Why do pilots announce altitude?

Many passengers expect it and it comforts them to know there is a human in the front of the plane and that they care. It also gives the sensation of progress in a seemingly non-moving environment in the cabin. Also, some landmarks are interesting and worth pointing out. It's a social comfort thing.



People Also Ask

“What is the purpose of the altimeter reading given to pilots by ATC?” That is the local barometric reading, so the pilots can adjust their altimeter to the same reading to show the correct and accurate altitude for the area at that time. That's very important for landing.

MORE DETAILS

Commonly known as the sterile cockpit rule, these regulations specifically prohibit crew member performance of non-essential duties or activities while the aircraft is involved in taxi, takeoff, landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet MSL, except cruise flight.

MORE DETAILS

Flight levels are used to ensure safe vertical separation between aircraft, despite natural local variations in atmospheric air pressure. Historically, altitude has been measured using a pressure altimeter, which is essentially a calibrated barometer.

MORE DETAILS

During the dispatch phase of the flight, the pilots are provided data on forecast winds and temperature for normal cruise levels of the aircraft. The pilots can then input these data into the FMS and then once in the air the FMS calculates the most optimum altitude based on the input data.

MORE DETAILS

The phrase five by five can be used informally to mean good signal strength or loud and clear. An early example of this phrase was in 1946, recounting a wartime conversation.

MORE DETAILS

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established a special certification called a restricted privileges ATP certificate which allows pilots who have less than 1,500 hours of flight time or who are below the minimum age of 23 to serve as co-pilots until they have amassed the required number of hours.

MORE DETAILS

It's probably embarrassing to admit it, but if you're like most other pilots, the answer is “Yes.” According to Chaytor Mason, a retired professor of aviation psychology at the University of Southern California, the rate of acrophobia is upwards of 90% in some of the pilot groups he's encountered.

MORE DETAILS

The most common cause of gear-up landings is the pilot simply forgetting to extend the landing gear before touchdown. On any retractable gear aircraft, lowering the landing gear is part of the pilot's landing checklist, which also includes items such as setting the flaps, propeller and mixture controls for landing.

MORE DETAILS

You reset your altimeter to match local, nonstandard station pressure readings, using the Kollsman window on your altimeter. This is usually done every 100NM for aircraft flying below FL180.

MORE DETAILS

Sitting on the left side of the cockpit, the PIC has a better view of the runway during traffic patterns to the left. The left-turning tendencies caused by P-factor, a symmetrical thrust, spiraling slipstream, and torque make it easier for the airplane to turn to the left rather than the right.

MORE DETAILS

The number of “souls” on an aircraft refers to the total living bodies on the plane: every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member, according to Lord-Jones. Pilots often report the number of “souls” when declaring an emergency, she says, so rescuers know the amount of people to search for.

MORE DETAILS

While pilots can't actually see turbulence, they often know what is coming up, thanks to reports from other planes, weather reports, and radar equipment. However, clear air turbulence (severe turbulence occurring in cloudless areas) can sometimes catch pilots off guard.

MORE DETAILS

start out about $100,000 a year. The top in typical around 4 or $500,000 a year. Now, for the select few. major airline pilots that make almost 7 figures a year.

MORE DETAILS

In aviation medicine, the 1% rule is a risk threshold that is applied to the medical fitness of pilots. The 1% rule states that a 1% per annum risk (See also risk management) of medical incapacitation is the threshold between acceptable and unacceptable.

MORE DETAILS

Why do they say eject 3 times? The common practice was for the pilot to say eject, eject, eject. The first time was to get my attention, the second was to confirm the order and get me ready to eject, and the third to pull the handle.

MORE DETAILS

Pilots with a fear of heights aren't uncommon and in fact, the majority of people who are afraid of heights aren't affected by flying in an aircraft. There is a strong feeling of security when you close the door, and you should feel very comfortable in the hands of an experienced instructor.

MORE DETAILS

Because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere and not merely a two-dimensional flat, East-West surface. Because of this spherical shape, often times the shortest distance is flying more north and south, up over the Northern latitudes and the North Pole, rather than flying east/west over the Pacific.

MORE DETAILS