What Terrain flight mode is surface to 25 feet AHO?

• A. Nap of the Earth (NOE)
• B. Contour
• C. Level flight
• D. High altitude cruise

Answer: (A)

Close-terrain flight involves staying extremely near the ground and following the terrain’s shape to keep a very small clearance. Nap of the Earth is the mode that rides right over the surface, keeping the aircraft within about 0 to 25 feet above ground level. That tight relationship to the terrain lets the aircraft move with hills, ridges, and valleys, effectively “hugging” the surface as you fly. This is exactly what surface to 25 feet above ground level describes, so Nap of the Earth is the best fit for this scenario.

Other modes imply different flight profiles: contour flight follows terrain but typically maintains a fixed offset that’s higher than NOE, while level flight holds a constant altitude above a fixed reference (like mean sea level or a constant height above the surface that isn’t hugging the ground), and high altitude cruise is far above terrain.