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Understanding Altitude: Difference between revisions
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presentation and more intro
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Altitude | '''Altitude''' - is a distance measurement in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude wikipedia]) | ||
There are four important types of altitude that you need to know about when flying: | There are four important types of altitude that you need to know about when flying: | ||
* Absolute altitude | * '''Absolute''' altitude | ||
* Pressure altitude | * '''Pressure''' altitude | ||
* Density altitude | * '''Density''' altitude | ||
* Indicated altitude | * '''Indicated''' altitude | ||
==== Absolute Altitude ==== | |||
'''Absolute''' altitude is how high you actually are above ''mean sea level'' ('''MSL'''). Go to the beach, and there is your "absolute level", no mountains in the way, you can fly across the ocean at around 200ft if wanted and this is important height "measurment", mainly for avoiding terrain and obstacles. | |||
== | ==== Pressure Altitude ==== | ||
'''Pressure''' altitude is the reading on your [[Instruments/altimeter|altimiter]] when you reset it to 29.92 inHg, which is the ''International Standard Atmosphere'' ('''ISA'') pressure for sea level. In the so-called flight levels. Often, but not always, above 18,000 ft MSL). Pilots are required to set their altimeters to ISA and fly by pressure altitude. Pressure altitude is important for altimetry and for calculating density altitude. | |||
== | |||
Pressure altitude is the reading on your altimeter when you reset it to 29.92 inHg, which is the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) pressure for sea level. In the so-called flight levels | |||
== Density Altitude == | == Density Altitude == | ||