Description

Aircraft pressure altimeters indicate the elevation of the aircraft above a defined datum. The
datum selected depends on the barometric pressure set on the altimeter sub-scale. Sound
altimeter setting procedures are an essential tool in ensuring safe separation from the ground
and from other aircraft.

The SI unit of measurement for barometric pressure is the hectopascal (hPa) and this is
adopted in respect of altimeter pressure settings in ICAO Annex 5. Variations from the
standard shown in the Supplement to ICAO Annex 5 include:

Millibar (mb), (1mb = 1 hPa);

Inches of mercury (inHg) (in particular North America);
Millimetres of mercury (CIS and some other south-east European States).

Three references for barometric pressure are in common usage: QNH, QFE and Standard
Pressure.

QNH - What should I set on the subscale of my altimeter so that the instrument would
indicate its elevation if my aircraft were on the ground at your station?

Airfield QNH is obtained by correcting a measured QFE to sea level using ISA regardless of
the temperature structure of the atmosphere. As your altimeter is calibrated using ISA, it will
indicate altitude correctly at the airfield reference point. At other altitudes, the indicated
altitude is likely to be in error, depending on the temperature of the atmosphere.

Figure 1. QNH

QFE - What should I set on the subscale of my altimeter so that the instrument would
indicate its height above the reference elevation being used?
In the PANS-OPS Doc 8400, see Q-Codes, QFE is referred to as Atmospheric pressure at
aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold)

QFE is the isobaric surface pressure at the airfield reference point. Therefore, with QFE set in
the subscale, your altimeter will read zero at the airfield reference point or the touch-down
zone of the runway in use (See Figure 2). At other altitudes the altimeter will give an
indication of the height above that reference point.

Figure 2. QFE

QNE - What indication will my altimeter give on landing at (place) at (time), my sub-scale
being set to 1013hPa?

QNE is different to the other altimetry Q codes in that it is an altitude not a pressure
(although it is commonly incorrectly described as such). With Standard Pressure (1013.2
mb) set, an aircraft altimeter indicates Pressure Altitude (Flight Level), and is used by all
aircraft operating above the transition altitude to provide a common datum for vertical
measurement. The Standard Pressure is equivalent to the air pressure at mean sea level
(MSL) in the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA).

Effects of Temperature on Altimeter Readings

Pressure to height conversions in altimetry are based on ISA. Independent of temperature, the
conversion is 27 ft/hPa in the lower atmosphere (near ground), or 27 ft between each hPa of
isobaric surfaces. In non-ISA conditions, altimeter readout may be significantly different than
the true altitude of said altimeter. Since cold air is denser than warm air, isobaric surfaces are
vertically more constrained towards the ground. Whilst the altimeter measures 27 ft/hPa, true
altitude will use a lower ratio, and the altimeter overestimates altitude in colder-than-ISA air.
In warm air, however, due to the increased separation between isobaric surfaces greater than
27 ft/hPa, the altimeter will underestimate the altitude.
It is for flight in colder-than-ISA that particular attention must be paid to true altitude. The
altimeter readout, being an underestimate of the actual altitude, may lead crews to think they
are higher than they actually are, and can lead to serious incidents if not accidents. Since all
altimeters are based on ISA, notwithstanding instrument error, altitude readouts between
aircraft will be similar. Therefore with the notable exceptions of flight in mountainous terrain
or at low altitudes near the ground, aircraft will fly consistent altitudes regardless of taking
into account true altitude.

See also the article Altimeter Temperature Error Correction

Definitions
QNH. The altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground.
QFE. The atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold).

(ICAO, e.g. Doc 4444: PANS-ATM and Doc 8168: PANS-OPS)