Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

2 Answers

Density altitude conversion graphs

Asked by: 1315 views ,
Weather

I have looked at different density altitude conversion charts and even the FAA one but noticed something that I don't understand.  If standard temperature is 15C at sea level, why does the "standard temperature" line on the graphs do not end at 15C on the x-axis?  Some end at around 16C and some I saw fall a little farther than 16C.

 

 

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

2 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jun 02, 2022

    I’d need you to point to a graph to know what you are talking about.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Jeff Baum on Jun 02, 2022

    Well, the first one I looked at was one from the “Roswell Flight Test Crew”, so maybe it has to do with aliens mucking around with our atmospherics?

    Actually, looking at the FAAST Density Altitude Graph, the “Standard Temperature” reference line does begin at 16°C. But it intersects with the Sea Level Pressure Altitude line at 15°C which is ISA for Sea Level. So does the one referenced by AOPA, Flying Magazine and FAATest just to name a few.

    Yes, there are some that show the Sea Level Pressure line intersecting the Standard Temperature line above 15°C. It’s probably just poor attention to detail when whomever created their own graph. One example of a graph showing Seal Level Pressure Altitude intersecting with the Standard Temperature line at about 16° (or more) is on Quora.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.