Use of QNH

[Fokkerwokker]

I need to know how many clubs/TRTOs still use QFE for circuit work? If you are aware of one could you either post a quick response here or PM me?

Particularly interested to hear from those involved with flying close to UK TMAs.

Brgds

FW

[S-Works]

Just about every club/airfield I have come across in the UK still use QFE for circuit work. I use QNH for Instrument approach and non radio fields but use the QFE when arring at a radio field.

Fields that have a TMA above like White Waltham have no problems with QFE.

It has long been used in the UK and is pretty unique to us. Wether it has a place these days is open for debate. The argument fr it being that it helps the student pilot learn to judge height as they have a cross reference to the visual input.

[fireflybob]

Fokkerwokker, is this a wind up?! As bose-x states they nearly all (in the UK) without exception use QFE.

If you do a search you will find the QFE/QNH debate (which is as old as aviation) had been discussed on Pprune before!

I have my own views - the sooner we abolish QFE and the Regional Pressure Setting in the UK the better!

Pith helmet donned!

[Fokkerwokker]

FFB

Definitely not a wind up! I am positively with you on this one but need to get anh updated view from my peers hence the query.

[Old Smokey]

fireflybob,

Would you care to amend your second-last remark to - "the sooner we abolish QFE and the Regional Pressure Setting in the WORLD the better!

QFE is a CFIT or a mid-air collision going somewhere to happen.

I have no particular nationalistic aversion to QFE, I learned to fly using QFE at a 770 ft elevation airfield, it was the WORST pre-conditioning that I've suffered in a 42 year flying career, bar none.

World altimetry is a mess - QFE, QNH, QNE, Altimeter sub-scales in "Hg and hPa, Altitudes in feet, Altitudes in Metres, idiotically low Transition Altitudes, Variable Transition Levels, differing Transition Altitudes and Levels within the same country, ICAO levels, RVSM, even the 'Metric' countries like Russia and China have different directional or quadrantal rules, and worst of all, terrain above the Transition Altitude. Add all of that up and what do you get? - CFIT or mid-air collision!

The first piece of garbage to rid ourselves in a world-wide altimetry clean-up is QFE, assign it to the aviation history books where it belongs.:ugh:

The Yanks and Canadians (I'm neither) are about the only people who got it right.:ok: The Australians came close, nice try, needs improvement!:bored:

Regards,

Old Smokey

[Old Smokey]

Jeez SoCal App, you just blew my favourite "good example" out of the water!:eek:

I guess that that means my first rating must go to Australia (for which I'm going to be accused of national bias), and award a guarded second place to the North Americans.

Just how high is the highest terrain in North America anyway? Is it Mt. McKinlay, or did the Canadians go one better?

Fly safe (in the contiguous US),

Old Smokey

[Whirlybird]

What difference does it make? You either remember to set QFE, or you remember the height of your airfield...and in the other examples given, do something similar. I've done it both ways, and it's no big deal. Do you guys just ENJOY finding contentious issues? :ugh:

[BEagle]

Quite so. But we use QFE in the UK because we don't have that problem.

I notice that a certain little aerodrome in the UK, which likes to play airliners, has to be specifically asked for the QFE to be provided when being called on its approach frequency. It then, somewhat condescendingly, advises you of the circuit height....

So easy when, once upon a time in the UK, it was QFE with TowEr and QNH with ApproacH!!

[xrayalpha]

Hi,

Since you asked:

At Strathaven we use QFE, except when the pressure is very low and have to use QNH - we are 847ft above sea level.

This was in other threads about Loganair in the Orkneys/Shetlands being unable to set even QNH on their alitimeters in very low pressure.

The principle of QFE is also handy with students learning to fly from grass fields without towers etc and needing to build situational awareness of what circuit height - 500ft/1,000ft above ground level - looks like. Just makes it simpler than trying to fly at 1,847 ft or whatever 847 plus 500 is!

Very best wishes,

Colin

ps I had one student who was almost innumerate. His coping strategies were amazing - and his prior preparation puts any other person I know to shame. So you don't need to be able to count and calculate in an open cockpit to be a pilot.