What are the numbers given to you by the tower when you takeoff?

[guitarxe]

This is a general question as I've seen this during take off in different planes, but I haven't been able to find information anywhere on what this means. What are those numbers that the tower calls out to you when it clears you for take off?

 

Something like, climb 300, pressure something something? The climb 300 part is easy to understand (climb to 300 meters), but then the rest of it I don't really understand.

[SkateZilla]

QFE?

[guitarxe]

Yes, I think QFE is what I've seen in the text that pops up.

 

Edit: read up on wiki what the QFE stands for. So they give you both a radar altitude and a pressure altitude? Why do they give you an altitude in the first place, though? Shouldn't you climb to the height specified for your first waypoint?

Edited June 16, 2014 by guitarxe

[joey45]

The ATC is a bit.............ummmm....... Just ignore it for now.

[Rongor]

Shouldn't you climb to the height specified for your first waypoint?

The tower control crew wouldn't know your waypoints. Their only job is to guide traffic through safe approach and arrival procedures. That is why you are ordered to maintain until achieving 300 ft.

Of course RL ATC works totally different than what is displayed by DCS. That is why I unfortunately have to agree with

The ATC is a bit.............ummmm....... Just ignore it for now.

[cichlidfan]

The ATC is a bit.............ummmm....... Just ignore it for now.

 

^^^ This.

[Pizzicato]

There was an observation from Wags a while back that improved ATC is on their To Do list, but who knows when/if it'll come to fruition?

[boquinauer]

They also give you the wind direction and its velocity in meters per second.

The initial altitude is something usually ATC gives you to clear you from other traffics. But I'm afraid that in DCS it's an standard value that is always the same.

[Phantom453]

Yes, an improved ATC was in development back in about 1.2.4 I think it was, but has been on the back burner since then due to other priorities and staff changes as I recall.

[Ktulu2]

It gives you wind also (or is it when you lans?)

[TonyZ]

QFE refer to the current air pressure at the field and is used to set the barometric altimeter knob so your altimeter reads the correct altitude at the time of takeoff and landing, Since air pressure changes with time and temperature and weather you get a current update at takeoff time. The other numbers refer to wind speed and direction at that time

[SnowTiger]

QFE is the Elevation above sea level of the Runway.

In the case of DCS's ATC etc ... ... it should make the Barometric Elevation and Radar Elevation EQUAL (=) the same thing.

Then in the case of an Emergency and when there may or may not be ILS or night flying or extremely poor visibility at the time of landing ... or whatever the critical case may be, either Altimeter can be used with confidence when landing back at the same airfield.

In the case of Military Aircraft ... I would suggest that they usually return to land at the same place they took off.

 

Of course, the above is 98% speculation on my part.

But the QFE part is 100% accurate. !!!

[_RAAF_Smouch]

This may help:

 

 

~S~

Smouch

 

[b00ce]

A proper ATIS would be pretty sweet.

[WildBillKelsoe]

altimeter setting in millibars (hPa) for that airfield. You dial that into your altimeter knob and confirm altimeter source is set to BARO not DELTA or RADAR on your AHCP panel under laser TGP switch.

[SnowTiger]

Here are a couple other very useful related links regarding QFE, QFF, QNH and QNE.

 

This is a good read >>

Wiki

 

The next 2 have several pretty pictures >>

Altimetry (Metric, QFE/QNH, and Other Variations)

and

http://code7700.com/transition_altitude_level.html

 

Coincidentally ... here's why it all matters >>

Altimeters, accidents and air traffic controllers

[Ovenmit]

They should just copy and paste the ATC from Falcon4(BMS) :)

[AceRevo]

btw 300 means 30.000ft

Im guessin the sky is cleared so that you can keep climbing up to this alt without hitting trafic..? Dont think it means that you have to climb to 30.000ft.

 

QFE is to adjust your altimeter so that it reads 0 when grounded on your airfield (its measured from airpreassure, as ''default'' 0 is sea level).

Mostly used for landing, it (usually) wont change if youre going to land on this same airfield. Then again, irl it will change depending on weather etc.

 

Also, when you are cleared to taxi, tower will tell you which part of the runway to taxi to, if you got a runway pointing 01 and 19, you simply add a 0 so that you get 010 and 190 which again can be read by degrees on your HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator). If tower ask you to taxi to 01, you taxi to the part of the runway that has 01 written on it with large numbers (Now you should have 1, close to N, pointing 12 o'clock on your HSI). Im adding this tho Im sure that most of you allready know this, becouse when Im online, I see too many people taxiing to the wrong end which have often resulted in a weird head on :)

 

 

Edit: This is just how I understand it from watching youtube videos, reading etc etc.. Please correct me if Im wrong!

Edited November 3, 2014 by AceRevo

[Fakum]

For the most part, I only use ATC transmissions to notify others in the area that Im taxiing to runway, and specifically which one, or taking off. Same goes for inbound. I have seen too many other players taking off or landing at random without contacting tower and causing significant problems by doing so.

