One topic that sometimes receives scant attention during flight training is the effect of temperature on a pilot’s ability to understand just how much air separates them from the ground. Aircraft altimeters don’t operate normally when subjected to extremely cold temperatures. In cold regions of the globe, failure to compensate for extreme cold can induce significant errors in the indicated altitude, errors that can prove fatal during instrument flight.
FAA Updates Cold Weather Altimetry List
Key Takeaways:
- Extremely cold temperatures cause significant altimeter errors, which can be fatal during instrument flight, a risk often overlooked in pilot training.
- Pilots are solely responsible for applying altitude corrections at FAA-designated "Cold Temp Restricted Airports" (found across various U.S. states, not just Alaska) and for advising Air Traffic Control (ATC) of these corrections.
- The FAA publishes lists of affected airports and specific procedures (e.g., in a Notice to Airman Publication - NTAP) for pilots to correct published altitudes based on recent risk analyses.
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