diff --git a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.cpp b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.cpp
index 64b4462fad..83280b09dd 100644
--- a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ AC_PosControl::AC_PosControl(const AP_AHRS& ahrs, const AP_InertialNav& inav,
 /// z-axis position controller
 ///
 
+// get_alt_error - returns altitude error in cm
+float AC_PosControl::get_alt_error() const
+{
+    return (_pos_target.z - _inav.get_position().z);
+}
+
 /// set_target_to_stopping_point_z - returns reasonable stopping altitude in cm above home
 void AC_PosControl::set_target_to_stopping_point_z()
 {
@@ -265,7 +271,7 @@ void AC_PosControl::accel_to_throttle(float accel_target_z)
     // To-Do: where to get hover throttle?
     // To-Do: we had a contraint here but it's now removed, is this ok?  with the motors library handle it ok?
     _attitude_control.set_throttle_out((int16_t)p+i+d+_throttle_hover, true);
-
+    
     // to-do add back in PID logging?
 }
 /*
@@ -614,4 +620,4 @@ void AC_PosControl::reset_I()
     // set last velocity to current velocity
     _vel_last = _inav->get_velocity();
 }
-*/
\ No newline at end of file
+*/
diff --git a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.h b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.h
index d97f701a00..245f40799e 100644
--- a/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.h
+++ b/libraries/AC_AttitudeControl/AC_PosControl.h
@@ -67,9 +67,13 @@ public:
     ///
 
     void set_alt_target(float alt_cm) { _pos_target.z = alt_cm; }
+
+    /// get_alt_target, get_desired_alt - get desired altitude (in cm above home) from loiter or wp controller which should be fed into throttle controller
+    /// To-Do: remove one of the two functions below
     float get_alt_target() const { return _pos_target.z; }
-    /// get_desired_alt - get desired altitude (in cm above home) from loiter or wp controller which should be fed into throttle controller
-    float get_desired_alt() const { return _pos_target.z; }
+
+    // get_alt_error - returns altitude error in cm
+    float get_alt_error() const;
 
     /// set_target_to_stopping_point_z - sets altitude target to reasonable stopping altitude in cm above home
     void set_target_to_stopping_point_z();