Setting QNH

Back to the thread on pilots setting QNH for local acro work.

I was in the trusty Pawnee this weekend and checked the altimeter, I can
only select settings from 28.10 to 31.50, so.. following the others advice
of setting QNH. I could not.

I attempted to find this information in my personal library but could not
readily find a source.. so the best source available was to "go to the
instrument".

The lowest I could set at 28.10 still gave me 750ft MSL on the dial, and
obviously 2077 feet below the current terra firma, no way to set ZERO.

So, fly with the correct QFE and do the mental math, precompute your
altitudes required to give the terrain clearance you need.

BT

Sure you got that the right way around. QFE for ground level and QNH for
airfield elevation

sg
"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:nlK2c.16184$id3.9654@fed1read01...
Back to the thread on pilots setting QNH for local acro work.

I was in the trusty Pawnee this weekend and checked the altimeter, I can
only select settings from 28.10 to 31.50, so.. following the others advice
of setting QNH. I could not.

I attempted to find this information in my personal library but could not
readily find a source.. so the best source available was to "go to the
instrument".

The lowest I could set at 28.10 still gave me 750ft MSL on the dial, and
obviously 2077 feet below the current terra firma, no way to set ZERO.

So, fly with the correct QFE and do the mental math, precompute your
altitudes required to give the terrain clearance you need.

BT

ok.. I may be backwards... I don't normally define the use of Q settings..

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

Many glider pilots along the coast use the same tactic, always knowing their
height above the local airport they departed from, but not the local ridges.
And if they are going cross country.. they are really going to be doing some
mental math.

Bottom Line? set the altimeter to local field elevation, not sea level

BT

"S Green" wrote in message
...
Sure you got that the right way around. QFE for ground level and QNH for
airfield elevation

sg
"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:nlK2c.16184$id3.9654@fed1read01...
Back to the thread on pilots setting QNH for local acro work.

I was in the trusty Pawnee this weekend and checked the altimeter, I can
only select settings from 28.10 to 31.50, so.. following the others
advice
of setting QNH. I could not.

I attempted to find this information in my personal library but could
not
readily find a source.. so the best source available was to "go to the
instrument".

The lowest I could set at 28.10 still gave me 750ft MSL on the dial, and
obviously 2077 feet below the current terra firma, no way to set ZERO.

So, fly with the correct QFE and do the mental math, precompute your
altitudes required to give the terrain clearance you need.

BT

BTIZ wrote:

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

The problem is, you usually trainig acro at your home base. So you get
used to the "floor" altitude needed in that place. Chances are that you
get so accostomed to that altitude that you fall back to it even when
you fly at another place. Y This is eliminated by settinig the altimeter
to zero (i.e. QFE). And, btw, I've yet to see an altimeter that can't be
set to QFE even at 5000 ft elevation, but what do I know.

Stefan

well... I've not seen an altimeter in US aircraft that can dial out 5000ft
of altitude.. that would mean the altimeter would have to be adjustable from
29.92 to 24.92, and mine only goes to 28.10

BT

"Stefan" wrote in message
...
BTIZ wrote:

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird
doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to
zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

The problem is, you usually trainig acro at your home base. So you get
used to the "floor" altitude needed in that place. Chances are that you
get so accostomed to that altitude that you fall back to it even when
you fly at another place. Y This is eliminated by settinig the altimeter
to zero (i.e. QFE). And, btw, I've yet to see an altimeter that can't be
set to QFE even at 5000 ft elevation, but what do I know.

Stefan

BTIZ wrote:

well... I've not seen an altimeter in US aircraft that can dial out 5000ft
of altitude.. that would mean the altimeter would have to be adjustable from
29.92 to 24.92, and mine only goes to 28.10

It may be a regional problem. In certain European contries, QFE setting
is common for approach. So the altimeters sold here are designed for this.

BTW, when doing acro, the scale range isn't a problem. Just turn the
knob before takeoff until the meter shows zero. No need to have a
calibrated kolman scale for this.

Stefan

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:srO2c.16250$id3.4338@fed1read01...
ok.. I may be backwards... I don't normally define the use of Q settings..

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to
zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

IIRC, this discussion earlier revealed that the T-bird pilots have
super-wizzo-thingummy altimeters that can indeed set QFE at high elevations.
Granted, yours and mine can't.

-- David Brooks

"David Brooks" wrote in message
...
"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:srO2c.16250$id3.4338@fed1read01...
ok.. I may be backwards... I don't normally define the use of Q
settings..

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird
doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to
zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

IIRC, this discussion earlier revealed that the T-bird pilots have
super-wizzo-thingummy altimeters that can indeed set QFE at high
elevations.
Granted, yours and mine can't.

-- David Brooks

Hi David;

The Thunderbirds use a standard altimeter setting for the point of
demonstration and do not use a 0 altimeter set. Their maneuver profiles are
corrected to MSL altitudes. Stricklin unfortunately on the way up the front
side of his maneuver mentally "corrected" his reverse top target gate to
Nellis' elevation instead of where he was. This put the Viper way low of
where it should have been at the top side commit. He missed his visual cues
as well. The airplane simply didn't have the g available vs the altitude
under it to cut the corner.
Dudley

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message link.net...
This put the Viper way low of
where it should have been at the top side commit. He missed his visual cues
as well. The airplane simply didn't have the g available vs the altitude
under it to cut the corner.

Hey Dudley,

I've notice that in several posts over the last few months regarding
the T-Birds, you refer to the planes as Vipers. Is there something
different about these F-16s that they have a different name?

Just wondering,

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

Welcome back Dudley.

Do the Leader and Solo T-birds use 'crib' sheets showing the maneuvers
with entry airspeed and altitude normalized for field where they are
performing?

If not, that might be a 'cheap' and easy safety procedure.

See where next years team was formalized and have started working
together.

And a nice day to thee.

BJ
Pilot ROCAF


On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 17:37:29 GMT, "Dudley Henriques"
wrote:


"David Brooks" wrote in message
...
"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:srO2c.16250$id3.4338@fed1read01...
ok.. I may be backwards... I don't normally define the use of Q
settings..

The bottom line is, the discussion was brought up with the AF T-Bird
doing
acro and not computing the altitude needed at the top of a maneuver to
safely pull out above ground level. Some argue to set the altimeter to
zero
elevation before takeoff. It just can't be done in many places out west.

IIRC, this discussion earlier revealed that the T-bird pilots have
super-wizzo-thingummy altimeters that can indeed set QFE at high
elevations.
Granted, yours and mine can't.

-- David Brooks

Hi David;

The Thunderbirds use a standard altimeter setting for the point of
demonstration and do not use a 0 altimeter set. Their maneuver profiles are
corrected to MSL altitudes. Stricklin unfortunately on the way up the front
side of his maneuver mentally "corrected" his reverse top target gate to
Nellis' elevation instead of where he was. This put the Viper way low of
where it should have been at the top side commit. He missed his visual cues
as well. The airplane simply didn't have the g available vs the altitude
under it to cut the corner.
Dudley