When planning and flying a mission, you should be aware of three different height values: Mission Height, Maximum Altitude, and Return-to-Home Altitude.
First, check the airspace and DJI altitude zones before you arrive on-site, and while planning your mission, make sure that none of these three heights surpass the airspace ceilings set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or local airspace authority.
Phantom 4 RTK Drone using GS RTK
Mission Height
This is the aircraft's altitude during the operation, which you set during mission planning. The Mission Height is set in meters, regardless of other controller settings.
In the US, FAA regulations prohibit Part 107 drone pilots from flying above 400ft (approximately 120m). Similarly, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) prohibits drone flights above 120m.
While flying, the current drone height (vertical distance from the drone to Home Point) is shown in the lower part of the screen, marked H.
In the image below, the current height is 0.0ft because the drone was not in flight.
Maximum Altitude
The maximum altitude the controller will allow the drone to reach during its missions. Unlike the Mission Height, the Maximum Altitude is set in feet.
Remember that Part 107 pilots cannot fly above 400ft (about 120m), so do not set the maximum altitude any higher than that unless you have explicit authorization from the FAA or other environmental reasons to do so.
If you reach maximum altitude, the controller will show a message: Maximum Flight Altitude reached. Adjust your altitude using Aircraft Settings if required.
You can change the Maximum Altitude in the Aircraft Settings from the Fly screen.
Please note—If the GNSS signal is weak and the Vision System is activated, the drone will not go higher than 26ft/8m. With a weak signal but a deactivated Vision System, the altitude will be restricted to 98ft/30m.
The Vision System is the collective name for the sensors on the drone body. These sensors use ultrasound and image data to help keep the drone in its current position and scan for obstacles.
Return-to-Home Altitude
This is the altitude at which your P4RTK drone will return to the Home Point either at the end of the mission or when you call the drone back home. The Return-to-Home altitude is more relevant for manual flight missions.
If you manually fly your drone, please exercise caution and turn on the obstacle avoidance system for safety.
For non-manual flight missions, the Return-to-Home altitude should be checked if you have issues with airspace ceiling restrictions and cannot determine the cause.
You can change the Return-to-Home altitude in the Aircraft Settings from the Fly screen.
M300/350 RTK or M3E using DJI Pilot 2
Mission Height
This is the altitude of the aircraft during the operation, which you set during mission planning. In DJI Pilot 2, you can choose if you want your flight settings in feet or meters.
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Go to the live camera or map view.
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Tap the three dots in the settings tab on the right-hand side and then the three dots at the bottom.
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Tap Units Settings.
You can select Imperial or Metric in this menu for your mission settings.
In the mission settings under Flight Route Altitude, change the mission height by entering a value in the middle box.
In the US, FAA regulations prohibit Part 107 drone pilots from flying above 400ft (approximately 120m). Similarly, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) prohibits drone flights above 120m.
While flying, you can see the current drone height (vertical distance from the drone to Home Point) in the lower part of the screen, to the right of the compass.
Maximum Altitude
This is the maximum altitude the remote controller will allow the drone to reach during its missions.
Remember that Part 107 pilots cannot fly above 400ft (about 120m), so do not set the maximum altitude any higher than that unless you have explicit authorization from the FAA or other environmental reasons to do so. If you have a lower height ceiling than 400ft (120m), you must lower your maximum altitude.
If you reach maximum altitude, the controller will show a message: Maximum Flight Altitude reached. Adjust your altitude using Aircraft Settings if required.
You can change the Maximum Altitude in the Aircraft Settings from the Fly screen.
Return-to-Home Altitude
This is the altitude at which the aircraft will return to the Home Point either at the end of the mission or when you call the drone back home.
The Return-to-Home altitude is more relevant for manual flight missions. If you fly your drone manually, please exercise caution and turn on the obstacle avoidance system for safety.
For non-manual flight missions, the Return-to-Home altitude should be checked if you have issues with airspace ceiling restrictions and cannot determine the cause.
You can change the Return-to-Home altitude in the Aircraft Settings from the Fly screen.
I still can't do it!
We wrote these articles to equip you with everything you need to get the job done on your own, but we understand that sometimes this isn't sufficient.
If you're stuck, the Propeller hardware support team may be able to help. You can contact them by emailing hardwaresupport@propelleraero.com.au.
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