Altimeter settings: QNH versus QFE

stephanevdv wrote:
Just another point in this discussion: when I look at an approach map of
an airfield, the pattern altitude is expressed as a height above
ground.
The only ones I knew did that were the old Aeradio ones published for BA
when they used QFE. Never seen a Jepp chart in QFE - but I guess
they're produced that way for some operators.

If you want to fly QNH, pattern altitudes should be expressed AMSL.
They almost always are on the charts I've seen.

By the way, here in Europe (except UK, of course) glider altimeters are
in meters, not feet, thereby conforming to ICAO annex 5
True. But in non-conformity to the great bulk of aviation globally. A
classic example of the problems of one-nation one-vote in these matters.

BTW - Aren't your altimeters in metres, not meters?

whose purpose
it is to standardize units of measurement to the ISU
No. Its purpose is just to standardise measurements. Feet are
perfectly good units to standardise on.

. As the approach
maps (and other aviation maps) usually are in feet, we already have to
make computations anyhow.
Well stop resisting. Learn to think in feet instead of metres.

It's high time we got rid of feet, knots and nautical miles! Their only
real purpose in aviation seems to be to make it more difficult to get a
pilot's licence, as you have to adjust to a new set of units. (Yes, I
know there are certain countries where they like to use outdated unit
systems. I also know the classical arguments like "a nautical mile
equals a minute of latitude", but how often do you fly true north or
south?)

ICAO working document(23/9/04): "...a study...completed in 1997,
indicated that 97% of jet aircraft worldwide were non-SI equipped
aircraft. Moreover, a growing number of non-SI equipped aircraft were
being operated by airlines of the small number of States which use SI
units."

You'll be flying in feet, knots and nautical miles for quite a while.
Better relax and go with the flow.

GC


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stephanevdv
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