Nope, you're not missing anything, Dudley. Except maybe topography. I
don't think there ARE any airports higher than 2,000 feet in the UK, and
there's very little terrain that high, even in the Highlands. The practice
may have grown up here in Britain because high terrain isn't an issue. Most
alitimeters over here these days are US manufacture anyways because most of
the fleet were built in the US.

Your understanding of QFE is correct, it's the station elevation such that
the altimeter reads 0 at some point on the ground. It can lead to the odd
problem now and again, but normally isn't an issue. My airport is at about
500 ft MSL, so if someone hasn't set their altimeter to QFE, but flies that
pattern altitude as it reads on the instrument (without doing the mental
arithmetic to ADD 1,000 ft), he'll come across the field at 500' AGL. Add
to this that the Brits join the field at 2000 AGL on the side opposite
downwind (known as "The Dead side"), descend to 1,000' AGL as they pass
crosswind over the far end of the runway, then turn downwind and start their
descent. This means you get clowns passing the far end of the runway at 500
' AGL, just as you're passing through the same airspace in a climb in the
Pitts. Normally not a problem as not many GA airplanes can be at 500' by
the end of our runway, but it's happened to me once and is just something I
have to keep an eye out for when flying the Pitts. As I say, in 300 hours
flying in the UK, that's only happened to me once, so it's not common.

Different way of "approaching" the same issue (sorry for the pun).

Shawn
"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...

"ShawnD2112" wrote in message
...
Dudley,
Interesting that the "right or wrongness" of the issue is of such a
concern.
Isn't it funny how different cultures view the same problem with
different
perspectives? Here in the UK, no motorcycle rider would even think of
getting on a bike without a full set of leathers, helmet, and gloves.
In
the States, guys ride in shorts, sneakers, and no helmets where they
can.
On the other side of the coin, Brits "filter" through traffic on
motorcycles, riding between lanes just to get through traffic faster,
whether it be in the city or the highway. Most Americans think that's
too
dangerous to think about.

Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before
takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when
approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that
airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would
lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents.

Different perspectives, but who's to say what's right and wrong?

Shawn

Hi Shawn;

Your comment on using QFE in the UK brings up an interesting point that
I'm
researching right now and perhaps you can answer for me possibly.
Here in the U.S., our altimeters have a Kollsman range of about 27.5 and
32.0. This, considering an average atmosphere, denies you setting an
altimeter to 0 on any airport runway above about 2500 to 3000 feet MSL!!!
I'm wondering, since QFE is common in the UK, and by definition QFE is a
station pressure setting that will produce a 0 reading on the altimeter
when
on the ground at that station; are your altimeters in the UK equipped with
a
wider Kollsman range in the setting windows perhaps, and if not, how can a
QFE setting be used at airports with elevations above our limits here in
the
U.S? It's an interesting point....or I must be missing something in my old
age :-))
Dudley