New to Drone Flying - Not New to Photography

[R3SKT]

A quick question if I may? In respect of maximum permissible flight ceiling, 120mtrs here in the UK, if you launch from the side of a hill, where there's still more hill to ascend before you reach the summit, is the maximum height of your drone taken from the launch point height? I ask the question because last night I launched from below the top of the hill I was on, raised my Mini 3 Pro up to 110mtrs and was surprised shortly afterwards to hear, and then see a two-seater helicopter come flying across the hill-top, at a height which was not really any different to my hovering height. I quickly pulled the top height down by 50 metres as it did give me a bit of a scare, given how low the 'copter pilot was flying across the land.

I'm now unsure as to how I should approach my max altitude when working from the side of a hill/mountain etc. Any help or pointers to a more specific forum area to understand this important point gratefully received.

 

[msinger]

is the maximum height of your drone taken from the launch point height?

It's 120 meters between the drone's current location and the ground below. See more details here.

 

[R3SKT]

It's 120 meters between the drone's current location and the ground below. See more details here.

View attachment 155577

Ahh, yep, I had seen that but it hadn't "stuck". I think the low flying 'copter just rattled me somewhat and I started doubting what I was doing. How does the drone's height get taken from above the summit point on the hill? Is the height taken from the GPS signal fix for its current location and then down to the nearest ground surface?

Edit: But if this were the case wouldn't I see the altitude vary as I flew over a big lump or depression??

 

[msinger]

How does the drone's height get taken from above the summit point on the hill?

 

[LoudThunder]

I'm now unsure as to how I should approach my max altitude when working from the side of a hill/mountain etc.

I live in the US and I know two helicopter pilots, one a commercial pilot and the other, a private pilot. I talked about this before with them as I live about 8-miles south east of Fort Eustis and I fly in a park within their Class D airspace and am required a call ATC before I fly. I asked why the helicopters seem to fly so much lower than private aircraft and they say it's to stay away from those private aircraft as they generally fly in the 1000' to 3000" AGL range and if they stay in the 500' to 800' AGL level, they avoid a lot of that traffic. So, expect helicopters to fly lower than small private aircraft even in the UK…

 

[Meta4]

How does the drone's height get taken from above the summit point on the hill? Is the height taken from the GPS signal fix for its current location and then down to the nearest ground surface?

The height displayed on your screen is the drone's height relative to where you launched from.
It comes from a barometric sensor, that measures air pressure, just like altimeters in real planes do.
The drone has no sensors capable of telling your height above terrain.

 

[R3SKT]

The height displayed on your screen is the drone's height relative to where you launched from.
It comes from a barometric sensor, that measures air pressure, just like altimeters in real planes do.
The drone has no sensors capable of telling your height above terrain.

So in this scenario, if I launch from halfway up a 100mtr hill, by the time I ascend to 120mtrs and hover over the actual summit, my drone is actually only 70mtrs above the actual ground height then?

 

[koco2202]

Welcome to this forum, its amazing and extremely helpful place with lots of great people

 

[Meta4]

So in this scenario, if I launch from halfway up a 100mtr hill, by the time I ascend to 120mtrs and hover over the actual summit, my drone is actually only 70mtrs above the actual ground height then?

Obviously.
Since the earth is not pancake-flat, there are many situations where the ground under your drone is higher or lower than the launch point.
The height relative to takeoff (what you see on screen is irrelevant to regulations about flying height.

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

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