Anyone know the AGL limit for charted obstructions?

[kicktireslightfires]

Does anyone know above what height any object must be charted on sectionals or aviation maps like ForeFlight? Is there even such a requirement that any object above a certain height be charted? For example, sometimes I'll see poles or towers indicated which are as low as 50 feet AGL, but I've never seen power lines charted and I have to imagine that some power lines are at least 50' tall. Anyone have any official data on this?

 

[EdFred]

200' I believe, since thats the altitude padding for the blue numbers on the sectional but I am also too lazy to look it up. You won't see local power lines charted, but the large transmission lines are.

 

[flyingron]

The general rule indeed is 200' or higher gets charted. Also if you have a lit obstruction (like a radio tower) at those heights, you need to inform the FAA if your lights are out. There gets a lot of 199' towers built because of this.

There are other rules for close into runways and the impact on those depends on the runway length and other issues (like presence of instrument approaches).

The POWERLINE designation isn't for people hitting them (they're rarely that tall) but rather as a visual pilotage aid. You can't count on them being marked at all. My airport is about 5 miles away from a major power plant. We've got high tension wires all over the place and NONE of them are charted. I can't even get the power company to put balls on the less visible ones (even after a bozo flying low over the lake took them out with a Bonanza). We do have legitimate seaplane users of the lake.

 

[Stewartb]

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/portal.jsp

 

[kicktireslightfires]

The general rule indeed is 200' or higher gets charted. Also if you have a lit obstruction (like a radio tower) at those heights, you need to inform the FAA if your lights are out. There gets a lot of 199' towers built because of this.

There are other rules for close into runways and the impact on those depends on the runway length and other issues (like presence of instrument approaches).

The POWERLINE designation isn't for people hitting them (they're rarely that tall) but rather as a visual pilotage aid. You can't count on them being marked at all. My airport is about 5 miles away from a major power plant. We've got high tension wires all over the place and NONE of them are charted. I can't even get the power company to put balls on the less visible ones (even after a bozo flying low over the lake took them out with a Bonanza). We do have legitimate seaplane users of the lake.

Thanks! Good info!

 

[RussR]

I was told by one of the FAA’s VFR chart specialists that it’s 200 AGL in most areas, but if the tower is within the yellow “city lights” areas, it’s 300 AGL due to chart clutter.