Pressure Altitude Calculator

What is Pressure Altitude?

Pressure altitude is the altitude in the atmosphere that corresponds to a given pressure. It is calculated by adjusting the actual altitude to account for changes in atmospheric pressure. Pressure altitude is important for aviation because it affects aircraft performance and is used in flight planning.

How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter the Field Altitude in feet. This is your current altitude above mean sea level.
2. Enter the Temperature in degrees Celsius. This is the current air temperature.
3. Click the Calculate button to compute the pressure altitude.
4. The pressure altitude will be displayed in the result field.

Working Principle

The calculator uses the following formula to calculate pressure altitude:

Pressure Altitude = Field Altitude + (Temperature - 15) × 120

This formula assumes a standard atmosphere where the temperature decreases by 2°C per 1000 feet of altitude up to 11,000 feet, after which it remains constant. The 120 factor accounts for the rate of pressure altitude change per degree Celsius of deviation from 15°C.

Example

If you are at an altitude of 3000 feet with a temperature of 10°C, the pressure altitude would be:

Pressure Altitude = 3000 + (10 - 15) × 120 = 3000 - 600 = 2400 feet