RTH height question

[Corey Tucker]

quick question - if I have my RTH height set at 500ft, but I'm flying at 1000ft when i lose signal, will it descend to 500ft first and then come back, or will it stay at 1000ft since i'm already up that high? i was flying around a building this weekend and lost signal for a second and started to wonder... i don't always remember to adjust my RTH height, but hoping it wouldn't descend if i'm already that high up.

 

[msinger]

It will return at 1,000 feet since it's already above the RTH altitude.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Ditto to Phantom Help, and why would you be at that altitude anyway? A bit pointless really, other than to just say you did it. Personally, I just want to be safe and follow guidelines, I keep max altitude at or below 400ft. as most reasonable flyers do. Just a two cents worth.

 

[Big Al KY]

Ditto to Phantom Help, and why would you be at that altitude anyway? A bit pointless really, other than to just say you did it. Personally, I just want to be safe and follow guidelines, I keep max altitude at or below 400ft. as most reasonable flyers do. Just a two cents worth.

Fly Dawg you are 110% correct. Yes there are rules and guide lines and I as you follow them. 1000ft up? thats crazy for sure.
If everyone played by the rules, it. would be great for sure.
This my 2cents added to your 2 cents

 

[sonof40]

Ditto to Phantom Help, and why would you be at that altitude anyway? A bit pointless really, other than to just say you did it. Personally, I just want to be safe and follow guidelines, I keep max altitude at or below 400ft. as most reasonable flyers do. Just a two cents worth.

....And there it is.

 

[Imabiggles]

....And there it is.

IF Im flying over 1500' above a class B airport to get good video of a dignitary landing while a TFR is in effect but Im flying way beyond LOS using FPV googles while drunk and RTH kicks in, can I abort it and just land at the airport?
(that should get them going sonof40)

 

[NoWheels498]

It will return at 1,000 feet since it's already above the RTH altitude.

I was wondering that last week as I was around 1000 feet filming a bridge that deck height was about 800 feet above the gorge I launched from. I was afraid to fly to the other side of the bridge as I didn't know if it would decrease altitude and fly into the bridge.


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[jtludwig]

I was wondering that last week as I was around 1000 feet filming a bridge that deck height was about 800 feet above the gorge I launched from. I was afraid to fly to the other side of the bridge as I didn't know if it would decrease altitude and fly into the bridge.


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Or you could have read the owners manual.


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[Trackman1]

IF Im flying over 1500' above a class B airport to get good video of a dignitary landing while a TFR is in effect but Im flying way beyond LOS using FPV googles while drunk and RTH kicks in, can I abort it and just land at the airport?
(that should get them going sonof40)

Yes. But you must have enough booze to supply the visitors you are about to recieve. Otherwise you must land at closest liquor store.

 

[NoWheels498]

Or you could have read the owners manual.


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The owners manual is a bit vague in describing the RTH altitude.
My manual doesn't not mention anything about descending (or not) to the set failsafe altitude.


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[msinger]

My manual doesn't not mention anything about descending (or not) to the set failsafe altitude.

Correct. And, to clarify, your Phantom will never descend before it starts returning back to the home point.

 

[Dronason]

Ditto to Phantom Help, and why would you be at that altitude anyway? A bit pointless really, other than to just say you did it. Personally, I just want to be safe and follow guidelines, I keep max altitude at or below 400ft. as most reasonable flyers do. Just a two cents worth.

The OP concern is SAFETY if you read his post up to the end and he is absolutely right to ask for it.
He explain a tall building case but it can be also a hill or a mountain where, always keeping bellow the legal limit of height over ground, your real altitude and what is shown in the App goes well above it.
If there is a RTH triggered for any reason, then the P3 break the altitude limit, not the pilot (if he don't push the RTH button). In this scenario, as the VPS cannot be used, the fail safe way is what the P3 will do, but it will go back to home point at 1000ft in his scenario.

 

[FantomFlier]

Yes. But you must have enough booze to supply the visitors you are about to recieve. Otherwise you must land at closest liquor store.

Sounds like the perfect mission for an Inspire with Litchi - you could even get the Inspire to drop the booze at your position.

