ATC-Pilot confusion: Metric/Imperial measurements?
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:06 pmHello Pilots...!
I watched a very interesting program on the television* last night:
Air Crash Investigations, (One of a series of programs).
This one involved a documentary and re-construction of events leading up the the fatal crash of an Air America Boeing 757 aircraft, due to pilot error, whilst carrying 164 passengers and crew, and attempting to perform an instrument landing at an airport in Colombia in 1995.
Although it had nothing to do with the crash, what surprised me was the fact that the American flight crew and the Columbian Air Traffic Controller both used the Metric system when radioing height, (in metres), and distance (in kilometers).
Surely the instruments in the Boeing aircraft are calibrated, and indicate the height in feet, (altimeter), and the distance in miles (DME)...?
Would there not be a chance of confusion between the two types of readings, between the pilot/co-pilot and Air traffic Control, especially during an emergency...?
To have to convert the ATC rodio information from metres and kilometers to the instrument readings in feet and miles, during a panic emergency, or even a normal flight would put un-acceptable stress on the pilot/co-pilot...?
All the dials on the panel in my little Cessna 152 are lovingly painted in feet and miles...!!
Altimeter.
Rate of climb indicator.
Distance measuring instruments.
...plus any extras filling up any un-used holes in the panel...!
...any ideas...!
Cheers chaps...!
Paul...long live Queen Victoria...
...!
P.S. ..*.just noticed Hagar's here.....I popped in to one of the childrens places to watch it...
...LOL...!
I watched a very interesting program on the television* last night:
Air Crash Investigations, (One of a series of programs).
This one involved a documentary and re-construction of events leading up the the fatal crash of an Air America Boeing 757 aircraft, due to pilot error, whilst carrying 164 passengers and crew, and attempting to perform an instrument landing at an airport in Colombia in 1995.
Although it had nothing to do with the crash, what surprised me was the fact that the American flight crew and the Columbian Air Traffic Controller both used the Metric system when radioing height, (in metres), and distance (in kilometers).
Surely the instruments in the Boeing aircraft are calibrated, and indicate the height in feet, (altimeter), and the distance in miles (DME)...?
Would there not be a chance of confusion between the two types of readings, between the pilot/co-pilot and Air traffic Control, especially during an emergency...?
To have to convert the ATC rodio information from metres and kilometers to the instrument readings in feet and miles, during a panic emergency, or even a normal flight would put un-acceptable stress on the pilot/co-pilot...?
All the dials on the panel in my little Cessna 152 are lovingly painted in feet and miles...!!
Altimeter.
Rate of climb indicator.
Distance measuring instruments.
...plus any extras filling up any un-used holes in the panel...!
...any ideas...!
Cheers chaps...!
Paul...long live Queen Victoria...
...!P.S. ..*.just noticed Hagar's here.....I popped in to one of the childrens places to watch it...
...LOL...!
...!
...), by selecting the Metric system, (as opposed to the US system), in the "Options" menu in FS 2004, but, of course, this didn't change any of the "text" on the dials, (feet/miles).
...?
