Originally Posted by
flyinwalenda
That's all it would be is a guess. Most people,even flyers don't realize how high 400' is.
Next time you are at the field ask other pilots how high they think they are flying or how high is 400' ? You will probably be surprised at the answers. If you have someone there with a Q500 or Chroma quad have them take it up to 400' and show everyone how high it actually is ! Probably it will be higher than most realize.
I was thinking about this last weekend as I fly both thermal duration and jets.
I was at Six Flags with the family and looked up at the Oil Derrick. For grins I asked Siri how tall it was........it is only 300 feet. There is an extra 100 feet between that and our recommended ceiling. I'd be surprised if I have been over 400 with any of my jets. Not saying I haven't. Straight up is hard to judge. Two meter and open class F3J ships.......maybe from time to time.
I think it's much easier to fly 400'+ away horizontally than it is vertically. Horizontally you have the ground and horizon as a reference and can estimate distance accordingly. Looking up you have no point of reference other than the model's apparent size. Then again, I've never flown next to a giant Oil Derrick for reference either.
DISCLAIMER: These are just my opinions based on my flying styles and offered as an example of why I'm not going to worry about it.