Export a mission (KML, GeoJSON, CSV)

Waypoints written as a file with the right altitude mode, GeoJSON with each waypoint's details, or , labeled with the height reference and a not-for-navigation notice.

Planning and education aid. Not for primary navigation. Full disclaimer

Experimental: not yet fully verified. How results are checked

Computing your own values needs JavaScript and WebAssembly. The worked example below was computed when this page was built, and the documentation under "How we got this" applies.

The file has 3 waypoints, with heights above the ground.

File name
Heights
Heights in the file

Provenance

Computed by: drone.mission.export 1.0.0, core 0.1.0
Model: KML altitude mode follows the height reference: AGL is relativeToGround; MSL is absolute; takeoff heights become absolute by adding the takeoff's MSL elevation; HAE becomes absolute by subtracting the geoid height N (OGC KML 2.3 §9.20; KML's absolute is above sea level). GeoJSON carries [longitude, latitude, height] with the reference in each waypoint's properties (RFC 7946); CSV has one row per waypoint
Accuracy: Coordinates to 7 decimal places (about 1 cm) and heights to 0.01 m; no conversion beyond the stated offsets
Notes: 1 shown with the answer
Cites: Open Geospatial Consortium, OGC KML 2.3; IETF RFC 7946, The GeoJSON Format; IETF RFC 4180, Common Format and MIME Type for Comma-Separated Values (CSV) Files

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Your values

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Waypoints In flight order, one per line: lat, lon, height, like 40.4406, -80.002, 80 · one per line: latitude, longitude, height, heading, gimbal pitch, action

Import a file KML, KMZ, GPX, GeoJSON, CSV, WKT, or WKB — or drop it on the box. Read on this device.

Heights are agl (above the ground below), takeoff (above the takeoff point), msl (above sea level), hae (above the ellipsoid), or terrain (above sea level, following a surface model such as GLO-30) Formatoptional kml (the default), geojson, or csv

More options 5

Takeoff elevationoptional Above sea level, like 312 m; needed to write takeoff heights to KML · plain numbers mean m Geoid heightoptional N at the site, like -33.9 m (from the geoid tool); needed to write HAE to KML · plain numbers mean m Mission nameoptional Like North field, shown in the file Surface-model noticeoptional yes: terrain-following heights come from a surface model that includes trees and buildings inconsistently Clearance marginoptional Added to every terrain-following waypoint, like 15 m (the default) · plain numbers mean m

Run many at once from a CSV

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How we got thisFormula, worked example, sources, and proof

Model: KML altitude mode follows the height reference: AGL is relativeToGround; MSL is absolute; takeoff heights become absolute by adding the takeoff's MSL elevation; HAE becomes absolute by subtracting the geoid height N (OGC KML 2.3 §9.20; KML's absolute is above sea level). GeoJSON carries [longitude, latitude, height] with the reference in each waypoint's properties (RFC 7946); CSV has one row per waypoint

Accuracy: Coordinates to 7 decimal places (about 1 cm) and heights to 0.01 m; no conversion beyond the stated offsets

Worked example: Three waypoints at 80 m AGL, as KML. Source: add-drone-suite KML altitude-mode scenario (AGL writes relativeToGround).

You enter

Format: kml
Heights are: agl
Mission name: North field
Waypoints: 40.4406, -80.002, 80 m, 90, -90, photo 40.4406, -80.0005, 80 m, 90, -90, photo 40.4412, -80.0005, 80 m, 270, -90, photo

You get

Waypoints: 3
File name: north-field.kml
Heights: above the ground
Heights in the file: relativeToGround
Media type: application/vnd.google-earth.kml+xml
File: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>  <kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2"> <Document> <name>North field</name> <description>Planning aid only, not for navigation. Check every waypoint before flight.</description> <Placemark> <name>Flight path</name> <LineString> <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode> <coordinates>-80.002,40.4406,80 -80.0005,40.4406,80 -80.0005,40.4412,80</coordinates> </LineString> </Placemark> <Placemark> <name>1</name> <description>heading 90°, gimbal -90°, photo</description> <Point> <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode> <coordinates>-80.002,40.4406,80</coordinates> </Point> </Placemark> <Placemark> <name>2</name> <description>heading 90°, gimbal -90°, photo</description> <Point> <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode> <coordinates>-80.0005,40.4406,80</coordinates> </Point> </Placemark> <Placemark> <name>3</name> <description>heading 270°, gimbal -90°, photo</description> <Point> <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode> <coordinates>-80.0005,40.4412,80</coordinates> </Point> </Placemark> </Document> </kml>

Review: Not yet independently reviewed by a Part 107 remote pilot.

Last verified: 2026-09-22, when a maintainer last confirmed this tool's sources at the issuer. See the sources ledger.

Status: version 1.0.0, core 0.1.0. See this tool in the verification report.

Checked against: 18 golden test vectors (download the test vectors, each with its source and tolerance). See how results are checked and every source.

Sources

OGC KML 2.3, Open Geospatial Consortium, OGC 12-007r2. Section 9.20 (kml:altitudeMode: clampToGround, relativeToGround, absolute, which is relative to sea level).
The GeoJSON Format, IETF RFC 7946, RFC 7946. Sections 3.1 (geometry: longitude, latitude, altitude) and 6.1 (foreign members).
Common Format and MIME Type for Comma-Separated Values (CSV) Files, IETF RFC 4180, RFC 4180. Section 2 (quoting fields that hold commas, quotes, or line breaks).

Terms

CSV: comma-separated values: A plain-text table with one row per line and the columns separated by commas, which spreadsheets open directly. Source: Common Format and MIME Type for CSV Files (RFC 4180)
KML: Keyhole Markup Language: An XML file format for places, paths, and areas on the Earth, read by Google Earth and most mapping apps. Each height says what it is measured from. Source: OGC KML 2.3

Experimental means this tool has not yet met the stable bar: at least 20 golden vectors, differential tests, and an independent worked example.

CSV — comma-separated values

A plain-text table with one row per line and the columns separated by commas, which spreadsheets open directly.

Source: Common Format and MIME Type for CSV Files (RFC 4180)

KML — Keyhole Markup Language

An XML file format for places, paths, and areas on the Earth, read by Google Earth and most mapping apps. Each height says what it is measured from.

Source: OGC KML 2.3

Your values

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Sources

Terms

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