ATC does not respect transition altitude and standard pressure

User Support Hub ATC, Traffic & NAVAIDs
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ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue: ATC ignores transition altitude. North America is a flat 18,000 ft becomes Flight Level 180 and above. Europe is strange, but if we are able to program it in to the avionics ATC could use that to know when to switch?

If applicable, which aircraft is experiencing this issue:

[PC Only] Did you remove all your community mods/add-ons? If yes, are you still experiencing the issue? No mods

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)? always

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

  1. Fly around in high or low pressure areas close to transition altitude
  2. Talk with ATC
  3. Get local pressure rather than standard pressure

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What peripherals are you using, if relevant:

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it?

[PC, MSFS 2020 Only] Are you using DX11 or DX12?

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use?

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share?

MEDIA

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image1920Ɨ1080 187 KB

[END OF FIRST USER REPORT]

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1 Like
2

Removed from Bug Reports as sim is working as designed.
Please participate in this Wishlist request:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/different-transition-altitudes-levels-in-different-world-regions/329297/8

3

In this game 18,000 ft transition is all over the world, not only in us. Get over it because it wonā€™t change anytime soon.

1 Like
4

Ah, this explains it all. At least now I know for a fact that ATC ignores European TAs (since they vary depending on which airport you are from/to).
Again, at least now I am in peace knowing that this is indeed some kind of bug, yes, but knowing also that I have to live with it, without workarounds. Soā€¦ thank you (and apologies for intruding so abruptely in othersā€™ threads, but it was the only way).

Happy landings,

5

If you are on pc get Beyond ATC. Itā€™s an alternative ATC software with its own AI traffic.

1 Like
6

Thanks, I am on PC and I heard something about this SW you are mentioning, but I am still a learner after some 20 years in flight simulation (started in early 2000s with X-Plane on my Macs, now I am on MSFS 2020 on my powerful rig and Windows 10). I am afraid I am still absolutely unable to ā€˜talkā€™ to anybody during flight, even if itā€™s ā€˜onlyā€™ a software (also I donā€™t have a mic). So I think Iā€™ll take it into consideration, yes, but not in the next future at least. Anyway, thank you for your help, very much appreciated.
Have blue skies.

7

You donā€™t need to talk to BATC. You can use auto response or interact with ATC using a menu. Like in the default ATC. I donā€™t like talking to machines either :).

8

Having the same issue in the missions in Europe, so not sure how it is working as designed.

TA can vary, and the charts will tell you what the TA is depending on where you are.

After TA, the baro will be set to standard pressure (1013hp) but I agree, ATC is not respecting this and is giving out a local pressure setting beyond any TA which is not correct of the ATC.

1 Like
9

Are you new to MSFS? Transition Altitude has always been 18,000 everywhere sinceā€¦ forever. It wonā€™t change anytime soon so get over it and ignore what charts say. Switch to STD QNH only when you pass 18,000 and you will be fine.

10

This doesnā€™t even work correctly, as Iā€™m just at this moment experiencing (and is the reason why there normally is at least 1000ft between TA and TL): I have chosen FL180 as my cruising level to avoid getting suffocated in my PC-12. ATC tells me that Iā€™m 300ft below my assigned altitude and i should ā€œclimb to FL180, QNH 1001ā€ (why give me QNH when Iā€™m above TA? :man_shrugging: ). Doing so by switching to given QNH, ATC suddenly tells me that Iā€™m 400ft above and to descent :man_facepalming: Of course it then told me to climb again, then descent again, until I gave up and requested FL190ā€¦

1 Like
11

No. Iā€™ve been using flight sim / all flight sims for 27 years, have a few ppl lessons under the belt aswell.

Transition altitude is whatever the official chart says it is. For example, at EGCC the TA is 5,000 ft at EGKK the TA is 6,000 both listed on the official NATS charts.

I assume you are taking about speed (knots) to mach number. That isnā€™t a transition altitude.

12

Exactly. You donā€™t need QNH above TA, it is always standard QNH above TA (1013).

13

Ahh. Mark. I am sorry for the confusion. I did not know that the TA is always 18,000 ft. In the UK and Europe the TA is variable. That is probably where it is confusing me.