 

[NRJ]

Ditto to Phantom Help, and why would you be at that altitude anyway? A bit pointless really, other than to just say you did it. Personally, I just want to be safe and follow guidelines, I keep max altitude at or below 400ft. as most reasonable flyers do. Just a two cents worth.

Hey Fly Dawg, you are right but there are exceptions to every rule. Once in a while, I fly in the mountains. I need to fly higher than the mountain to get over it. My cap is 1640 feet. But I'm not trying to scale Pike's Peak either. But, when flying close to mountains, there would be no probability that there would be any manned aircraft that close to a mountain. So, I follow the guideline except when I can't.

 

[BigAl07]

Hey Fly Dawg, you are right but there are exceptions to every rule. Once in a while, I fly in the mountains. I need to fly higher than the mountain to get over it. My cap is 1640 feet. But I'm not trying to scale Pike's Peak either. But, when flying close to mountains, there would be no probability that there would be any manned aircraft that close to a mountain. So, I follow the guideline except when I can't.

The "Guidelines" is the aircraft to remain within 400' AGL. This means over the piece of ground directly under the aircraft regardless if it's on the top of the mountain or in the bottom of the valley floor. So long as you can assure that no more than 400' are between your aircraft and Terra Firma directly under it you're following that specific guideline.

If you go into the DJI App and over-ride that 400' warning (remember it's only able to know where the aircraft launched from and is not able to detect the distance to the ground below, that is up to the OPERATOR to make sure of) so you can continue to ascend a mountain/hill/building etc so long as you maintain 400' above THAT you are still meeting the guidelines.

 

[Pharm]

IF Im flying over 1500' above a class B airport to get good video of a dignitary landing while a TFR is in effect but Im flying way beyond LOS using FPV googles while drunk and RTH kicks in, can I abort it and just land at the airport?
(that should get them going sonof40)

You're obviously an inexperienced pilot. The answer is obvious. Yes, of course you can.

 

[NRJ]

The "Guidelines" is the aircraft to remain within 400' AGL. This means over the piece of ground directly under the aircraft regardless if it's on the top of the mountain or in the bottom of the valley floor. So long as you can assure that no more than 400' are between your aircraft and Terra Firma directly under it you're following that specific guideline.

If you go into the DJI App and over-ride that 400' warning (remember it's only able to know where the aircraft launched from and is not able to detect the distance to the ground below, that is up to the OPERATOR to make sure of) so you can continue to ascend a mountain/hill/building etc so long as you maintain 400' above THAT you are still meeting the guidelines.

Good point. [Edit] But, if I need to get over the mountain and I go up from my point over 500', then I am still going over the limit of 400' from my take off point. Still, there should be no danger of an manned aircraft. I broke the guideline, but that is why it is a guideline. Am I right?

 

[BigAl07]

Good point. [Edit] But, if I need to get over the mountain and I go up from my point over 500', then I am still going over the limit of 400' from my take off point. Still, there should be no danger of an manned aircraft. I broke the guideline, but that is why it is a guideline. Am I right?

From a regulation point the ground directly below the aircraft is where the reading is important. It's important to understand that the regulations were in place for MANNED aircraft in which the aircraft and the Pilot (aka operator) where at the same point always. But regardless the rule is Above Ground Level and that is basically directly under the aircraft. So if the mountain is 900' from base to the tip and you're at the base you can fly the contour of the terrain to cross the mountain maintaining the aircraft is always within 400' (as noted directly below the aircraft from an imaginary 400' string) of the mountain. Even though technically you would have to be at a MIN of 900' above the take off point you "could" still be within regulations (or community based guidelines depending on how you want to work it today). Now if you're flying over the peak (remember it's 900' above you) and you fly out horizontally over your head you have exceeded the safety guidelines.

 

[tcope]

I think anytime anyone types something more then 400', what follows are multiple posts as seen above.

Something to consider when setting the RTH is that it takes some to climb to a high altitude and then even longer to come down. This can get someone into trouble if they leave their setting much higher then needed.

 

[NoWheels498]

This is the site i was at. I lunched from the edge of the river. Bridge height is stated at 876 and 3030 feet across. I was flying over the river the app showing over 900 feet,

so i guess i was outside the guidelines.