Altimeter setting

[kamarad]

I realized something about correct altimeter setting for flying on PE while browsing the forum.

As pilotedge does not set the weather and thus the atmospheric pressure, it is important during a flight to disregard any information about altimeter from the controler unless you have a weather engine that gives you exacly the correct pressure atmosphere. In a precedent flight, I settled the altimeter to the value provided by the controler just to find later that i was no more respecting the intended altitude for the flight.

Is my interpretation is correct or is there better way to ensure that the altimeter setting provided by the controler is the same as the one in fsx.

Pierre

[Kevin_atc]

All weather that is issued by PE ATC is directly from the real world metar reports (the same information that any FS/X-Plane weather client would use to generate real world weather). It's certainly not a requirement to use real world weather on the network, however it will give you a more realistic experience when the wind, visibility, clouds and altimeter is correct when compared to what ATC is telling you.

With that said, we understand that some of you want to practice flying in IMC and SoCal being SoCal, that opportunity rarely presents itself under real weather conditions. We encourage you to fly with your own settings if that is what you want to practice on the network. If you do choose to fly with your own weather settings, I would advise you to put what kind of weather you are flying with (ie. Total IMC, Marginal VFR, Windy Day, etc...) in the remarks of your IFR flight plan. If you are VFR (remember, ATC does NOT see VFR flight plans) and flying with your own weather settings, let the first controller that you talk to know that. For example, sometimes an airport is IFR in the real world (2 mile visibility, for example). If you call for pattern work, we are going to tell you the field is IFR so you need to specifically tell us that you are simulating VFR conditions then it won't be a problem at all- the key is communication!

The last thing I'll say is in regards to wind. By default, we are going to issue you the runway that would be used in the real world under the current weather conditions. Sometimes this may vary depending on RW traffic flows, but per the RW facility SOPs, we will give you the "appropriate" runway. If you are simulating wind that differs from the real world, or if you would just like a different runway, don't be afraid to ask! It's possible we will say no if traffic levels don't permit the request, but 99% of the time it won't be a problem.

[kamarad]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the clarification. This is really helpful.

Pierre

[Daddy O]

I set my initial altimeter setting to the posted field elevation, then adjust as center gives me updates enroute. Because i use real weather it works out well and is usually within .1 of the actual. I feel it is important to adjust in-flight because it is great practice for r\w flight.

My instructor told me that some pilots, performing precision touch and goes, or even airshow pilots will zero out their altimeter to the nearest thousand feet, or 0 if close to sea level. Not something for regular flight outside of the pattern, but it does help to teach you to stay on the numbers.

With real steam guages there is often minute discrepencies in the altitude. It really is just a disk that expands with the air pressure, and sometimes they get old and may be off a teensy tiny bit. Thats why there is a decision height on ifr landings, so you look out the window to make sure that you arent really 50 feet lower than you thunk you was.