What is 'absolute altitude' 🧑‍🔧

After a few colleagues asked for my assistance on the subject, I decided to write about "What is 'absolute altitude'". If you're still unsure, stick with me…

Did you know the short answer is…

Altitude above the actual surface, either land or water, of a planet or natural satellite.

Absolute altitude is the vertical distance between an aircraft and the surface over which it is flying.

Let’s start by reviewing a few questions people ask:

'absolute altitude'

What is the difference between altitude and distance...

In space navigation altitude designates distance from the mean surface of the reference body as contrasted to distance, which designates distance from the center of the reference body. altitude acclimatization

What is relative altitude...

Definitions of Altitude (ALT) AGL: Altitude above Ground Level: the altitude of the vehicle above whatever is directly below it. Relative: Relative altitude above HOME/ORIGIN position's altitude. This is what is displayed in the ground station and OSD as the vehicle's altitude.

I hope you found the information you were looking for. If you didn’t, just make a comment below.