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How do you do that? Is there weather reporting at all airports? I can see
setting to field elevation if you're returning to your original point of departure (I did that all the time in my ultralight), but how do you set it at a different field without knowing either the Kollsman setting or your height above ground? Guestimate? mike regish ----- Original Message ----- From: "ShawnD2112" Newsgroups: rec.aviation.piloting Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 2:39 PM Subject: Who's flying out of the higest elev airport? Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents. |
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Not guestimate. Most airfields have some sort of radio control or
information from the ground. Standard procedure is to give all arriving aircraft the active runway and QFE so you've got the data and a reminder to reset your altimeter. If there's no radio manned to give you the information, you just stick with your enroute QNH and do the mental arithmetic just like in the States. It sounds daft, and I thought it was when I first started flying here, but you soon get used to it. I don't really have a problem and, actually, since I spend most of my time in a Pitts below 3,000 practicing sequences, I usually leave it on QFE in the local area because I'm more concerned about my height above ground and it's pretty flat around the airport. In fact, depending on where I'm flying to in the UK, the land can be so flat that I just leave it on QFE enroute. I fly around other airports and generally keep out of everyones' way so it's not ever been a problem. I also only fly in pretty good VMC, so the actual altimeter reading in my case isn't terribly critical in most cases. Shawn "mike regish" wrote in message news:LaQ3c.742$bP2.13474@attbi_s53... How do you do that? Is there weather reporting at all airports? I can see setting to field elevation if you're returning to your original point of departure (I did that all the time in my ultralight), but how do you set it at a different field without knowing either the Kollsman setting or your height above ground? Guestimate? mike regish ----- Original Message ----- From: "ShawnD2112" Newsgroups: rec.aviation.piloting Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 2:39 PM Subject: Who's flying out of the higest elev airport? Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents. |
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Dudley,
I agree with your statement about keeping things standardized. I like to keep everything that way so I can save what little brain capacity I have for handling the deviations from standard. Likewise, I apply that same logic to trimming. I trim for nearly any condition I'll be in for more than about 30 seconds, especially on landing. Nothing to do with stick forces, per se, but then I'm only flying the airplane away from the trim. The airplane's flying the basic line all by itself, I'm just flying the bits that are away from that line. Keeps life less exciting but a bit longer lasting, I reckon. Funnily enough, though, this QFE thing is one that you soon get used to and find that it seldom causes a problem. A person is just as likely to get the mental arithmetic wrong on entering the pattern as they are to forget to set QFE/QNH. Nearly all airfields here have a manned radio most of the time. It's standard procedure to give arriving aircraft the active runway and the QFE, so you get the information and a reminder. Most airfields have a standard 1,000 foot pattern, 2,000 foot overhead join (now, if you want to talk about a stupid procedure, let's get started on THAT one!), unless otherwise noted, so you reset QFE, shoot for 2,000 feet and Bob's your uncle. Interesting your input in the other thread about spinning the Mustang. When I was volunteering at The Fighter Collection, I was assigned to Moose, a D model, and used to spend a bit of time reading the pilot's handbook and the maintenance manual. (Never got to fly in her, though) I seem to remember the Mustang required something like 10,000 feet to recover from a spin. True in your experience? Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message link.net... Sounds like a nightmare to me. I've zeroed the needle on occasion for demonstration work, but I just don't get the logic behind the QFE lobby. It's just one more thing to worry about changing, and that can lead to serious problems in the air. I'm a standardization buff. Making as much a constant as opposed to a variable when it comes to flying has always seemed to me the best way to go with things. Having several MORE ways to use an altimeter just adds to normal altimeter confusion; it;s just one more thing that someone can forget to set or change or figure out. :-)) Dudley "ShawnD2112" wrote in message news:GPy3c.2813$m56.1401@newsfe1-win... Nope, you're not missing anything, Dudley. Except maybe topography. I don't think there ARE any airports higher than 2,000 feet in the UK, and there's very little terrain that high, even in the Highlands. The practice may have grown up here in Britain because high terrain isn't an issue. Most alitimeters over here these days are US manufacture anyways because most of the fleet were built in the US. Your understanding of QFE is correct, it's the station elevation such that the altimeter reads 0 at some point on the ground. It can lead to the odd problem now and again, but normally isn't an issue. My airport is at about 500 ft MSL, so if someone hasn't set their altimeter to QFE, but flies that pattern altitude as it reads on the instrument (without doing the mental arithmetic to ADD 1,000 ft), he'll come across the field at 500' AGL. Add to this that the Brits join the field at 2000 AGL on the side opposite downwind (known as "The Dead side"), descend to 1,000' AGL as they pass crosswind over the far end of the runway, then turn downwind and start their descent. This means you get clowns passing the far end of the runway at 500 ' AGL, just as you're passing through the same airspace in a climb in the Pitts. Normally not a problem as not many GA airplanes can be at 500' by the end of our runway, but it's happened to me once and is just something I have to keep an eye out for when flying the Pitts. As I say, in 300 hours flying in the UK, that's only happened to me once, so it's not common. Different way of "approaching" the same issue (sorry for the pun). Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message ink.net... "ShawnD2112" wrote in message ... Dudley, Interesting that the "right or wrongness" of the issue is of such a concern. Isn't it funny how different cultures view the same problem with different perspectives? Here in the UK, no motorcycle rider would even think of getting on a bike without a full set of leathers, helmet, and gloves. In the States, guys ride in shorts, sneakers, and no helmets where they can. On the other side of the coin, Brits "filter" through traffic on motorcycles, riding between lanes just to get through traffic faster, whether it be in the city or the highway. Most Americans think that's too dangerous to think about. Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents. Different perspectives, but who's to say what's right and wrong? Shawn Hi Shawn; Your comment on using QFE in the UK brings up an interesting point that I'm researching right now and perhaps you can answer for me possibly. Here in the U.S., our altimeters have a Kollsman range of about 27.5 and 32.0. This, considering an average atmosphere, denies you setting an altimeter to 0 on any airport runway above about 2500 to 3000 feet MSL!!! I'm wondering, since QFE is common in the UK, and by definition QFE is a station pressure setting that will produce a 0 reading on the altimeter when on the ground at that station; are your altimeters in the UK equipped with a wider Kollsman range in the setting windows perhaps, and if not, how can a QFE setting be used at airports with elevations above our limits here in the U.S? It's an interesting point....or I must be missing something in my old age :-)) Dudley |
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Power on spins in the 51 could use up a ton of altitude. You could only
recover the airplane by reducing the throttle to idle. If you didn't, you went in, it was that simple. The nose was very high with power; actually above the horizon. You could easily, even after going to idle, take 5 to 6 turns and 10K to get out of it. On trim and acro. I like to fly normally with the airplane in trim as you have stated you like to have it also. The one exception to this was in low altitude acro work, where I always flew against nose down trim. This gave me positive stick pressure and a 0 null in pitch, and also served as a safety for nose up pressure inverted if something happened suddenly during a low altitude roll. Dudley "ShawnD2112" wrote in message news:Zx34c.307$pA3.32@newsfe1-win... Dudley, I agree with your statement about keeping things standardized. I like to keep everything that way so I can save what little brain capacity I have for handling the deviations from standard. Likewise, I apply that same logic to trimming. I trim for nearly any condition I'll be in for more than about 30 seconds, especially on landing. Nothing to do with stick forces, per se, but then I'm only flying the airplane away from the trim. The airplane's flying the basic line all by itself, I'm just flying the bits that are away from that line. Keeps life less exciting but a bit longer lasting, I reckon. Funnily enough, though, this QFE thing is one that you soon get used to and find that it seldom causes a problem. A person is just as likely to get the mental arithmetic wrong on entering the pattern as they are to forget to set QFE/QNH. Nearly all airfields here have a manned radio most of the time. It's standard procedure to give arriving aircraft the active runway and the QFE, so you get the information and a reminder. Most airfields have a standard 1,000 foot pattern, 2,000 foot overhead join (now, if you want to talk about a stupid procedure, let's get started on THAT one!), unless otherwise noted, so you reset QFE, shoot for 2,000 feet and Bob's your uncle. Interesting your input in the other thread about spinning the Mustang. When I was volunteering at The Fighter Collection, I was assigned to Moose, a D model, and used to spend a bit of time reading the pilot's handbook and the maintenance manual. (Never got to fly in her, though) I seem to remember the Mustang required something like 10,000 feet to recover from a spin. True in your experience? Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message link.net... Sounds like a nightmare to me. I've zeroed the needle on occasion for demonstration work, but I just don't get the logic behind the QFE lobby. It's just one more thing to worry about changing, and that can lead to serious problems in the air. I'm a standardization buff. Making as much a constant as opposed to a variable when it comes to flying has always seemed to me the best way to go with things. Having several MORE ways to use an altimeter just adds to normal altimeter confusion; it;s just one more thing that someone can forget to set or change or figure out. :-)) Dudley "ShawnD2112" wrote in message news:GPy3c.2813$m56.1401@newsfe1-win... Nope, you're not missing anything, Dudley. Except maybe topography. I don't think there ARE any airports higher than 2,000 feet in the UK, and there's very little terrain that high, even in the Highlands. The practice may have grown up here in Britain because high terrain isn't an issue. Most alitimeters over here these days are US manufacture anyways because most of the fleet were built in the US. Your understanding of QFE is correct, it's the station elevation such that the altimeter reads 0 at some point on the ground. It can lead to the odd problem now and again, but normally isn't an issue. My airport is at about 500 ft MSL, so if someone hasn't set their altimeter to QFE, but flies that pattern altitude as it reads on the instrument (without doing the mental arithmetic to ADD 1,000 ft), he'll come across the field at 500' AGL. Add to this that the Brits join the field at 2000 AGL on the side opposite downwind (known as "The Dead side"), descend to 1,000' AGL as they pass crosswind over the far end of the runway, then turn downwind and start their descent. This means you get clowns passing the far end of the runway at 500 ' AGL, just as you're passing through the same airspace in a climb in the Pitts. Normally not a problem as not many GA airplanes can be at 500' by the end of our runway, but it's happened to me once and is just something I have to keep an eye out for when flying the Pitts. As I say, in 300 hours flying in the UK, that's only happened to me once, so it's not common. Different way of "approaching" the same issue (sorry for the pun). Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message ink.net... "ShawnD2112" wrote in message ... Dudley, Interesting that the "right or wrongness" of the issue is of such a concern. Isn't it funny how different cultures view the same problem with different perspectives? Here in the UK, no motorcycle rider would even think of getting on a bike without a full set of leathers, helmet, and gloves. In the States, guys ride in shorts, sneakers, and no helmets where they can. On the other side of the coin, Brits "filter" through traffic on motorcycles, riding between lanes just to get through traffic faster, whether it be in the city or the highway. Most Americans think that's too dangerous to think about. Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents. Different perspectives, but who's to say what's right and wrong? Shawn Hi Shawn; Your comment on using QFE in the UK brings up an interesting point that I'm researching right now and perhaps you can answer for me possibly. Here in the U.S., our altimeters have a Kollsman range of about 27.5 and 32.0. This, considering an average atmosphere, denies you setting an altimeter to 0 on any airport runway above about 2500 to 3000 feet MSL!!! I'm wondering, since QFE is common in the UK, and by definition QFE is a station pressure setting that will produce a 0 reading on the altimeter when on the ground at that station; are your altimeters in the UK equipped with a wider Kollsman range in the setting windows perhaps, and if not, how can a QFE setting be used at airports with elevations above our limits here in the U.S? It's an interesting point....or I must be missing something in my old age :-)) Dudley |
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On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 at 16:19:25 in message
, Todd Pattist wrote: I bet it can't. The highest point in England is 3210' and Scotland only goes to 4400'. Correct but don't forget Snowdon in Wales at 3590' Snowdon in particular is quite formidable to look at as a pedestrian! I have walked up an easy route three times in my life and it frightened me! -- David CL Francis |
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![]() "David CL Francis" wrote in message ... On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 at 16:19:25 in message , Todd Pattist wrote: I bet it can't. The highest point in England is 3210' and Scotland only goes to 4400'. Correct but don't forget Snowdon in Wales at 3590' Snowdon in particular is quite formidable to look at as a pedestrian! I have walked up an easy route three times in my life and it frightened me! -- David CL Francis Is there any one place in particular that you are talking about. I googled, and it is really pretty. -- Jim in NC --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.608 / Virus Database: 388 - Release Date: 3/3/2004 |
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"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
link.net... Sounds like a nightmare to me. I've zeroed the needle on occasion for demonstration work, but I just don't get the logic behind the QFE lobby. It's just one more thing to worry about changing, and that can lead to serious problems in the air. I'm a standardization buff. Making as much a constant as opposed to a variable when it comes to flying has always seemed to me the best way to go with things. Having several MORE ways to use an altimeter just adds to normal altimeter confusion; it;s just one more thing that someone can forget to set or change or figure out. Others have explained that the use of QFE works in the UK because there are few or no airfields above 2000ft (and tropical depressions are rare). I've flown there with instructors who knew what we do in the US, and took care to explain what they are doing and why. Resetting from QNH to QFE *in the vicinity of an airport* is part of the procedure when receiving the ATIS or whatever advisory is available, just as it is for us in the US (I always check, and reset if necessary, when hearing an ATIS - don't you?) and the QFE is one phrase in the report so it's not easy to forget. The extra step for a student is more than repaid by not having to do the arithmetic in the pattern. You're a standardization buff, and it sounds like a standard procedure to me. It's just part of the approach checklist. And, if you count them up, there is one more variable (twist the altimeter) and a lot more constants (pattern-related altitudes). Remember also that many UK pilots get pretty quickly into the flight levels, so there's a need to twist to QNE as well. -- David Brooks |
