Originally Posted by
megan
Aviators need to be bilingual. Fuel is delivered in litres, the fuel gauge reads in gallons or pounds (in the types I flew), distances may be feet, metres, miles (nautical of course) or kilometres, aircraft weights may be pounds or kilograms. The Gimli glider (767) was a result of the attendant confusion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
Well, indeed, but this is the Santa Sleigh we're talking about, long before metrification or even Imperial standardisation, and evidently the measures have been rather eclectically converted from the original furlongs per fortnight, tuns pressure per square cubit, and bullock-team-draught-power. Times were simpler then.