Disappointed But Not Surprised

[Ian Oberdorf]

The max altitude that is set is AGL height. There are no settings for MSL. If you're flying in mountains you are fine as long as the distance from the ground to your drone does not exceed 400' but be warned that plane's flying over mountains might not change their altitude so keep your eyes and ears open. The only way the phantom knows it's height is with the sonic sensors on the bottom. If it was calculating height at Mean Sea Level then it would use an air pressure sensor and it's inner GPS.

Here's another fact 500 m (1640 ft) is 4.1 times greater than the legal height limit.

Just know this if you are flying at great heights just to show off you are experiencing a flight hazard known as mocho and it is the biggest thing that gets repeated in practice tests for registered pilots and they want you to know the antidote ("Taking chances is foolish"). How is flying a drone at heights greater than 400'AGL taking chances is because private plane's and helicopters will fly at those altitudes and the Faa wants manned aircraft to always avoid drones by at least 400'

 

[Meta4]

i would like to know how some people post max elevations they have flown that's in excess of the 500 meters.

They don't use a DJI Phantom 3 or 4.

is there a way around this ??

No

does Litchi impose a max alt. of 500 meters ?

Litchi doesn't impose any height limits - they are hardwired into your Phantom - see previous answer.

 

[Meta4]

The only way the phantom knows it's height is with the sonic sensors on the bottom. If it was calculating height at Mean Sea Level then it would use an air pressure sensor and it's inner GPS.

The VPS system has a very limited range (0-10 metres)
The Phantom primarily gets it's height data from a barometric sensor.
The Phantom does not use GPS at all for altitude data as GPS is very inaccurate for altitude measurement.

 

[lmmavrick]

The max altitude that is set is AGL height. There are no settings for MSL. If you're flying in mountains you are fine as long as the distance from the ground to your drone does not exceed 400' but be warned that plane's flying over mountains might not change their altitude so keep your eyes and ears open. The only way the phantom knows it's height is with the sonic sensors on the bottom. If it was calculating height at Mean Sea Level then it would use an air pressure sensor and it's inner GPS.

Here's another fact 500 m (1640 ft) is 4.1 times greater than the legal height limit.

Just know this if you are flying at great heights just to show off you are experiencing a flight hazard known as mocho and it is the biggest thing that gets repeated in practice tests for registered pilots and they want you to know the antidote ("Taking chances is foolish"). How is flying a drone at heights greater than 400'AGL taking chances is because private plane's and helicopters will fly at those altitudes and the Faa wants manned aircraft to always avoid drones by at least 400'

I think you missed to point of my post . being limited to 500 meters limits my ability to film and take photos of mountainous terrain . i have a mountain 1800' away max 2500 at the peak from my take off point as i follow the terrain up never exceeding 400agl [closer to 200' agl ] i can not get to the peak of the mountain because i am limited to 500 meters [1640] i need another 2 to 300 meters . i know the phantom can do it but am limited by the max alt in DJI go . this is not macho behavior, this is not showing off , this is using the phantom for what it was designed for yet can't do it because of the max 500 m. I need to look into Litchi and see if it limits the max alt . by the way i am also a certified FAA drone pilot . MSL is not even a part of the discussion . What I am trying to do falls well within FAA guide lines and well within the phantom performance . it's not taking chances it's using a tool for what it was made for . also the drone is never out of VLS as the green mountain back drop the phantom sticks out very well

 

[lmmavrick]

They don't use a DJI Phantom 3 or 4.

No

Litchi doesn't impose any height limits - they are hardwired into your Phantom - see previous answer.

Not so sure about that . just hooked up the drone turned on litchi and i could set 1000 meters but it would default to 100m or say N/A and then default back to 100 m . guess i won't know for sure until i try it . Can't today as the winds are in excess of 25 mph maybe tomorrow if it's not raining

 

[Meta4]

Not so sure about that . just hooked up the drone turned on litchi and i could set 1000 meters but it would default to 100m or say N/A and then default back to 100 m . guess i won't know for sure until i try it . Can't today as the winds are in excess of 25 mph maybe tomorrow if it's not raining

You'll find that Litchi can't bypass what's baked into the firmware.
All the basic flight settings and RTH are in there as well and Litchi doesn't/can't replace them.

 

[gsreinke]

It's been said a million times... there is no law for hobby fliers stating you can't fly higher than 400' above ground level.

