Powered by All Bing ‘The terms “altitude” and “height” in aviation refer to the vertical distance of an aircraft, but they are measured from different reference points: * Altitude: This is the vertical distance of an aircraft measured from mean sea level. It is typically measured in feet or meters above mean sea level. For example, when a pilot sets the altimeter for QFE (a method of setting an altimeter), the altimeter indicates the aircraft height above the aerodrome. + Height: This is the vertical distance of an aircraft above whatever surface it is flying over at that moment, such as buildings, mountains, a lake, etc. A radio-altimeter indicates the height above whatever you are flying at that moment, not just the airport, So, in essence, while both terms refer to the vertical distance of an aircraft, “altitude” is measured from sea level and “height” is measured from the surface directly below the aircraft.