Simviation Forums

Hello everyone!
The other day me and my friend we talking and comparing feet, miles etc with metric systems and he asked me what system does Europe use in the airplanes? Feet, miles etc or meters and kilometers? From what I heared Russian planes use metric system in their cocpits but how about Canada, Europe or Afrika? Does they also use meteric system or do they use feet and miles for altitude and speed? Thanks.
JVC_systems

Hi JVC. To be honest I don't know.

I live in the UK. In all the time I was involved with aircraft, well over 40 years, airspeed has been measured in MPH or Knots & altitude has been measured in Feet. Many of the aircraft used here nowadays were manufactured in the US. I imagine the airlines have their own requirements but in my experience, private & GA aircraft would use the instruments fitted by the manufacturer. This would be practical for spares procurement.

How about Canada? I heared they use feet and knots too. If so then how come only Russian airplanes use metric system? I don't know how pilots in Russia use that system because when I tried flying russian aircraft in FS2004 I got all confused with metric system . lol

French & German manufactured aircraft used to have metric instruments fitted as standard. The throttles on French aircraft also worked in the opposite direction to normal. I don't know if this is still the case.

i believe the asian markets use metric system.

I don't know much about commercial flying at all. I would have thought the FL system is the international standard used by ATC all over the world. This is based on altitudes in Feet. It would be somewhat confusing if this varies depending on the country you're flying over.

As for those Russian aircraft in FS I would think the practical solution is to use a different panel with the gauges you're used to - or simply swap the gauges.

the glider i fly, we use meters and km/h

our piper uses kts and ft

and i think every airliners uses ft, kts and nm.  ;)

i have seen a few pictures on Anet claiming they were using Meters in singapore as it was the way they worked. since most modern commercial planes have the option for both and pilots who dont prob have a convertor to help.since i dont know for sure i wont put it as a gaurentee

It's very intersting, why don't everybody just use knots and nm? Wouldn't that be easier for the pilots and for ATC?

It's very intersting, why don't everybody just use knots and nm? Wouldn't that be easier for the pilots and for ATC?

This would of course be ideal & avoid possible mistakes. In fact I believe it is usually the case with commercial aviation, just as English is the international language used for radio communication.

A lot of things would be easier if we all used the same measurement systems & spoke the same language but we don't. From personal experience, incorrect conversion from one to the other is responsible for a lot of accidents.

Are there any plans to actually make one standart system for mesuring altitude, speeed etc?

As I said earlier, I think this is already the case with commercial & possibly military aviation. For example: flight level (FL) seven zero = 7,000 feet. This is internationally recognised ATC procedure.

This might not apply to light or GA aircraft flying local VFR. Some aircraft would be fitted with whatever the preference is in that particular country. As Bones mentioned, the gliders he flies have metric instruments.

Cool stuff. Never thought about that. I always thought that it is just in the USA where people use feet. People just told me that feet and miles are not popular in Europe or elsewhere. Thanks for sharing this intersting info with me  :)

People just told me that feet and miles are not popular in Europe or elsewhere.

Most of Europe has used the metric system for many years. The UK is now officially metric but the speed limits on our road signs are still in mph & some things like milk & beer are still sold in pints. I think there might be a riot if they suggested changing this. It's a very strange situation as with most things here. Neither one nor the other. You get used to being messed around after a while but it can be confusing, even for the locals.

Being of the pre-metric generation I still think & work in the old Imperial values. I know how far a mile is & what an inch or a foot looks like without getting out a tape measure but never could visualise a kilometre.

afaik it's knots and feet everywhere but in the former soviet union(and possibly china)