Not sure if this is a problem but can't set the altimeter below 28.10

[FoxTwo]

Nellis AFB is 28.01 mmHg but the F-14's altimeter stops at 28.10. This is probably accurate but I just wanted to confirm.

[sLYFa]

You wouldn't use airfield pressure (i.e QFE) in Nellis, the russians use QFE. Use QNH in Nellis, which rarely goes below 28inHg

[Strikeeagle345]

Like stated above, use QNH, its is in the Weather section of the briefing when spawned in.

[RustBelt]

But know where it's not? In the clearance by the Tower because I dono, reasons....

[mattag08]

Tower doesn't give you QNH IRL. You're expected to listen to the ATIS and get it for yourself.

[RustBelt]

Tower in DCS does give you wind and QFE.

 

Also I have gotten wind and Altimeter from tower before, usually when the ATIS tape is either being updated or is Tango Uniform.

 

Either way, DCS is pretty far from IRL. Because among other things, what frequency is ATIS in DCS?

[draconus]

Either way, DCS is pretty far from IRL. Because among other things, what frequency is ATIS in DCS?

 

There is none until you make one in ME.

[Chaogen]

I've flown mostly out of uncontrolled fields and just usually set my altimeter to airfield altitude to get QNH. You have the charts in your kneeboard. Sure its a little harder when you don't originate from the field, however you're going to be using QNE above the transition layer (usually 1500 ft AGL) anyway. And when you come back down (in the Tomcat at least) the radar Altimeter can either get you in the pattern and back on the ground or help you reset your QNH with a visual fix and some math.

[sLYFa]

transition layer (usually 1500 ft AGL)

18000ft MSL in the US

[Chaogen]

18000ft MSL in the US

 

Yes you are correct. But its also one of the only places where it's that high. The wonderful thing about standards are there's so many to choose from and so wouldn't apply to Caucasus or Dubai/Iran if you want to get technical..

 

But doesn't matter. In [DCS] practice though I doubt the weather setting allows different weather zones to the point that if you take off from Nevada, the QNH would be different on the other side of the map. Secondly, I highly doubt people use DCS as a procedural IFR training Sim. That's what MSFS is for if you couldn't afford Certified Sim Hours.

 

Lastly I can't comment on Military procedures as I'm sure there would be a preference to keep all friendly A/C on a synchronized level to ensure things like Angel call-outs are referenced correctly. I guess it would be helpful to know where OP was going with this.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Chaogen

[Hamilton]

On 1/14/2020 at 5:30 PM, Strikeeagle345 said:

Like stated above, use QNH, its is in the Weather section of the briefing when spawned in.

Hello,

No, it´s not. This is a default Instant Mission in Nellis.

Check the pic.

[FoxTwo]

I've made that mistake as well, it's in the actual text briefing section.

[Hamilton]

40 minutes ago, FoxTwo said:

I've made that mistake as well, it's in the actual text briefing section.

Thanks FoxTwo, I saw it now.

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Hamilton

[Baz000]

Did you ever wonder why on a lot of control towers and various other places they have signs that say? "field elevation blah blah blah" usually big and in red color. US pilots set altimeter to field elevation(QNH), not zero(QFE) and to transition altitude at 18,000 ft which coincidentally is also when you get into class A airspace from G and need to start flying IFR from VFR too...

I get frustrated with my friends across the pond on this too in DCS when flying out of Nellis, just set the darn thing to what gets you field elevation on the ground (1,860 ft MSL) and then don't touch it unless we fly above 18,000 ft MSL, and remember what we had it set to so we can change it back to before transition so we have the darn field elevation again.

[Vakarian]

Because why would you want the altimeter to read 0 when you are on the ground, when it can show something else. That just makes perfect sense /s

[Naquaii]

On 1/14/2020 at 4:54 PM, FoxTwo said:

Nellis AFB is 28.01 mmHg but the F-14's altimeter stops at 28.10. This is probably accurate but I just wanted to confirm.

It’s correct that that was the limit IRL.

[Baz000]

1 hour ago, Vakarian said:

Because why would you want the altimeter to read 0 when you are on the ground, when it can show something else. That just makes perfect sense /s

Because the way it works for US pilots is field elevation not at what in. HG. is the ground.... And all of the aeronautical charts and various approach plates etc all use barometric altitude to convey things like elevations or radio towers, etc, etc...

It isn't a problem unless someone wants to do their own thing (say setting it so the ground says zero) generally speaking everybody in the air operating around the same airspace are supposed to be on the same page in terms of altimeter settings, that is kind of an important one to get right and be on the same page on everyone else around you with... Very important for deconfliction and following ATC directives for instance.

I get it that people across the pond do it different...

[Snappy]

49 minutes ago, Baz000 said:

Because the way it works for US pilots is field elevation not at what in. HG. is the ground.... And all of the aeronautical charts and various approach plates etc all use barometric altitude to convey things like elevations or radio towers, etc, etc...

It isn't a problem unless someone wants to do their own thing (say setting it so the ground says zero) generally speaking everybody in the air operating around the same airspace are supposed to be on the same page in terms of altimeter settings, that is kind of an important one to get right and be on the same page on everyone else around you with... Very important for deconfliction and following ATC directives for instance.

I get it that people across the pond do it different...

Actually "people across the pond" do it the same way .  Maybe take a look at european IFR charts. Unless you meant the other "pond"...

[Baz000]

I've mainly heard of Brits doing the set altimeter to zero thing when flying from the same field they intend to land back at.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

2 hours ago, Baz000 said:

I've mainly heard of Brits doing the set altimeter to zero thing when flying from the same field they intend to land back at.

For general aviation, yes. But also for military aircraft?

[Nealius]

5 minutes ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

For general aviation, yes. But also for military aircraft?

RAF Hawk pilot on YouTube mentions it is still done in some situations with military aircraft. Don't recall which video he specifically mentions this, though.

[Strikeeagle345]

23 hours ago, Hamilton said:

Thanks FoxTwo, I saw it now.

 

 

Glad you were able to find it.

[Frederf]

On 11/9/2021 at 3:41 PM, Hamilton said:

Thanks FoxTwo, I saw it now.

 

 

Be aware that is QFF, not QNH as labeled. It's the same concept but it's not for any particular airport you may be at. It's for sea level. If you're at some 3000' elevation airport and dial in the QFF (briefing "QNH") as altimeter setting your reading can be drastically different than field elevation, especially if it's much different than 15C SLT. QNH by its nature isn't a universal value. Every places gets a different one even with a uniform atmosphere.

DCS ATC is ancient and based on Russian ops. Russian operations love their QFE and even their altimeters are built special to set super low settings to accommodate this practice. Most NATO planes assume QNH operations and you should do what is normal for the airplane most times regardless of ATC info.

[RustBelt]

23 hours ago, Vakarian said:

Because why would you want the altimeter to read 0 when you are on the ground, when it can show something else. That just makes perfect sense /s

Because the aircraft doesn't care if it's 2 feet or 5,000 feet off the ground, but it does care what "altitude" the air outside is for performance. 

The pilot may care what AGL is, but they can easily figure that out. Especially with radar altimeters and TAWS.