ZA, if you want we could fix all the gravities so they are accurate. 
 
And if you are stuck in the air due to dying in the field, isn't it similar to being useless in the base?  Honestly, I thought it was supposed to be worse when the enemy refused to kill you while you were a pilot out in the field, making you walk back or need to agro an AI unit.  But now suddenly it is the fault of the respawn height?  Silly silly.  First it isn't high enough because ppl get spawn killed, then it's too high, and it just goes on depending on who is complaining.  Right now, I think its probably the least people complaining, so that is well sorted.  I think respawn height option is nice, but you know if that exists people will just bitch about its default value.
The truth is, the respawn height is only an EXTRA problem when your base doesn't have a unit ready for you.  If it does, then you get into the 'immediate re-gank' situation.  I would suggest making the height have a min and max and having gametime be a factor but we all know that if you respawned on the ground in base immediately you are more likely to run and lose your ship, which would have the vets biching about that instead.
Come up with some ideas, weight them all at the same time with all their pros and cons (not just the pros and cons for your group) and come up with a final amalgamation solution.
EDIT: Final note, realism does not explain an extra spawn height penalty, using "for the sake of realism" the way you just did is invalid.
EDIT2: And by just I mean... over a week ago?