Why a mix of metric and aviation standards in Flight?

[dburne 2]

This will all be sorted out when the rest of the world stops being contrary and adopts US measurements...

 

I remember quite well, when I was in my early teens and in middle school - the teachers telling us metric will be used all around the world by the time we were working adults, the imperial system would be phased out in the states.

Well, that was some 40 odd years ago, and nothing has changed.

[RichLP 32]

I remember quite well, when I was in my early teens and in middle school - the teachers telling us metric will be used all around the world by the time we were working adults, the imperial system would be phased out in the states.

Well, that was some 40 odd years ago, and nothing has changed.

 

Right there with ya, Don... I even remember the speed limit signs showing both MPH and KPH for a few years...

[Great Ozzie 101]

Why not learn both! Why not learn imperial and metric systems of measurement.

 

Three words: Mars Climate Orbiter.

 

Truth is you do have to learn both to a varying degree. Plus as Luis mentioned, older aircraft many times will have Airspeed Indicators in mph.

 

And then you have METAR visibility and required visibilities in Statute Miles...

 

A couple months ago during a practice session for RTRW, I gave my mate the fuel load he would need for a flight we were doing in the B747. About half way thru he starts saying something about he's going to have to land short of the destination because no way he has enough fuel. :shok: I do the "what the heck you mean you don't have enough fuel." After a bit of discussion we realized I had given him the fuel load in Kgs instead of Lbs. Really funny imo as me being from U.S. and him being from UK (I thought sure he was using metric - I had been using Kgs because I thought BA did the same).

 

Then you download something like a Ka-50 and see not only are things in Russian (k, I can accept that) but then seeing everything in metric... at which point you say the heck with all this conversion stuff and throw in a custom panel of your own.

[RoboRay 126]

I measure my altitude in rods and my fuel quantity in hogsheads. And that's the way I likes it!

[RichLP 32]

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiight...

 

 

 

...what's a cubit?"

[Roger Mazengarb 0]

This will all be sorted out when the rest of the world stops being contrary and adopts US measurements...

 

 

wow.................. :Hypnotized: :Hypnotized:

[EastCoastGuy 0]

wow.................. :Hypnotized: :Hypnotized:

 

I assume (hope?) it was meant in jest.

[RichLP 32]

Clearly (I thought)... it's a joke...

[Roger Mazengarb 0]

Three words: Mars Climate Orbiter.

 

Truth is you do have to learn both to a varying degree. Plus as Luis mentioned, older aircraft many times will have Airspeed Indicators in mph.

 

And then you have METAR visibility and required visibilities in Statute Miles...

 

 

I agree that you should know the various systems of measurement BUT also when and where to use what system. All systems are equally valid and until a truely unified system is adopted then we all (pilot or maintenance) should be comfortable with the various units.

In Australia for example

Qantas purchase fuel from oil companies bowsers by the litre.

The uploaded fuel volume is converted to mass (kg.) Fuel temp (Celcius) must be known for the conversion. You don't have to any conversion. There are pages and pages of conversions charts already done.

The Boeing fuel quantity indicating system is a capacitance sytem that measures mass (Kg). This type of system is far superior to a float variable resistance sytem that measures volume. Volume changes with temperature whereas mass is a constant and mass also indictes the amount of heat energy contained in a fuel which allows an accurate time/distance calculation.

 

Uploading fuel by volume can be a minefield. The US. gallon and Imp. gallon are totally different units which aslo translates down to quarts and pints. And then we have litres. Depending on the country of origin as to whether US, Imperial or SI units are used.

Aviation regulating bodies demand the capacity of a tank is displayed at/near the filler cap.

The dipstick on the cap of the Pratt and Whitney JT-3D is graduated not in the capacity of the tank but in the number of US quarts required to fill the tank. ... ie how empty the tanK is not how full the tank is.

Your NASA referenc and B747 fuel upload error are examples of human error and illustrates the need for a universal system.

Until a universal system is agreed AND implemented by ALL, it is imperitive, for the safety of aircraft operations, that we have a good fundamental understanding of all systems in use.

 

I assume (hope?) it was meant in jest.

 

I hope so too .... an emotive icon would have helped

 

Clearly (I thought)... it's a joke...

 

 

Yep its obvious to me now, from the following posts....... :friends:

[RoboRay 126]

The intellectual minority of us Americans make as much (if not more) fun of our stubborn clinging to an incomprehensible and antiquated measuring system as the rest of the world does.

 

I believe the decision finally came down to "We got this crap from the Brits. We will go metric when they stop serving beer by the pint."

[quadraspleen 7]

Only workaround now is to change Windows Language and Locale settings to US-English.

 

Not true. My system is set to UK English and I have set only units to the US system, like so:

[Mickel 42]

Thanks Jake. I've just done that - I use this PC for flight sims (mostly) anyway, so it's not going to upset anyone else!

 

I think we've been getting robbed on the cargo weights - I'm sure it's not been converted the kgs back to pounds for the various awards.... :Waiting:

 

Mike

[EastCoastGuy 0]

The intellectual minority of us Americans make as much (if not more) fun of our stubborn clinging to an incomprehensible and antiquated measuring system as the rest of the world does.

 

I believe the decision finally came down to "We got this crap from the Brits. We will go metric when they stop serving beer by the pint."

 

That will be a certain sign that the end times are upon us! :lol:

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

When the French, not the Brits :LMAO: , invented the metric system, everybody complained and nobody used it. :LMAO: Believe it or not! It took a long, long time before it was completely adapted.

 

And it is the same in all other countries that "supposedly" use the metric, or International System (SI), measurements. You can still get pints in Britain, and where I live we still use inches and feet (but measure highway speeds in km/h!). I suspect that there are few countries using the metric system exclusively. And the U.S. is well on the way to doing so, but it will probably take as long as it did everywhere else. Although most of us will probably no longer be here when that happens.

 

Best regards.

Luis

[RoboRay 126]

When the French, not the Brits :LMAO: , invented the metric system,

 

Yes, by "this crap" I meant the "incomprehensible, antiquated" system they sent over to the Colonies. :Peace:

 

Come to think of it, we had to fix their screwy spelling, too. :Waiting: