The actual height of an object above mean sea level is called what?

• A. True Altitude
• B. Absolute Altitude
• C. Above Ground Level
• D. Density Altitude

Answer: (A)

Height above mean sea level is called true altitude. It tells you your actual elevation relative to the average sea level. For example, if the ground beneath you is at 3,000 ft MSL and you’re 1,000 ft above that ground, your true altitude is 4,000 ft MSL. This is different from Above Ground Level, which is simply the height above the terrain directly beneath you. Density altitude is not your actual height; it’s the altitude at which the air density would place you in standard conditions, reflecting performance, not height. Absolute altitude is sometimes used in different contexts, but the standard term for height above mean sea level is true altitude.