What is AGL and MSl ???

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What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby Dragonfly » Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:03 pm

in the flight School you talk a bought AGL and MSl what do's that mean?? :-?
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby C » Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:22 pm

You'll find them referring to heights/altitude.

AGL = Above Ground Level (for example an obstacle 200ft tall will be 200ft AGL)

MSL = Mean Sea Level (now, if your same obstacle is on a piece of ground that has an elevation of 150ft above mean sea level (AMSL), then your obstacle will be a total of 350ft AMSL).

If I had a whiteboard I'd draw you a diagram! ;D
Last edited by C on Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby RichD » Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:38 pm

Hope this helps

Image
Last edited by RichD on Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby Fozzer » Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:38 pm

Give these a try...>>>

http://gozips.uakron.edu/~evert/airabr.htm

..and some more...>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_av ... reviations

Paul... :)...!

I love my Radar Altimeter (RALT)...tells me how far I am from the dangerous stuff down below!
Last edited by Fozzer on Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby C » Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:12 pm

RichD:

Nice one! Just what I threatened. If only the land had been drawn using green, the diagram would have been perfect! ;D
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby C » Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:14 pm

I love my Radar Altimeter (RALT)...tells me how far I am from the dangerous stuff down below!


Unless you're upside down. :P ;)
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby DaveSims » Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:56 pm

I remember the lesson my first instructor taught me on AGL and MSL and the heights shown on the map for towers.  The big number is MSL, and is the height your altimeter will show when you hit the top of the tower.  The smaller number is AGL, which is how far you will fall after you hit the tower.

Gotta love those ole timer instructors and the lessons they teach.   :D
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby Fozzer » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:22 am

I love my Radar Altimeter (RALT)...tells me how far I am from the dangerous stuff down below!


Unless you're upside down. :P ;)


For that event I use a long piece of string (Plumb Bob) marked in Feet, with a weight on the end, and dangle it out of the Cockpit whilst upside-down.

When I can observe the weight very close-up, I estimate that I am much too close to the ground!

Look out for the the forthcoming AAIB report.... ;)...!

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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby RichD » Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:42 am

C

If only the land had been drawn using green,


The cows stripped the grass,  ;D
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby Dragonfly » Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:29 pm

Thanks for the info. every one. :D :)
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby ratdog » Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:01 am

I like using AGL. It tells you exactly what terrian you are flying over. If you are flying low say on a pop up bomb run in a F-15E you can see in your hud the way the terrain is by watching your AGL go up and down as you fly across hill tops and over valleys. Nothing like trying to dodge those SAMs on your ingress to a target.
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Re: What is AGL and MSl ???

Postby Fozzer » Mon Jan 14, 2013 4:34 am

I always install a Radar Altimeter, Digital or Analogue, in all all my favourite aircraft.
Its always nice to know just how far I am, safely, from the ground, or water, down below!

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