I’m new so tell me if I am stupid. So the altitude in the app is the agl from where I took off ? Not very useful. No way to know the agl of the AC ?
RonW, I respectfully disagree on the method for determining drone legal altitude. That altitude, typically 400' in the USA in non-controlled airspace, is measured vertically from the ground directly below the drone, or the the drone's AGL (Above Ground Level). When flying in hilly or mountainous terrain, legal altitude has little to do with the elevation of the takeoff point. Current drone AGL is not currently displayed on the controller. The drone would have to have a topo map database or a radar altimeter of some sort to provide that info.
MSL has little bearing for most drone flight, but it does when flying aircraft of course. The floor of Class A airspace is measured from Mean Seal Level and is 18,000. Above 18K one must normally* be equipped and licensed for IFR (instrument flight rules) and have a clearance from Air Traffic Control.
*At Minden NV we can sometimes get a variance, or Wave Window, for glider flight above 18K. I've been to 28K in my glider - it was cold. (picture of my glider at about 12K) - not taken with a drone! View attachment 92271called a Wave
Yes . . . I use O2 above 10K (5K at night) and a pulse oxymeter on my finger to make sure I didn't go stupid on that flight.Wow must of had oxygen...
That’s an old graphic representation which has subsequently been removed to avoid the very confusion which has sparked from posting it.But just to clarify - that's the UK CAA interpretation, not the FAA interpretation, which is true AGL.
View attachment 92319
But you did initially say legal limit is based from takeoff point.Bumper, read you comments, no offence taken. Maybe I didn't explain correctly - what I meant was that usually the max legal height is 400ft directly below drone to ground. I am aware that as the drone moves, the actual height relative to take off point may vary according to actual ground surface level, if that makes sense.
In the UK, the max height is 400ft vertically above ground level.
I stand corrected in that the display only reads height above take off point.
Again, sorry for any confusion.
That’s an old graphic representation which has subsequently been removed to avoid the very confusion which has sparked from posting it.
@TDZHDTV - this is no longer used by the CAA to promote the agl requirements under ‘The Drone Code’
Without having an inspector up there on a long ladder with a long measuring tape, no-one is likely to ever be able to tell the difference anyway.Well there's a nice contradictory message. "Your drone or aircraft must never be more than 400 ft from the surface of the earth" is not the same as "never fly more than 400 ft above the surface", by which they clearly do mean AGL.