How aircraft’s altitude is known during flight?

August 31, 2020

When passengers fastens their seat belts inside the aircraft in preparation for take off, most travelers wonder about the level of the plane's altitude while flying in the sky via a trip that travels thousands of miles to reach its intended destination. Inside the plane and the passenger is busy enjoying the inflight entertainment, and while the plane is then at an altitude of up to thousands of meters, and the pilot is inside the cockpit, directing it safely and securely. The pilot is now using devices that measure the altitude of his plane in which he flies across oceans and continents.

The concept of altitude that we know in our public life differs from the concept of altitude used in aviation, as aircrafts have three types of altitudes. The first of which is known as flight altitude, which is usually used during normal flight in the air over long distances for the purpose of adhering to the levels of air corridors specified by domestic and international air traffic, during which the height of the aircraft is relative to the international standard pressure reference (1013.2) millibars.

The second heights of the aircraft is the height above the ground and its uses are limited today. The concept of height above the ground represents the height of the aircraft relative to a specific point on the ground (for example, relative to the airport from which the plane took off or relative to the airport in which it will land). The third of these heights is the user for altitude readings of aircraft during take off and landing from airports, is the height above sea level, which forms the altitude of the aircraft relative to sea level, and the pilot changes the altitude meter settings when passing a certain altitude called a "transition level" during the phase of a gradual landing or "transition altitude", while on the climbing stages.

It is worth noting, that the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) obliges all commercial aviation companies operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to train their pilots continuously and accurately to enable the company to operate safely in line with the standards and laws of civil aviation in force in the Kingdom. GACA is keen to continue developing safe airspace in accordance with the most accurate aviation safety standards, and apply regulations and procedures guaranteeing the safety of air transport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.