I would like to understand the regulations, better. So please explain that a part 107 commercial pilot that is familiar with the NAS, passes the test and is restricted to 400 ft AGL but a hobbiest who just purchased his drone at Best Buy with little to no experience with the NAS and regulations can fly at any altitude or distance. Does not pass the smell test!

 

[tcope]

I would like to understand the regulations, better. So please explain that a part 107 commercial pilot that is familiar with the NAS, passes the test and is restricted to 400 ft AGL but a hobbiest who just purchased his drone at Best Buy with little to no experience with the NAS and regulations can fly at any altitude or distance. Does not pass the smell test!

I understand that way of thinking but how it came to be is this... the FAA regulated _everything_ in the air. So that person who just bought a drone at Best Buy would be at the whim of the FAA. He/She would be required to know all of the current regulations... even just to fly in someone's backyard. Does that sound like a fun time? So Congress stepped in and loosened the regulations for those of us who just want to have some fun on the weekend. You now get what we have... more relaxed regulations for people who are just having fun. Those people who want to earn an income and probably fly a lot more will need to follow the always existing laws.

We are currently in a flux of regulations. We may very well see more restrictive regulations place on hobby flight.

 

[Ian Oberdorf]

I think you missed to point of my post . being limited to 500 meters limits my ability to film and take photos of mountainous terrain . i have a mountain 1800' away max 2500 at the peak from my take off point as i follow the terrain up never exceeding 400agl [closer to 200' agl ] i can not get to the peak of the mountain because i am limited to 500 meters [1640] i need another 2 to 300 meters . i know the phantom can do it but am limited by the max alt in DJI go .

I don't know why the limit would be affecting you if you're staying 200' above the terrain. The phantoms should be measuring the height over the terrain not MSL altitude. If that's really happening then something really does need changed.

 

[Ian Oberdorf]

I understand that way of thinking but how it came to be is this... the FAA regulated _everything_ in the air. So that person who just bought a drone at Best Buy would be at the whim of the FAA. He/She would be required to know all of the current regulations... even just to fly in someone's backyard. Does that sound like a fun time? So Congress stepped in and loosened the regulations for those of us who just want to have some fun on the weekend. You now get what we have... more relaxed regulations for people who are just having fun. Those people who want to earn an income and probably fly a lot more will need to follow the always existing laws.

We are currently in a flux of regulations. We may very well see more restrictive regulations place on hobby flight.

We'll I must have been sleeping when these laws changed but if anyone who is a hobbyist wants hobby flight to remain stay 5 miles away from all airports or laws will become worse. It's thanks to hobbyists who've flown their drones within these limits and didn't pay attention to the sky that has made the laws come to be. For those of us who wanted to fly for fun and make money at times we now have to pay almost 500 dollars for ground schooling and a first exam and we have to pay 100-300 dollars every 2 years to continue our work and its all thanks to those who cant follow the simple guidelines that were made to keep our skies safe. Be warned if more reports of drone strikes show up on tv or drones flying within A, B, C, or D airspace are discovered without permission then all drone pilots will require a license. And in that case hobbyists will be paying an arm and leg for licenses as well.

 

[gsreinke]

I can also understand that way of thinking. As an ATP with 20K flying hours, the greatest threat to flying safety is a pilot flying in the NAS, unrestricted, and with little or no knowledge of the safety regulations or rules. Furthermore, I find it ludicrous that I need to call an airport operator when I am flying from a farmer's field 4.5 miles from a heliport at 200 feet!

 

[Meta4]

The phantoms should be measuring the height over the terrain not MSL altitude. If that's really happening then something really does need changed.

The Phantom has no way of knowing what's below it.
It measures height above launch point, not above terrain.

 

[gmj3191]

If you look at the longer term, these changes to help make sure people fly safely and within the law, will probably bolster our hobby.
Without them, people who do not understand how to fly safely and legally, and the dickheads who choose not to anyway, will necessitate the introduction of more draconian laws which will potentially see an end to being able to have drones at all.

 

[P4PPSussudio]

OK, I got a little upset when, for a time, DJI took down the ability to downgrade to a previous version of firmware, but it’s difficult for me to believe that so many people are arguing as if more government regulation is a good thing. There is no firmware in my car to limit how far I can travel, or where I can go. I am responsible for obeying the traffic laws, and I do. I am not a proponent of anarchy and I agree that we all must do our part to keep our hobby safe, but it’s up to us, not our government. If you need an example of too much government interference, just take look at what Canada has done to our sport. There will always be a few, no matter what the endeavor, who will step over the line and abuse the sport, but do we really want the government to restrict the rest of us because of the few who commit the abuse? I seemed to have poked a hornet’s nest when all I was doing was letting of a little steam. I did not mean to offend. If you really want more laws to protect you, just ask a government official. I am positive that they will accommodate your wish.

Well said. We sure have a bunch of g men, yes men, and just plain squares in here don't we Dennis lol! Would you guys all be defending DJI if they were putting a governor on your car that wouldn't allow the car to go over 65 miles an hour? Yeah I bet that you probably would be pissed this is all Dennis is trying to say even though I don't see any new limitations altitude always maxed out at 500 m right?

 

[Loz]

We sure have a bunch of g men, yes men, and just plain squares in here don't we Dennis lol! Would you guys all be defending DJI...

not true - not a single post in this thread defends DJI, most debate merits or not about what DJI may do in the future - but has not done yet. I'd call that defending facts vs conjecture.

 

[lmmavrick]

I don't know why the limit would be affecting you if you're staying 200' above the terrain. The phantoms should be measuring the height over the terrain not MSL altitude. If that's really happening then something really does need changed.

You still don't get it . MSL as nothing to do with it and is not part of the problem . it's the 500 m max alt. you can't get to the peak of a 2000 ' mountain if you are limited to 1640' . since we are talking mountains not cliffs one can follow the terrain up the mountain at around 200 agl but as you go higher up the mountain you need more elevation or you'll crash into the side of the mountain . hence the need more then 500m max altitude above take off point .
don't know how i can explain it any better .

 

[lmmavrick]

We'll I must have been sleeping when these laws changed but if anyone who is a hobbyist wants hobby flight to remain stay 5 miles away from all airports or laws will become worse. It's thanks to hobbyists who've flown their drones within these limits and didn't pay attention to the sky that has made the laws come to be. For those of us who wanted to fly for fun and make money at times we now have to pay almost 500 dollars for ground schooling and a first exam and we have to pay 100-300 dollars every 2 years to continue our work and its all thanks to those who cant follow the simple guidelines that were made to keep our skies safe. Be warned if more reports of drone strikes show up on tv or drones flying within A, B, C, or D airspace are discovered without permission then all drone pilots will require a license. And in that case hobbyists will be paying an arm and leg for licenses as well.

Why your extreme cost to maintain a part 107 ? it's only 150 for the test and needs to be retaken every 2 yrs . . no need for a ground school unless you want it . The FAA offers all the study material for the test free of charge . self study like i did and go spend 150 for the test and your done . unless you fail the test then it's another 150 to retake and every time you take it . so study and don't fail

 

[Ian Oberdorf]

Why your extreme cost to maintain a part 107 ? it's only 150 for the test and needs to be retaken every 2 yrs . . no need for a ground school unless you want it . The FAA offers all the study material for the test free of charge . self study like i did and go spend 150 for the test and your done . unless you fail the test then it's another 150 to retake and every time you take it . so study and don't fail

Actually I'm referring to those who have no knowledge of aviation other than flying a uas. I did invest in a phone app that was $50 that helped me in the areas I kept having issues with.

 

[lmmavrick]

Actually I'm referring to those who have no knowledge of aviation other than flying a uas. I did invest in a phone app that was $50 that helped me in the areas I kept having issues with.

there's a lot of info to absorb . i studied for 2 months before i felt confident to take the test . since i only got an 89 i should have studied more . though some of the questions were designed to be a little tricky most were straight fwd . if i had to give advice for anyone taking the test it would be to read and re-read each question and don't get caught by the little tricks on word play

 

[Ian Oberdorf]

there's a lot of info to absorb . i studied for 2 months before i felt confident to take the test . since i only got an 89 i should have studied more . though some of the questions were designed to be a little tricky most were straight fwd . if i had to give advice for anyone taking the test it would be to read and re-read each question and don't get caught by the little tricks on word play

Yes, A lot of the answers might fool you because the answers almost match read each question carefully, you have 2 hours to complete the entire exam. If you're not confident enough or are still having issues finding the answers I used Flight Ready ground school to review my knowledge and gain more. Yes it's $50 but it gives documents to read and tiny pop quizzes every few documents. It's great for learning what you thought you knew. And to gain more confidence they have FAA simulated exams for you to practice with. It would be a great source to practice with every year or few months to keep your knowledge strong and make sure the next time you take the test you ace it.