Originally Posted by Pierre Argh
Of the civil and military aircraft flying into an airfield in the SW, who for twelve months have been given the option of using QFE or QNH... most elect to use QFE. What does that tell you?)
When asking to do the approach QNH one of your young ladies didn't give me the choice once - I got told I would be using QFE (which is not mine, nor many other operators SOP). I have no sway with HQ STC - but isn't it about time they recognised they were the
minority airspace user in the UK
The safety argument is a misnomer - most people calculate an MS
A for a route - not an MSH. Approach plates also have obstructions marked as "amsl" - not "aal". Safety surely would be better served by everyone adopting common datums and learning to fly on them, rather than the chopping and changing dependant on the vagaries of the Airfield operator.
And I can confirm - most of the world happily does without QFE. Never had it given or offered whilst flying in Europe. As for extremes - try setting it at either Las Vegas (2181ft amsl) or Big Bear (6748ft)
(or if you want to look outside the US try Nairobi at just over 5000ft).