Matthew Chidester wrote:
I know this is a stupid question..

but everytime I take a lesson here from salt lake international and listen
to atis.. why doesn't atis just GIVE you the density alt. at the surface on
hot days instead of the "check density alt." we get here..

Matthew, I don't know the answer. Many airports I've been to
w/ ASOS or AWOS give density altitude. It does seem that "density
altitude niner thousand" vs. "check density altitude" is only one
additional word. I assume that some airports have some sort of
automated DA calculation and others don't, and don't ask the
person taping the ATIS to do the calculation.

As far as whipping out the calculater, I just laminated a DA chart
onto my kneeboard. Before I set the altimeter, I read off the
pressure altitude and OAT and look at the chart.

Cheers,
Sydney