PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Over-reading/Underreading Altimeter - Question
Old 23rd Jun 2002, 18:02
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Hew Jampton
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 207
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Because the aircraft is experiencing port drift, it is heading into an area of higher pressure (wind blows clockwise round an anti-cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere). If going into higher pressure, the altimeter will under-read, ie the aircraft will be higher than indicated by the altimeter. This is safer than the converse: when entering a lower pressure area, the altimeter will over-read, ie the aircraft will be lower than indicated, or 'When flying from high to low, look out below'.
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