Tower altitude setting for missions

[Rich]

Here is a question for those of you that fly from a location where the ground is at an altitude higher or lower than sea level (0).

When you set the altitude of waypoints or takeoff altitude, is the number you enter the altitude above the current ground level or is it the absolute altitude above sea level?

For example, if the area where you are flying from has a ground altitude of 1000 feet above sea level and you want Solo to fly 100 feet above the ground, do you enter 100 or 1100 as the altitude value for waypoints and other entries?

I'm wondering if someone that flies at a location where the ground is already at an altitude that is greater than 500 feet or more could test this and let us know. My guess is that it should be altitude above the current take off ground level.

Thanks

 

[Jubalr]

Altitude is AGL in Tower. Notice that it defaults to around 65'. I use it all the time. I fly surveys at around 280'.

 

[erikgraham]

AGL = above ground level

All altitudes are relative to your home position (where you arm the drone).

 

[DodgeP]

Not sure what you're going to be recording but I always research the actual height of my POI's because they are measured from ground level and your altitude is measured from ground level, not sea level.

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the confirmation. It's hard to know for sure if your ground level is about sea level.

 

[erikgraham]

Not sure what you're going to be recording but I always research the actual height of my POI's because they are measured from ground level and your altitude is measured from ground level, not sea level.

This is a really important point.

I like to scout sites by flying around manually and noting down the altitudes of trees, hill tops, and structures. After I get a feel for the area I land and create the Mission in Tower. Sometimes I even do this at night and come back to the location the next day to run the mission (usually in the morning when the light is best).

You just have to remember where you took off from when you scouted out the location. All the altitudes are relative to where you take off. So it's essential that when you come back the next day, you take off from the same spot.