Reading back altimeter settings?

Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered
several controllers who I'd check in with, and they'd give me an altimeter
setting, and that would be it, and 2 (both in Canada, BTW) whom when I
didn't read back the altimeter setting gave it to me again.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
What boots up must come down.

I always read back any numbers given by ATC. Altimeter, runway, heading,
altitude.


"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered
several controllers who I'd check in with, and they'd give me an altimeter
setting, and that would be it, and 2 (both in Canada, BTW) whom when I
didn't read back the altimeter setting gave it to me again.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
What boots up must come down.

I'm usually getting the altimeter after I check in with a new controller, so
I read them as a verification that I can hear the new controller.

Michael


"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered
several controllers who I'd check in with, and they'd give me an altimeter
setting, and that would be it, and 2 (both in Canada, BTW) whom when I
didn't read back the altimeter setting gave it to me again.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
What boots up must come down.

Paul Tomblin wrote:

Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered
several controllers who I'd check in with, and they'd give me an altimeter
setting, and that would be it, and 2 (both in Canada, BTW) whom when I
didn't read back the altimeter setting gave it to me again.

Maybe the way to think about this is how it would affect the analysis of
an accident. Suppose you flew into a mountain, the question would be
whether you had your altimiter set correctly. So they play back the
tapes and found that you readback the setting -- that takes the
controller off the hook because he got the message through to you.
Otherwise, somebody my try to say the controller should have tried one
more time...

They want to know that you hear them. Sometimes I've just replied
"roger, 27D" but it's not much more of a deal to say "2994, 27D" which
I guess is what I will do from now on.

Paul Tomblin wrote:

Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered
several controllers who I'd check in with, and they'd give me an altimeter
setting, and that would be it, and 2 (both in Canada, BTW) whom when I
didn't read back the altimeter setting gave it to me again.


In the US I've never read back an altimeter, I've rarely heard anyone
else do it, and I've never heard anyone questioned for it.

In the UK it is mandatory and they will prompt you if you don't read
it back. I guess Canada operates to the same procedures as the UK.

US radio practice is actually quite a bit different from the
international norm, as you quickly discover when you try to fly
somewhere else!

John

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
...

Maybe the way to think about this is how it would affect the analysis of
an accident. Suppose you flew into a mountain, the question would be
whether you had your altimiter set correctly. So they play back the
tapes and found that you readback the setting -- that takes the controller
off the hook because he got the message through to you. Otherwise,
somebody my try to say the controller should have tried one more time...


The controller is off any hook if he issued the altimeter, a readback or
lack of one changes nothing.

Paul Tomblin wrote:

Does anybody have a good handle on when ATC wants you to read back
altimeter settings? On a single IFR flight on Tuesday, I encountered

Here in ICAO country, it's mandatory to read back the altimeter setting,
as well as any clearances and assigned flight levels. It may be handled
differently in the USA.

Stefan

"John Harper" wrote in
message

In the US I've never read back an altimeter, I've rarely heard anyone
else do it, and I've never heard anyone questioned for it.

Really - I hear about 9 of 10 altimeters read back every time I fly.

Michael

John wrote:

In the US I've never read back an altimeter, I've rarely heard anyone

else do it, and I've never heard anyone questioned for it.

No offense, John, (seriously) but do you currently fly so many hours in
so many parts of the US that you can make that broad of a statement?

I only fly about 5-7 hours per week, but in the busy Northeast US
airspace I *always* hear pilots, both GA and airline, read back
altimeter settings. Additionally, I have heard quite a few exchanges
where a controller has corrected an incorrect altimeter setting
readback.

Personally, I always read back any number given to me by ATC if for no
other reason than to aid my own memory.

--
Peter R.
(via Google Groups)