← All explained questions · Navigation and Sectional Charts

At what altitude are ground reference maneuvers generally flown?

Choices

✓ Between 600 and 1,000 feet above ground levelcorrect
The AFH gives 600–1,000 ft AGL as the general range so drift is easily seen while keeping a safety margin.
At or above 10,000 feet MSL
That altitude is far too high to observe drift against ground references.
At traffic-pattern altitude regardless of terrain
The range is defined above ground level, not fixed to a pattern altitude.
As low as 100 feet AGL for best effect
100 ft AGL leaves no safety margin and is well below the maneuvering range.

Why

Ground reference maneuvers are generally flown at 600 to 1,000 feet AGL — low enough to see drift, high enough to keep obstruction clearance and time to react — at no more than 45 degrees of bank and no faster than maneuvering speed.

FAA source: Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3 Ch. 7 (Rectangular Course; S-Turns; Turns Around a Point; maneuvering altitude and limits)browse the reference library →

This is taught in Ground Reference Maneuvers: Flying a Track Over the Ground — study the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.