Originally Posted by
studentff
A drone at 3,500 feet doesn't sound like some hobbyist or prankster or anyone with a standard consumer-level drone. I wonder if there is more to this story.
I think it's achievable with a mid-level consumer drone.
A DJI Mavic Pro can climb at 5 m/s and descend at 3 m/s. That's about four minutes to get up and six minutes to get down, leaving at least 10-15 minutes of operating time.
So, I'd be interested in knowing if the drone showed up at 3,500 feet for a few minutes, or if it was hanging out there for a long time.