 100 feet, yet hitting the maximum height limit above the take-off point.

So, no, the drone will not crash because of altitude alone.

 

[MariaEvri]

thanks

 

[tcope]

I know drones have a maximum altitude they can fly. What will happen if I film on a cliff where the altitude changes sharply? Will the drone crash?

You are not clear, but I don't think that matters. You say drones have a maximum altitude that they can fly. It's not clear as to what maximum you are referring. It appears you are referring to maximum altitude above sea level... which then answers your question. When you fly over a cliff, the only thing that changes is your altitude above ground.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

The main question's been answered, but to expand: There are a three altitude "maximums" in play: Your country's "legal" max alt. (400 feet in the US), and then there's the "controlled" max alt locked down by DJI (500 meters / 1640 feet).

Finally, we have the REAL max alt, which is the "operational ceiling", which is listed as 5000 meters -- beyond that the air is too thin to provide proper lift. Important to know if you live in high alt places like Boulder, Sante Fe, et al.

 

[tcope]

The main question's been answered, but to expand: There are a three altitude "maximums" in play: Your country's "legal" max alt. (400 feet in the US), and then there's the "controlled" max alt locked down by DJI (500 meters / 1640 feet).

400' _still_ not a legal limit in the US for hobby use.

 

[f3honda4me]

The main question's been answered, but to expand: There are a three altitude "maximums" in play: Your country's "legal" max alt. (400 feet in the US), and then there's the "controlled" max alt locked down by DJI (500 meters / 1640 feet).

Finally, we have the REAL max alt, which is the "operational ceiling", which is listed as 5000 meters -- beyond that the air is too thin to provide proper lift. Important to know if you live in high alt places like Boulder, Sante Fe, et al.

The US does not have a 400 foot max.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

The US does not have a 400 foot max.

Yeah I get it. It may not be a codified law, but you're not supposed to be 400' AGL. At least I got the other 2 numbers right.

 

[f3honda4me]

FAA to AMA: Yes, You Can Fly Over 400 Feet - Unmanned Aerial

 

[okw]

Finally, we have the REAL max alt, which is the "operational ceiling", which is listed as 5000 meters -- beyond that the air is too thin to provide proper lift. Important to know if you live in high alt places like Boulder, Sante Fe, et al.

Just a bit of clarification, neither of the places you listed are anywhere near 5000m above sea level. Even from the top of the highest mountains in the continental US, you'd have to fly 1900' above you to get to 5000m above sea level.

 

[Bernie707]

My last flight was from off a bluff and I flew away from the bluff at a height about 25' AGL of my launch point. As I flew out a ways and wanted to fly lower to the ground it was weird to see the altitude read in negative numbers and it inhibited me from flying close to the ground since I had no idea what ground level was, but it illustrated the fact that the altitude reading is based on your takeoff ground level.

 

[JustStig]

Has anyone tried going up to the max 5000m?

Guess you can always test this when flying in international waters

 

[f3honda4me]

Has anyone tried going up to the max 5000m?

Guess you can always test this when flying in international waters

Yes, people have done it. Don't necessarily need to be over international waters to do so.

 

[MAVA4]

The main question's been answered, but to expand: There are a three altitude "maximums" in play: Your country's "legal" max alt. (400 feet in the US), and then there's the "controlled" max alt locked down by DJI (500 meters / 1640 feet).

Finally, we have the REAL max alt, which is the "operational ceiling", which is listed as 5000 meters -- beyond that the air is too thin to provide proper lift. Important to know if you live in high alt places like Boulder, Sante Fe, et al.

Except that all those cities are at ~5280 ft.

 

[netfolks2000]

What I have not heard described yet is taking off, say, in the bottom of a deep canyon and then flying up and OVER a high cliff. I suppose the altitude would show height from the bottom of the canyon even though normal ground level may be up there on the cliff. If the drone were to take off from down in the canyon and fly up and over the cliff I wonder what its characteristics would be on an RTH. If the cliff is 500 feet high the drone might lower to its normal RTH height and crash into the ground before coming to the end of the cliff to go down. If the drone was launched from up on the cliff and was down in the canyon and RTH was invoked, it might definitely crash if its RTH height is not enough to get it back up that high on the cliff to land. So one or both of these scenarios is a bit precarious.

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

If the cliff is 500 feet high the drone might lower to its normal RTH height and crash into the ground before coming to the end of the cliff to go down.

No, if Mavic is currently higher than its set RTH altitude, it will fly to home at current altitude, then descend.

If the drone was launched from up on the cliff and was down in the canyon and RTH was invoked, it might definitely crash if its RTH height is not enough to get it back up that high on the cliff to land.

If it's down in the canyon, the altitude will be negative, so it will ascend to RTH altitude first, then move horizontally.

So, it should be safe in both cases.

However, be aware of very narrow, deep canyons: the walls on both sides can block all or most of the satellites.