1. SAT — Static air temperature (sometimes called true air temperature) is the temperature of undisturbed air; that is, the temperature you would read if you could suspend a thermometer out in the air without having the effects (temperature rise) of an airplane moving through the air nearby. In jets, SAT (aka OAT) is determined by applying the appropriate correction factor to the total air temperature (TAT), or ram air temperature (RAT), probe data. Most large jet aircraft have this function incorporated into the air-data computer. SAT is the actual air temperature, also referred to as true outside temperature or ambient temperature.
Air Temperature Explained
Key Takeaways:
- Static Air Temperature (SAT) or Outside Air Temperature (OAT) represents the true, undisturbed ambient air temperature.
- Total Air Temperature (TAT) or Ram Air Temperature (RAT) is the temperature an aircraft experiences, which is higher than SAT/OAT due to "ram rise" caused by high-speed air compression and friction.
- TAT/RAT is critical for flight operations, guiding decisions on anti-ice system activation and assessing the risk of ice formation on the airframe or fuel freezing, as it reflects the temperature the aircraft's surfaces actually feel.
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