"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
In a previous article, "Chris" said:
Heard on London Airways today, NorthWest 43 called up at 'nine thousand
feet
climbing to one five thousand feet' the controller ever the diplomat asked
'northwest 43 can you confirm you are climbing to Flight level 150?'
'Affirm
came the reply'
mind you he was in some cruddy old DC-10 so he was probably busy trying to
keep it in the air.

Plus he's probably an American, so he's used to flight levels starting at
FL180.

The Northwest scenario is a regular occurrence, understandable because of
the airspace differences here and in the States.

Whenever the QNH falls below 1000 millibars the word millibars is emphasised
as you pass the numbers to American operators to try and prevent inches
being set in error with the obvious potentially nasty consequences.

Time to trot out the old one, supposedly heard on Thames radar...

"N12345 descend to altitude three thousand feet on QNH 1012 millibars"

"Can we have that in inches"

"Roger, descend to thirty six thousand inches on QNH 1012 millibars".