Altimeter
What is altimeter?
The altimeter is a flight instrument that displays the aircraft's altitude above mean sea level (MSL) by sensing atmospheric pressure. To read accurate MSL altitudes, the pilot must set the current altimeter setting—the local station pressure mathematically reduced to MSL and reported in inches of mercury (for example, A2970). Think of it as your pressure-based "height gauge"—but it only tells the truth if you keep the correct setting dialed in.
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Related terms
- alert area
- ALSF-1
- ALSF-2
- alternate static source
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