Question about Altitude Restricted Areas

[lowell216]

First time drone flyer here so bear with me...

The hills behind my neighborhood are very open, but there are areas on the very edge of an altitude restricted area (150'). I file a LAANC to fly.

I'm also launching essentially from a bowl starting at 230m with hills and peaks near me around 500m.

If I launch from home, ascend the hill, and run into the altitude restricted area on the way to the peaks what will the drone do? From an AGL perspective I'm well below the restriction, but from the drone's perspective from launch / controller it's way over.

I'm worried it will descend and possibly crash on the hillside. How does this work?

Also, when I file a LAANC my local airfield and FAA note the restriction as 300' - 400' depending on the area, but DJI Fly shows it as 150'. I'm assuming the drone will use 150'?

Thanks for the help!

Lowell

 

[msinger]

If I launch from home, ascend the hill, and run into the altitude restricted area on the way to the peaks what will the drone do?

What will the drone do at which point? You cannot manually ascend above the set max altitude.

 

[Lasidora]

If you launch from home, ascend the hill thus entering any of the grey shaded GEO zone, your drone will keep going forward but it will never go above 500ft shown on your controller, even if you manually try to ascend, it will stay at 500ft max, if the hill becomes higher than this, then you will crash. On return journey - If your controller is showing more than 500ft AGL ( take off point for ref ) and you try to enter any part of the grey shaded GEO zone, your drone will stop dead in its tracks & not move an inch forward until you drop it to 499ft or less, mine did just this & I almost lost it - MP2, I was only 250ft AGL at the edge of the GEO zone but had taken off from a much lower height at the bottom of a hill causing the drone to show more than 500ft on the controller, not even a RTH will make the drone move, you will have to lower the altitude manually until less than 500ft & hope you do not lose connection.

 

[lowell216]

What will the drone do at which point? You cannot manually ascend above the set max altitude.

At the point where the drone crosses the boundary into the altitude restriction zone.

My max set altitude is set high because of terrain around me and my launch point (ie launching from a bowl). I fly well below 400' AGL (more like 100'), but the difference between the controller and the drone is well over 400'.

That's why I'm concerned the drone will simply force a landing because it will "think" its over the legal altitude.

 

[lowell216]

If you launch from home, ascend the hill thus entering any of the grey shaded GEO zone, your drone will keep going forward but it will never go above 500ft shown on your controller, even if you manually try to ascend, it will stay at 500ft max, if the hill becomes higher than this, then you will crash. On return journey - If your controller is showing more than 500ft AGL ( take off point for ref ) and you try to enter any part of the grey shaded GEO zone, your drone will stop dead in its tracks & not move an inch forward until you drop it to 499ft or less, mine did just this & I almost lost it - MP2, I was only 250ft AGL at the edge of the GEO zone but had taken off from a much lower height at the bottom of a hill causing the drone to show more than 500ft on the controller, not even a RTH will make the drone move, you will have to lower the altitude manually until less than 500ft & hope you do not lose connection.

That answers my question - thank you!

Maybe I'll just hike and launch from higher elevation so the drone recognizes it's actual altitude AGL and its not an issue.

 

[Thomas B]

That answers my question - thank you!

Maybe I'll just hike and launch from higher elevation so the drone recognizes it's actual altitude AGL and its not an issue.

Or land at a distance and relaunch w/o turning off anything. To point will be reset to 0’ AGL. Be sure you can maintain VLOS when landed.

 

[Rich QR]

Or land at a distance and relaunch w/o turning off anything. To point will be reset to 0’ AGL. Be sure you can maintain VLOS when landed.

And be sure you can maintain radio contact at your landing spot. If you maintain VLOS, there's an excellent chance of maintaining radio contact, but if you land in a spot that's out of your direct sight, there's a definite possibility you'll have to go for a hike before you'll be able to take off.

Don't land in a spot that's too inacccessible.

 

[lowell216]

And be sure you can maintain radio contact at your landing spot. If you maintain VLOS, there's an excellent chance of maintaining radio contact, but if you land in a spot that's out of your direct sight, there's a definite possibility you'll have to go for a hike before you'll be able to take off.

Don't land in a spot that's too inacccessible.

Thanks everyone. Honestly I'd probably be afraid to land in the area I'm talking about at present skill level (and random mountain bike traffic), but good to know that's an option.