I Wanna Fly With 10 Minibars
In “Introducing the GFA” in the June 2016 issue we read “…extending up to 10 minibars, or 85,000 feet.”
Minibars are found in hotel rooms; atmospheric pressure is measured in millibars.
Reader Feedback: November 2016
In the June issue, a reader had a question regarding the TERPZ FIVE departure at BWI. Your response in a lost com scenario was that you should climb to TERPZ at 11,000 then climb to your filed altitude after 10 minutes. I disagree. In the regs, 91.185 offers clear altitude guidance in a lost com situation. It is simply the highest of 3 altitudes-the altitude in your clearance, the altitude you were told to expect, and the highest IFR altitude. No mention is made about waiting for 10 minutes nor about a filed altitude.
Key Takeaways:
- The article addresses and humorously corrects an editorial error confusing "minibars" with "millibars" in the context of atmospheric pressure.
- Pilots flying IFR approaches requiring radar for fix identification, and lacking equipment like DME or GPS, must rely on ATC to call out those fixes.
- There is a nuanced discussion on lost communication procedures, clarifying how "expected" altitudes tied to future events or times should be interpreted, citing AIM guidance.
- Cell phones are not a reliable or feasible alternative for airborne GPS navigation due to their signals being designed for ground-level coverage, not altitude.
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