ATC Altimeter Settings

Roy Smith wrote:

O. Sami Saydjari wrote:

When entering an ATC region, we often get an altimeter setting, usually
at some fix. So for example, when entering the Chicago center ATC
region, they say something like, "Midway altimeter is xx.xx." I have
some questions.

1. So, do they pick some fix for the region and give everyone (those
below FL 180) the altimeter of that fix? Do they break up into
sub-regions and give everyone in that sub-region that same fix altimeter
setting?


You should get the altimeter setting for the airport nearest your
location which has weather reporting.

So, if ATC gives you a setting on initial contact out of the airport you
just took off from, you use the airport's setting, not ATC's? When do
you cut over to ATC's? Or do you just listen to every AWOS/ASOS enroute
and change to the closest one?



2. At what point after departing an airport do you change altimeter
setting to the one supplied by ATC?


I update my altimeter setting whenever ATC gives me a new one.

See above. What I am asking is when to change over?


Similarly, on approaching an airport to land, at what point do you
switch over to the altimeter setting of the airport (from that given
by ATC).


If ATC has given me a setting for my destation, I'll just use that.
If not, then I'll set my altimeter whenever I get the ATIS/AWOS.

So, ATC expects you to change your altimeter whenever you first hear the
ATIS at your destination? That could be 50 miles out. Seems a little odd.



The reason I ask is that sometimes, the altimeter settings can be quite
different.


What do you consider "quite different"? Unless there's some severe
weather going on, it's unusual to have to change the setting more than
a couple of 1/100's at a time.

I have seen differences of 0.5 inches....that is alot!



Especially if there is VFR traffic around an airport, it
seems that there is some risk if everyone entering the pattern (or
approaching the pattern) does not share the same altimeter setting.


Risk of what? If somebody's 50 feet high or low in the pattern, it
doesn't make much difference. As long as it's VFR, see and avoid is
the rule of the day. The real reason for having sensitive altimeters
is for instrument work.

Well, good point, except that if you are descending through a cloud deck
into VFR conditions. Also, if you change your altimeter 50 miles out
and I change mine 5 miles out, it seems like their is some distance from
the airport where we are using different settings, and that seems like a
bad thing to me.