Originally Posted by
DaveReidUK
It's more complicated than that.
ADS-B reports altitude the same way as Flight Levels are derived - that's to say, based on a nominal QNH of 1013.2 mb (or hPa). So to work out actual height AMSL you need to adjust for the local QNH, and then if you want height AGL you need to factor in the terrain.
But if this helicopter was at 400' AGL, should he not be at, say 1500' ASL to meet the regs? Most of the other helicopters and light aircraft I see are visibly at a sensible height (I've seen a couple of other aircraft which appear to have been way below 1000' and the area definitely conforms to "built up" though close to the edges) - and this guy was low.
In other news - two KC-10s have flown all the way up from Crete, made a sharp left just off Dungeness and are now heading west down the South Coast - approaching Portland as I type...