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Agree with the trim conversation. My Pitts' trim is all the way forward at
cruise speed so, by definition, when I'm into entry speeds I'm always in nose up trim. I like the feeling of positive ffeedback in the stick, so that seems pretty comfortable to me. I haven't really done much inverted or low level stuff yet so the noseup trim hasn't come into need. But some day that'll be useful advice! Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message k.net... Power on spins in the 51 could use up a ton of altitude. You could only recover the airplane by reducing the throttle to idle. If you didn't, you went in, it was that simple. The nose was very high with power; actually above the horizon. You could easily, even after going to idle, take 5 to 6 turns and 10K to get out of it. On trim and acro. I like to fly normally with the airplane in trim as you have stated you like to have it also. The one exception to this was in low altitude acro work, where I always flew against nose down trim. This gave me positive stick pressure and a 0 null in pitch, and also served as a safety for nose up pressure inverted if something happened suddenly during a low altitude roll. Dudley "ShawnD2112" wrote in message news:Zx34c.307$pA3.32@newsfe1-win... Dudley, I agree with your statement about keeping things standardized. I like to keep everything that way so I can save what little brain capacity I have for handling the deviations from standard. Likewise, I apply that same logic to trimming. I trim for nearly any condition I'll be in for more than about 30 seconds, especially on landing. Nothing to do with stick forces, per se, but then I'm only flying the airplane away from the trim. The airplane's flying the basic line all by itself, I'm just flying the bits that are away from that line. Keeps life less exciting but a bit longer lasting, I reckon. Funnily enough, though, this QFE thing is one that you soon get used to and find that it seldom causes a problem. A person is just as likely to get the mental arithmetic wrong on entering the pattern as they are to forget to set QFE/QNH. Nearly all airfields here have a manned radio most of the time. It's standard procedure to give arriving aircraft the active runway and the QFE, so you get the information and a reminder. Most airfields have a standard 1,000 foot pattern, 2,000 foot overhead join (now, if you want to talk about a stupid procedure, let's get started on THAT one!), unless otherwise noted, so you reset QFE, shoot for 2,000 feet and Bob's your uncle. Interesting your input in the other thread about spinning the Mustang. When I was volunteering at The Fighter Collection, I was assigned to Moose, a D model, and used to spend a bit of time reading the pilot's handbook and the maintenance manual. (Never got to fly in her, though) I seem to remember the Mustang required something like 10,000 feet to recover from a spin. True in your experience? Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message link.net... Sounds like a nightmare to me. I've zeroed the needle on occasion for demonstration work, but I just don't get the logic behind the QFE lobby. It's just one more thing to worry about changing, and that can lead to serious problems in the air. I'm a standardization buff. Making as much a constant as opposed to a variable when it comes to flying has always seemed to me the best way to go with things. Having several MORE ways to use an altimeter just adds to normal altimeter confusion; it;s just one more thing that someone can forget to set or change or figure out. :-)) Dudley "ShawnD2112" wrote in message news:GPy3c.2813$m56.1401@newsfe1-win... Nope, you're not missing anything, Dudley. Except maybe topography. I don't think there ARE any airports higher than 2,000 feet in the UK, and there's very little terrain that high, even in the Highlands. The practice may have grown up here in Britain because high terrain isn't an issue. Most alitimeters over here these days are US manufacture anyways because most of the fleet were built in the US. Your understanding of QFE is correct, it's the station elevation such that the altimeter reads 0 at some point on the ground. It can lead to the odd problem now and again, but normally isn't an issue. My airport is at about 500 ft MSL, so if someone hasn't set their altimeter to QFE, but flies that pattern altitude as it reads on the instrument (without doing the mental arithmetic to ADD 1,000 ft), he'll come across the field at 500' AGL. Add to this that the Brits join the field at 2000 AGL on the side opposite downwind (known as "The Dead side"), descend to 1,000' AGL as they pass crosswind over the far end of the runway, then turn downwind and start their descent. This means you get clowns passing the far end of the runway at 500 ' AGL, just as you're passing through the same airspace in a climb in the Pitts. Normally not a problem as not many GA airplanes can be at 500' by the end of our