>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >There is some agreement that in aviation even metric countries use >inch-pound because of the dominance of the US.
Not quite. The international standard is ICAO Chicago Convention Annex 5. The standard units are SI, it merely *permits* non-metric units for limited applications. >For example they claim that distances between planes have >to be given in feet because equivalent metric would be unsafe. Who are 'they'? Where is that claim published? You may be referring to vertical separation. As far as I know, only North America uses feet for horizontal separation. www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_avsafety/documents/page/dft_avsafety_5012 80.hcsp "The B747 crossed the threshold as the One Eleven passed link 'H' (a separation distance of 850 metres). As the B747 crossed the touchdown zone the One Eleven was half way between link 'G' and link 'F' giving an approximate separation distance of 860 metres. As the B747 passed abeam link G the One Eleven was abeam link 'KC' (approximate separation distance 480 metres). Then as the B747 passed abeam KC the One Eleven was approaching link B (approximate separation distance of 700 metres)."