[jcbak]

I would love to see something similar to VATSIM (FSX) employed wherein human controllers are at work monitoring multiple airfields. The more realistic, the better. I agree with FAKUM....I use ATC to alert other players of my intentions. I know there are many players that turn ATC off. I just turn the volume down on the radio so I'm not bothered by the annoying quirks of ATC in its current state.

[Berndt Mangler]

Don't ignore it, The QFE at take off may not be used in the sim so much as the Airfield Diagrams don't show operating procedures. If you have diagrams with Procedures you'll use them. But they are used in RL to help stay in the lane during a departures. Arrivals use it not just to keep from slamming the dirt, but also to stay in the correct path maintaining deconfliction.

 

When passing above above 10,000 feet set the ALT to 29.92. I only change it from 29.92 when I'm landing. We only get the airfield QFE at Initial report of Intent to land to ATC. If you forget it you'd have to abort the land and re-issue.

 

I've gotten where I don't need to scratch it down. Don't adjust that altimeter while in AutoPilot, could change your mood.

[Art-J]

^ Actually AceRevo is right on that part and either it's You who's "wrong with what QFE means" or You intended to say QNH (but then the first paragraph of Your reply wouldn't make much sense). It's all neatly described in the last link posted on previous page (post #17).

[X93355]

QFE is field elevation - if your set your altimeter so it reads zero whilst on the ground then you have QFE

 

QNH is set for mean seal level so if you adjust your altimeter for the pressure of the day then you should have your height above sea level.

 

Pressure is constantly changing so ATC will advise when it does.

 

Above a certain altitude (different countries have different heights) you set your QNH to the International Standard at 1013

 

Would be great to have improved ATC thats for sure. ATIS and holding points, circuit rejoins, landing permissions etc. Imagine "Falcon 69, you are number 3 in the circuit, continue for runway 27L" :)

[effte]

Altimeter settings are used to compensate for the variations in atmospheric pressure. The atmospheric pressure (obviously) varies both over time and with location.

 

Set QFE, and the altimeter will give you your altitude above the reference point used. If you are on an approach, you'll be given the QFE for the threshold of your destination runway, otherwise for the aerodrome reference point.

 

QFE is easy to manage without reference to charts (for field/threshold elevation) and can be set independently for any location you happen to be parked at. The drawback is that you cannot separate QFE traffic by altitude if they're from different fields, and that you will not know your margin to obstacles or the ground off the airport, as the elevations in the maps are given relative to mean sea level. It has seen use in many air forces, is still used in some places, and is still popular among glider pilots. It is less common now than it was only a couple of years ago though - the trend is to switch to QNH for greater interoperability.

 

Set QNH, and the altimeter will give you your altitude above mean sea level, AMSL, at the reference point/field. If it is cold, the altimeter will overread so you need to apply a correction to all minimum altitudes. This is not something you typically need to be concerned with in DCS, as your virtual alter ego is quite happy to accept the increased risk of the reduced safety margins.

 

In the military arena, a force QNH is sometimes (often) used, to ensure a common reference among participating aircraft without going to standard pressure settings and losing a readily available ground referenced altitude.

 

Finally, there's standard pressure - QNE (not officially defined in ICAO Doc 8400) - which gives you your uncorrected pressure altitude, independent of any geographical location. This is nice when separating traffic by altitude.

 

And I think some clarifications are called for, to avoid confusion. I hope they can be accepted without causing offence.

 

QFE is field elevation

QFE is the Elevation above sea level of the Runway.

 

No.

 

QFE refer to the current air pressure at the field and is used to set the barometric altimeter knob

 

Yes.

 

QFE - Atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold)

 

Also

QNH - Altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground

 

- if your set your altimeter so it reads zero whilst on the ground then you have QFE

 

Yes, even though you technically have to be at the (elevation of the) reference point for it to be absolutely true.

 

In the case of DCS's ATC etc ... ... it should make the Barometric Elevation and Radar Elevation EQUAL (=) the same thing.

 

If you are above a surface which is at MSL, and under standard atmosphere conditions.

 

Then in the case of an Emergency and when there may or may not be ILS or night flying or extremely poor visibility at the time of landing ... or whatever the critical case may be, either Altimeter can be used with confidence when landing back at the same airfield.

 

No, you use the barometric altimeter for altitudes and the radio/radar alt for heights. In addition to the reason given above, they're part of the procedure, indicated differently in the plates and cannot be exchanged at will.

 

Of course, the above is 98% speculation on my part.

 

Yes. :)

 

But the QFE part is 100% accurate. !!!

 

No.

[BitMaster]

As far as I remember, the crash with 3 jet airplanes from the italian Frecce Tricolori Team at USAF Base in Ramstein in the 80's was caused by a mistuned Altimeter of one of the Jets.