What are the six kinds of altitude?
Indicated Altitude: The reading on the altimeter. Represents altitude in feet MSL.
True Altitude: The vertical distance of the aircraft above MSL. Sectional charts use true altitude.
Absolute Altitude: Altitude AGL. A lot of FAA definitions are based on this.
Pressure Altitude: The altitude of the plane in the International Standard Atmosphere when the temperature is assumed to be 15 C. It is also the indicated altitude when the altimeter is set to 29.92 in Hg. It is used in performance calculations.
Density Altitude: The altitude of the plane in the International Standard atmosphere, accounting for pressure and temperature. It related directly to the aircrafts performance.
Flight Level: Pressure altitude divided by 100. For example, 18000 MSL is FL180. The reason why we use the 29.92 base is so that flight levels are constant regardless of the altimeter setting of the aircraft, thus avoiding collision issues. It is used at altitudes higher than the transition “altitude”.
Transition Altitude: The altitude where pilots are required to seitch from local altimeter settings to 29.92 (standard). The transition altitude is always 18,000 ft MSL in USA and Canada.
How does temperature affect indicated altitude?
A higher temperature expands the column of air, meaning that the scale (think a ruler) expands. This means that the distance between 0 and 1000ft indicated altitude is greater than 1000ft on a hot day. For a cold day, the scale shrinks. Imagine a “-“ represents 500 ft:
Hot day: SFC——1000——2000—–3000…
Standard day: SFC–1000-2000-3000
Cold day: SFC-1000-2000-3000….
When going from a cold area to a warm area, following indicated altitude, what happens to your true altitude?
Increases
Which instruments use Gyroscopes? What systems do they use to keep spinning? Where are the gyroscopes?
Heading Indicator: Vertical, vacuum system
Attitude Indicator: Horizontal, vacuum system
Turn coordinator: ??? something with a spring, electrical system.
What does a turn coordinator tell you?
The wings tell you the rate of turn. If the ball is outside of the turn, then it’s a skid. If the ball is in the turn, it is a slip.
How does a vertical speed indicator work?
There is a diaghram directly connected to your static line. The case surrouds the diagphram and is connected to the static line via a calibrated leak. The diagram expands and contracts to move the needle.
The idea is that the calibrated leak is lagging behind the diaghram. So when you descend, the static port pressure increases immediately, but the case pressure stays behind, giving you vsi.
The VSI gives you ?? immediately and ?? over time
trend, rate
What is a glass cockpit?
An aircraft with primarily digital instruments with analog backups.
When should UNOS be applied less?
when turning with bank angles less than 30°; and
when turning onto headings well removed from north and south - in fact, when turning onto due east or due west, no allowances need to be made.
UNOS is based on the current instananeous heading
Which hand indicates 10000 ft in altimeter
The short skinny one
What flight instrument can the pilot adjust with a screwdriver?
Vertical speed indicator via screwdiver. if its not reading zero, just use a screwdiver.
How does the ADC get information?
It combines information from the temperature and pitot static sensors.
UNOS in terms of lagging and leading?
Lag north, lead south
How does changind the altimeter setting affect indicated altitude?
High altimeter = higher altitude
Lower altimeter= lower altitude
How does an altimeter work?
