DFC:
You're missing the point - yes, the obstacles listed on your chart are listed AMSL, but you really really should be able to look out of the window (a shocking idea for many puddlejumpers I know) and avoid the big honking mast you can see visually.
More shocking news - military aircraft inside a MATZ will be operating at a whole range of different heights, doing a whole range of different things, manoevring with relatively high energy in a range of different directions, horizontally and vertically, very different to a civil airfield - not just in the vis or radar ccts. It therefore behoves you to set QFE, so that other MATZ users can take whatever action necessary to avoid ruining your day.
Being roughly aware of your altitude for the legal reasons you quote does not mean you have to keep QNH religiously set on your altimeter at all times.
Yes, there are a few civil ATZs inside MATZs, but:
a) If you're close enough that setting QFE or QNH will make a difference to whether you're inside the ATZ, maybe you should give them a call anyway.
b) The MATZ controller will generally be aware of their activity, many GA airfields inside MATZs have local agreements whereby they will call the mil zone controller on departure and recovery, for EVERYONE'S safety.
c) Is it really that much harder to compare the two elevations of the mil airfield and the civil one (chances are they're gonna be pretty similar anyway) and deduce your height above the cicil airfield from that?
Mil ac will often transit a MATZ other than that of their home base. When they do so, they will set the QFE of the controlling airfield. Somehow, amazingly, they manage to avoid any fixed objects, ATZs etc, while on QFE, and while travelling a good deal faster than I imagine you do. Setting the same altimeter setting as others using the same piece of airspace is fundamental to collision avoidance. Trust us, we do this for a living, and we do it rather well.
Roll that up in your post-it note and smoke it.
Last edited by Fournicator; 20th July 2006 at 05:39.