Why Do Aircraft Measure Altitude in Feet?
In short: How feet became built into the way aircraft height is measured and separated, while international rules treat non-SI units as alternatives to be ended and some airspace still runs partly in metres.
A 1:33 short film in the series “From Fingers to Qubits”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ICAO Store, “Annex 5 - Units of Measurement to be Used in the Air and Ground Services”; International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), hosted by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZL), “Anx.05.Cover.en.(Front).cdr”; National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian Institution), “National Air and Space Museum”; Smithsonian National Museum of American History, “Paulin Aneroid Altimeter”; National Bureau of Standards (U.S. Department of Commerce), technical report NBSIR 77-1386 by Judith F. Gilsinn for the Federal Aviation Administration, February 1978, “Problems in world-wide standardization of the units of altitude measurement”; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual, “Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual”; Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation – Order JO 7110.65BB, Air Traffic Control, “Chapter 4. IFR”; EUROCONTROL, “Celebrating 20 years of Reduced Vertical Separation”; EUROCONTROL (ACAS Programme), ACAS Bulletin II, March 2003, “ACAS Bulletin II”; IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations), briefing leaflet 12ATSBL06, November 2011, “12atsbl06-russian-rvsm-introduction.pdf”; Air Traffic Management Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China (中国民用航空总局空中交通管理局), hosted on caac.gov.cn, “中国民用航空总局空中交通管理局”.
Sources used in this film
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ICAO Store — Annex 5 - Units of Measurement to be Used in the Air and Ground Services · View →
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), hosted by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZL) — Anx.05.Cover.en.(Front).cdr · View →
- National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian Institution) — National Air and Space Museum · View →
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Paulin Aneroid Altimeter · View →
- National Bureau of Standards (U.S. Department of Commerce), technical report NBSIR 77-1386 by Judith F. Gilsinn for the Federal Aviation Administration, February 1978 — Problems in world-wide standardization of the units of altitude measurement · View →
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual — Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual · View →
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation – Order JO 7110.65BB, Air Traffic Control — Chapter 4. IFR · View →
- EUROCONTROL — Celebrating 20 years of Reduced Vertical Separation · View →
- EUROCONTROL (ACAS Programme), ACAS Bulletin II, March 2003 — ACAS Bulletin II · View →
- IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations), briefing leaflet 12ATSBL06, November 2011 — 12atsbl06-russian-rvsm-introduction.pdf · View →
- Air Traffic Management Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China (中国民用航空总局空中交通管理局), hosted on caac.gov.cn — 中国民用航空总局空中交通管理� · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ICAO Store: Annex 5 - Units of Measurement to be Used in the Air and Ground Services
- Also: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), hosted by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZL): Anx.05.Cover.en.(Front).cdr
- Also: National Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian Institution): National Air and Space Museum
- Also: Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Paulin Aneroid Altimeter
- Also: National Bureau of Standards (U.S. Department of Commerce), technical report NBSIR 77-1386 by Judith F. Gilsinn for the : Problems in world-wide standardization of the units of altitude measurement
- Also: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Information Manual
- Also: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation – Order JO 7110.65BB, Air Traffic Control: Chapter 4. IFR
- Also: EUROCONTROL: Celebrating 20 years of Reduced Vertical Separation
- Also: EUROCONTROL (ACAS Programme), ACAS Bulletin II, March 2003: ACAS Bulletin II
- Also: IFALPA (International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations), briefing leaflet 12ATSBL06, November 2011: 12atsbl06-russian-rvsm-introduction.pdf
- Also: Air Traffic Management Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China (中国民用航空总局空中交通管理局), hosted on caac.gov.cn: 中国民用航空总局空中交通管理局
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