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Ray Proudfoot

Altimeter Troubles ...

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Guest boeing_c2c4

Hi there! I am having problems with fluctuating altimeters -- I take off, get cruising, and then 1). I keep getting flying tips to say my altimeter is set wrong and to press 'B' to reset it, which I do. 2) the ATC tells me that I am above my assigned altitude and to decsend, which I do. Then however, I am suddenly below my assigned altitude and have to climb. This goes on and on, is it a bug or am I doing something wrong?Thanks in advance,John

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Guest allcott

At 18,000 feet and above you no longer fly the altitude you fly the Flight Level. Check the manual, as I think there's a segment in there about it. Below 18,000ft you do indeed need to correct the altimeter to the local setting, as that's what ATC wants.Allcott

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Hasn't FSX improved over FS9 in this respect? One of the most annoying aspects of the ATC is that everything is based on FAA rules and the rest of the world's rules don't exist. :-mad Anyone who takes their flying even half-seriously will ditch the appalling default ATC and get RC4. And before anyone say's it... no, I don't get a cut for each sale ;-)


Ray (Cheshire, England).
System: P3D v5.3HF2, Intel i9-13900K, MSI 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G, Crucial T700 4Tb M.2 SSD, Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, 32Gb Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000Mhz RAM, Win 11 Pro 64-bit, BenQ PD3200U 32” UHD monitor, Fulcrum One yoke.
Cheadle Hulme Weather

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Guest boeing_c2c4

Thanks for the replies everyone. Today for example, I was flying FL180 (so was at 18,000)when it started. 'you are 300 above your assigned altitude, descend and maintain FL180' so upon pressing 'b' to reset the altimeter, the altitude did indeed rise to 18,300, and autopilot descends. Then, minutes later, 'you are 300 below your assigned altitude, climb and maintain FL180.' and upon pressing 'b' again, the altitude then drops and the autopilot starts to climb. Today this was never ending, too high/low/high/low. I just can't find anywhere what I am doing/not doing to have this happen -- it can't be a bug as no one else seems to be having the same problem from looking through the forum.By the way, Ray, where in Cheshire are you? I'm from Warrington originally, but living in Holland now.

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Guest allcott

The answer is simple: DONT FLY AT 18,000! Instead try FL190 or 17,000. As soon as you go above 18,000 the altimeter setting is the standard for the Flight Levels - 29.92mB and it stays there. Below 18,000 you are subject to the ATC instructions as and whenever the altimeter setting changes. At 18,000 you are of course straddling the two so will get a constant reminder as you go first above, then below, then above again. Just avoid 18,000 feet and all will be well.Try this for an explanationhttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/booty.weather/metinfo/isa.htmAllcott

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Hi John,As Allcott say's, don't fly at the transition altitude. It's asking for trouble. RC would never assign you that altitude. You'll either get 17,000ft or FL190 assuming you were flying in FAA airspace. Elsewhere in the world of course different TAs would apply.I live in Cheadle Hulme - half way between Stockport and Wilmslow and 3 miles east of EGCC. Not far to Warrington :-)Incidentally, where was your flight that caused you so much trouble? The TA for EHAM is 3000ft. Quite different to the FSX default :-(Cheers,


Ray (Cheshire, England).
System: P3D v5.3HF2, Intel i9-13900K, MSI 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G, Crucial T700 4Tb M.2 SSD, Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, 32Gb Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000Mhz RAM, Win 11 Pro 64-bit, BenQ PD3200U 32” UHD monitor, Fulcrum One yoke.
Cheadle Hulme Weather

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Guest allcott

Yeah, it would have been simple for MS to have coded the possibility for different TA as part of the Metar set but they seem to have stuck with the Global TA concept as no-one can possibly be interested in rules which don't match the American experience. I would imagine the majority of simmers dont notice but in the heavily-congested airspace in Europe the variation in TA is actually a major flightplaning factor, in the same way that we have to put much more emphasis on NOT overflying VOR's, but using offsets - you don't want all the GA in a limited 3,000 foot corridor reaching the same point right over a VOR at the same time, at the same altitude. Ugly! ;)Allcott

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Guest boeing_c2c4

Hi, it seems that you guys have cracked it, I tried the same flight today at 21,000 and had no problems -- it must indeed have been the altitude, lesson learned :-) Thanks very much for the help everyone!John :-)

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Guest boeing_c2c4

Not too far away at all, I have worked in and around Cheadle Hulme, and not too bad for plane spotting, indeed :-) My flight was EHAM-ENGM, quite nice to finally complete it :-)

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You're welcome John. Glad to have been of assistance :-)Of course you really meant FL210. Old habits die hard eh? :-lolCheers,


Ray (Cheshire, England).
System: P3D v5.3HF2, Intel i9-13900K, MSI 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G, Crucial T700 4Tb M.2 SSD, Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, 32Gb Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000Mhz RAM, Win 11 Pro 64-bit, BenQ PD3200U 32” UHD monitor, Fulcrum One yoke.
Cheadle Hulme Weather

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Hi John,We suffer in the summer when flights from EGCC depart 06L and use the LISTO SID. Right over my house :-(TAs for EHAM are 3000ft and 7000ft for ENGM. Using the default ATC this will be unuseable but not so with Radar Contact v4. If you're interested click the logo in my sig for more info.Cheers,


Ray (Cheshire, England).
System: P3D v5.3HF2, Intel i9-13900K, MSI 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G, Crucial T700 4Tb M.2 SSD, Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, 32Gb Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000Mhz RAM, Win 11 Pro 64-bit, BenQ PD3200U 32” UHD monitor, Fulcrum One yoke.
Cheadle Hulme Weather

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Guest wyoming

is supposed to be only available for a 180-359 heading...

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Guest wyoming

Do you use Justflight's VFR scenery?

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