We put in the local altimeter setting at the Transition Level which is
published for each airport elsewhere or a fixed altitude in the US 18000 ft,
Australia 15000 ft, Europe around 4-5000 ft. Same with Africa. We have a
switch we flip for inHg or hPa. When in North America we use inHg and
elsewhere hPa.
We do have a separate Radar altimeter which bounces signals off the ground,
this only activates at 2500 AGL or below and gives only feet indications.
Nowhere do we change things to view kilometers, it's always knots and
nautical miles only. This applies even in Russia where Air Traffic Control
gives distances to go in kilometers. Regardless, all visibilities outside
North America are in meters and kilometers.
Mike Payne
----- Original Message ----- > When and where do the pilots key local
altimeter data into the flight computers, and in what units (hPa, or km in
Eastern countries)?
What are the units of instrument display(s)?
Is there a separate *radar* altimeter for clearance of mountain peaks? (in
addition to the "local" altimeter?)
Gene Mechtly.
