What is MSL vs ASL altitude?
What is MSL vs ASL altitude? “MSL” is an abbreviation for “Mean Sea Level” or to put it more clearly “above Mean Sea Level.” Sometimes, you will still see the abbreviation “ASL” used as well; it stands for “Above Sea Level.” There are publications that reference “AGL” altitudes as well.
Is MSL a datum?
Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum which is computed by the National Ocean Service (NOS), Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) as part of the National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) based on data collected over a 19-year tide cycle.
What altitude do planes fly?
On average, you will find most commercial airliners flying anywhere from about 31,000 feet to 42,000 feet. That is equivalent to 5.9 to 7.2 miles in the air. Smaller aircraft, whether commercially operated or not, will fly at lower altitudes, often below 15,000 feet.