Question

The angle of depression from a helicopter to a landing pad is 65°. If the horizontal distance from the helicopter to the landing pad is 1,000 ft how high up is the helicopter

Answer 1

Helicopter is 2144.50 feet high.

Explanation:

In the figure attached.

A helicopter is flying at point A and landing pad is at point c.

Angle of depression of the helicopter is 65° so angle of elevation of this helicopter from landing pad will be same as 65°.

Horizontal distance of landing pad c from point B is 1000 feet.

Now we have to calculate length of AB.

Since tan 65° =
`(AB)/(BC)`

2.14450 =
`(AB)/(1000)`

AB = 2.14450 × 1000

= 2144.50 feet.

Helicopter is 2144.50 feet high.

Answer 2

h/1000 = tan(65°)
h = 1000*tan(65°) ≈ 2145 . . . . ft

The helicopter is about 2145 ft high.