Not Brightest Blip On Radar Screen

[goball65]

Scenario:- VFR flight from Antigua TAPA to Martinique TFFF using gps and autopilot for altitude and nav.
Navigation log flight level 15.
Believing this to represent 1500 feet as 150 = 15000 feet and ac i'm flying has a max level of 14500 i happily proceed on my way.
While leaving the ac on auto pilot to get a coffee i slam into a hilltop in Dominica. So much for 15 or 1500 feet on nav log.
Can not find a decent explanation of altitudes in help areas.
Would someone help me out here as to flight levels.
Thanks

[BDS]

In real aviation, Flight Levels dont start until 18,000 feet and up. Everything else below that is considered an altitude, so I'm not quite sure.

Were you levelled off or in a climb during impact? Could be your VS was shallower than needed to clear the hill.

[goball65]

no climbing just straight and level flight smack into the hill.
When these fp's are established due they take into consideration the height factors in the territory they are flying

[codered]

The default FS flight planner takes into consideration the lowest altitude you can have to clear your self of obstacle/terrain.  Granted if you have addon terrrain, it might not take that into consideration.

Like said by BDS, flight levels start at 18000 feet.  Example FL180, FL190, FL200, etc.  Anything below that will be 17,000 ft, 16,000 ft, 2,500 ft. etc.

[C]

[quote]Like said by BDS, flight levels start at 18000 feet.

[beefhole]

Depending on where you're flying - in the UK for example they start at varying levels, above the transition altitude, normally about 3000ft, so we can start around FL35 or FL40...

Yup, Nexus just schooled me on that in the screenshot forum (he always dampens my smart-assness :-/).  It starts at transition altitude.  Anyone know where a list of transition altitudes is?