Definition
The height of an obstacle (such as a tower, building, or antenna) or a piece of terrain (such as a hill or mountain peak), expressed in feet above mean sea level (MSL). On charts, this value is the top of the object or the summit of the terrain feature, not its height above the surrounding ground.
Plain English
How high the top of an obstacle or piece of ground is, measured from sea level. It tells you the altitude of the highest point, not how tall the object is by itself.
Context Anchor
Seen on an Emergency Obstruction Video Map when checking nearby ground and objects during instrument flight or an emergency situation.
Derivation
‘Elevation’ comes from Latin elevare, meaning to lift up. In aviation it refers to how high a fixed point on the earth (or something attached to it) sits above sea level — distinguishing it from ‘altitude,’ which is used for things in the air.
Why Pilots Care
Provides immediate reference for minimum safe altitudes to avoid terrain and obstacles when visibility is lost or an emergency occurs.
Grounding Statement
If a tower is shown with an elevation of 1,850 feet, that number is the height of the tower’s top above sea level, even if the ground around it is lower.
Intuition Check
Do not read elevation as “height above the ground” or “distance below the airplane.” In this context, elevation means height above mean sea level.
Example Sentence 1
The controller referenced the EOVM and noted the highest obstacle/terrain elevation in the sector was 4,800 feet MSL.
Example Sentence 2
Obstacles with high elevation values required a higher initial climb altitude after takeoff.