altimeter setting procedures
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: UK
Is it not horses for courses?
Departing North Weald it would seem silly to have QFE set - that is bound to lead to a CAS infringement.
Departing Headcorn if you infringe CAS vertically setting QFE instead of QNH is hardly likely to be the cause.
And in any case correct use of the altimeter forms part of the skill test. So any PPL skill test candidate should be perfectly capable of talking to a military airfield - setting the QFE, reporting their height, and then crossing the MATZ at that height, and once clear setting the appropriate QNH/RPS and flying that altitude etc.
Altimeter setting procedures aint rocket science. If people aren't capable of taking one hand of the control column and twiddling the pressure setting dial without it leading to loss of control or mental overload they shouldn't be flying anyways.
Departing North Weald it would seem silly to have QFE set - that is bound to lead to a CAS infringement.
Departing Headcorn if you infringe CAS vertically setting QFE instead of QNH is hardly likely to be the cause.
And in any case correct use of the altimeter forms part of the skill test. So any PPL skill test candidate should be perfectly capable of talking to a military airfield - setting the QFE, reporting their height, and then crossing the MATZ at that height, and once clear setting the appropriate QNH/RPS and flying that altitude etc.
Altimeter setting procedures aint rocket science. If people aren't capable of taking one hand of the control column and twiddling the pressure setting dial without it leading to loss of control or mental overload they shouldn't be flying anyways.
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Northumberland
Ha Ha, such a fun thread.
For me I am like many others and like to use QNH for everything. It makes you look at the elevation of the airfield you are at for one thing. You get in and set the elevation in the altimeter and the QNH will be set without waiting for an atis, so when you listen to the atis you have already done an instrument check. (Good habit for me)
QFE has its use if training in the circuit and thats it really! this only so you can see EASILY if someone is flying the 1000' acurately or not. However if the airfield happens to be 230' it is not to difficult to work out what the circuit height should be !!
However as we progress into deeper waters you dont want to take off from a near sea level airfield and pop off with your IMC and go and land at somewhere like leeds (660' give or take) and get it wrong going looking for the cloud base at 500 feet as you will find the ground first like one or two ex military commercial pilots have found to there fate in the past.
QNH should be used and used well with thought and clear understanding of what it means this should be taught from the start. QFE can be forgiven for training in order for ease of sight for accurate flying training. Only my opinion. However there are a lot of non consistancies from ATC where they will sometimes ask whether you fly a QNH or QFE approach, sometimes give the QNH only, sometimes give the QFE only sometimes give both. I think a good start would be to standardise what ATC give (hopefully QNH) and QFE on request from the pilot. This could stop the confusion a little.
Hope my opinion helps! good discussion though as level busts and infringements and descents below MDA have all been because of this very subject!!
For me I am like many others and like to use QNH for everything. It makes you look at the elevation of the airfield you are at for one thing. You get in and set the elevation in the altimeter and the QNH will be set without waiting for an atis, so when you listen to the atis you have already done an instrument check. (Good habit for me)
QFE has its use if training in the circuit and thats it really! this only so you can see EASILY if someone is flying the 1000' acurately or not. However if the airfield happens to be 230' it is not to difficult to work out what the circuit height should be !!
However as we progress into deeper waters you dont want to take off from a near sea level airfield and pop off with your IMC and go and land at somewhere like leeds (660' give or take) and get it wrong going looking for the cloud base at 500 feet as you will find the ground first like one or two ex military commercial pilots have found to there fate in the past.
QNH should be used and used well with thought and clear understanding of what it means this should be taught from the start. QFE can be forgiven for training in order for ease of sight for accurate flying training. Only my opinion. However there are a lot of non consistancies from ATC where they will sometimes ask whether you fly a QNH or QFE approach, sometimes give the QNH only, sometimes give the QFE only sometimes give both. I think a good start would be to standardise what ATC give (hopefully QNH) and QFE on request from the pilot. This could stop the confusion a little.
Hope my opinion helps! good discussion though as level busts and infringements and descents below MDA have all been because of this very subject!!