runway, but it's happened to me once and is just something I have to keep an eye out for when flying the Pitts. As I say, in 300 hours flying in the UK, that's only happened to me once, so it's not common. Different way of "approaching" the same issue (sorry for the pun). Shawn "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message ink.net... "ShawnD2112" wrote in message ... Dudley, Interesting that the "right or wrongness" of the issue is of such a concern. Isn't it funny how different cultures view the same problem with different perspectives? Here in the UK, no motorcycle rider would even think of getting on a bike without a full set of leathers, helmet, and gloves. In the States, guys ride in shorts, sneakers, and no helmets where they can. On the other side of the coin, Brits "filter" through traffic on motorcycles, riding between lanes just to get through traffic faster, whether it be in the city or the highway. Most Americans think that's too dangerous to think about. Here in the UK, setting the altimeter to field elevation, QFE, before takeoff is not only allowed, it's taught and expected. Likewise, when approaching the airfield, you're expected to reset the altimeter to that airfield's QFE in the pattern. In the States, we would think that would lead to all kinds of altitude-related accidents. Different perspectives, but who's to say what's right and wrong? Shawn Hi Shawn; Your comment on using QFE in the UK brings up an interesting point that I'm researching right now and perhaps you can answer for me possibly. Here in the U.S., our altimeters have a Kollsman range of about 27.5 and 32.0. This, considering an average atmosphere, denies you setting an altimeter to 0 on any airport runway above about 2500 to 3000 feet MSL!!! I'm wondering, since QFE is common in the UK, and by definition QFE is a station pressure setting that will produce a 0 reading on the altimeter when on the ground at that station; are your altimeters in the UK equipped with a wider Kollsman range in the setting windows perhaps, and if not, how can a QFE setting be used at airports with elevations above our limits here in the U.S? It's an interesting point....or I must be missing something in my old age :-)) Dudley |
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![]() "David Brooks" wrote in message ... "Dudley Henriques" wrote in message link.net... Sounds like a nightmare to me. I've zeroed the needle on occasion for demonstration work, but I just don't get the logic behind the QFE lobby. It's just one more thing to worry about changing, and that can lead to serious problems in the air. I'm a standardization buff. Making as much a constant as opposed to a variable when it comes to flying has always seemed to me the best way to go with things. Having several MORE ways to use an altimeter just adds to normal altimeter confusion; it;s just one more thing that someone can forget to set or change or figure out. Others have explained that the use of QFE works in the UK because there are few or no airfields above 2000ft (and tropical depressions are rare). I've flown there with instructors who knew what we do in the US, and took care to explain what they are doing and why. Resetting from QNH to QFE *in the vicinity of an airport* is part of the procedure when receiving the ATIS or whatever advisory is available, just as it is for us in the US (I always check, and reset if necessary, when hearing an ATIS - don't you?) and the QFE is one phrase in the report so it's not easy to forget. The extra step for a student is more than repaid by not having to do the arithmetic in the pattern. You're a standardization buff, and it sounds like a standard procedure to me. It's just part of the approach checklist. And, if you count them up, there is one more variable (twist the altimeter) and a lot more constants (pattern-related altitudes). Remember also that many UK pilots get pretty quickly into the flight levels, so there's a need to twist to QNE as well. -- David Brooks Its very true about flight levels. You can into them as low as FL035 but then our class A airspace can start as low as the surface like round Heathrow and Gatwick. But then that is no big deal either after encoded altitude being thrown out by the transponder is in flight levels. It means no mental maths again for ATC or the pilot. In the UK flying IFR means amongst other things having an altimeter setting of 1013mb (29.92" hg) once at the transition altitude for the airspace you are in. That transition altitude can be as low as 3000ft in uncontrolled airspace. sg |
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On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 at 19:52:31 in message
, Morgans wrote: "David CL Francis" wrote in message ... Snowdon in particular is quite formidable to look at as a pedestrian! I have walked up an easy route three times in my life and it frightened me! -- David CL Francis Is there any one place in particular that you are talking about. I googled, and it is really pretty. I am not sure what you are asking. I don't like heights much when I am standing on mountains. To be specific I don't like the last ridge towards the summit, the pig track and traversing the Grib-goch ridge. My son, who is an experienced rock climber, would not turn a hair! But the scenery is beautiful, provided the there is no rain and cloud. As an extra, although the level of the UK is relatively low a surprising number of aircraft have come to grief on 'high' ground, particularly during WW2. I believe some hundreds during WW2. -- David CL Francis |
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