When I play offline(not VATSIM), I usually fly without ATC because I’d rather focus on flying my plane. One thing though that ATC does provide me with IFR flights is the altimeter. If I don’t use ATC, how can I receive altimeters during cruise? Should I use the WX Request in the MCDU menu and find the nearest airport that I’m at? Are there any other ways of getting the current altimiter at cruise level?
I use the flybywire A32NX.
Thanks!
If you’re flying above the transition altitude (18,000 in the US) your altimeter should be set to 29.92 or 1013 depending on your units of measure. Below that there is a simple cheat you can use. Just press the B key and it will set your altimeter to the current pressure. Your method of using the WX Request will also get you in the ballpark and is more realistic.
As an alternative, when below 18,000, I use SkyVector. There are current METAR reports available by hovering the mouse pointer over any colored circle in your vicinity. The reports are coded, but the entry preceded by ‘A’ is the current barometer, i.e., Buckley AFB in Colorado currently reports ‘A3021’ and they are usually within a few hundredths of the actual value. Here’s a link to decoding the reports if you’re not familiar with them: METAR Aviation Weather Reports - Definitive Guide | AviationMatters.co
You can also request Flight Following. Each time you’re handed off to another controller, you’ll get the altimeter setting if you’re below FL180.
Thanks to all of you. Forgot about the standard altimeter at high levels.
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.