I have noticed many people flying well over 400 feet on YouTube, mostly with fixed-wing drones. I am curious if that’s legal, and if not, does the FAA simply not enforce it? I should also mention that those flying at such high altitudes were in empty areas, like near the Great Salt Lake or farms in the Midwest.
It’s kinda like asking “how do people drive faster than the speed limit”.
Drones can fly above 400 feet, but most can’t reach much higher due to decreasing air pressure that reduces lift. Modern drones have built-in altimeters to prevent flying too high, measuring air pressure to set a “zero” altitude at take-off. Be cautious of the terrain and the altitude readings.