How high is too high?

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Silly question #27 from me. In Australia CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) sets the rules for all things aerial. The flying height limit for private drones is 120metres. Now for the silly question.....120 meters above what, or where? Four eggs ample, if I launch my P3P from the top of a 250 metre cliff, get it up to 120 metres, and then fly it off over the edge, am I then flying at 370 metres? Will my drone fall to the limit that I have set in the app (120) or crash and burn? Will I be arrested and have my drone confiscated? Serious answer sought. Cheers
 
Now for the silly question.....120 meters above what, or where?
What's the only thing they could possibly use for a regulation height?
<hint> It's the ground below your drone.
if I launch my P3P from the top of a 250 metre cliff, get it up to 120 metres, and then fly it off over the edge, am I then flying at 370 metres? Will my drone fall to the limit that I have set in the app (120) or crash and burn?
Your drone is a flying machine, not a falling and following terrain machine.
It will do just what any bird or airplane does when it flies over a cliff edge.
Also, it has no sensor that could tell how far the ground is below the drone so it won't know you've flown past a cliff edge.
Will I be arrested and have my drone confiscated?
Will CASA have an inspector there on a long ladder, with a long tape measure and a long handled net?
 
What's the only thing they could possibly use for a regulation height?
<hint> It's the ground below your drone.

Your drone is a flying machine, not a falling and following terrain machine.
It will do just what any bird or airplane does when it flies over a cliff edge.
Also, it has no sensor that could tell how far the ground is below the drone so it won't know you've flown past a cliff edge.

Will CASA have an inspector there on a long ladder, with a long tape measure and a long handled net?

So good to see Australian threads entering into this Forum.
Always such wise words from Meta4.
My Aus training school said AGL, means if you launch from the Cliff, you can go 120 Metres AGL.
However, once you are past the cliff edge, you may be exceeding AGL limitations of 120 Metres.
I love the comment about, will CASA be there!
Coincidently, today my ReOC renewal electronically arrived today. Another $480 AUS Dollars to do the right thing and renew to be registered and compliant for commercial work.
And yet, in Byron Bay, (my home beach town,) so many people fly out over the surf and flaunt the laws by flying over the surfers. It does slightly get under my skin.
Happy to contribute to purchasing a long ladder for CASA.
Cheers all and safe happy flying.
 
What laws would you be flaunting flying over surfers? There’s nothing in the CASA regs about not flying over people except the height you must maintain over them - 30 metres.
 
CASA says that you are not to fly over populous areas, nor within 30 metres horizontal distance.
As a holder of the ReOC I can apply to fly 15 metres away, but unless you have redundancy, not a quad, then chances are not good that CASA will authorise your flight above people.
 
What laws would you be flaunting flying over surfers? There’s nothing in the CASA regs about not flying over people except the height you must maintain over them - 30 metres.
You seem to be misunderstanding the regulations. You must maintain 30m distance from people not directly involved in the operation AND avoid flying over them. Imagine a cylinder with a 30m radius. You should not go inside that. Can be difficult to achieve but it’s the way it is.
 

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