For pilots, altitude is like friends. The more you have, the happier you should be. More altitude equals more options if you’re faced with a forced landing. You’ll also be able to see your destination easier as you approach an unfamiliar area. But too much of a good thing can also become an issue. There are several components that should factor into the equation when selecting the right height for your flight.
The first thing you need to carefully consider is clearance from terrain and obstacles. The quickest and easiest way to find out how to stay out of the rocks is to look at the maximum elevation figures (MEF) along the route of flight. MEFs can be found inside the latitude/longitude quadrangles on aeronautical charts, with the larger figure indicating thousands of feet and the smaller hundreds of feet. These figures provide very minimal clearance above the highest point in the sector, so select an altitude well above the MEF unless the highest elevation point is localized and your route of flight puts you well clear of it.
