On Fri, 15 Jan 2016 12:29:53 +0000, Mike Bristow
wrote:

["Followup-To:" header set to uk.transport.london.]
In article ,
Recliner wrote:
The Real Doctor wrote:
"Flight level - "A fancy way of telling you how many thousands of feet
you are above sea level. Just add a couple of zeroes. Flight level
three-three zero is 33,000 feet.""

Is that wrong? [Yes, I know it's the barometric altitude, but that's not
something that's normally mentioned.]

The use of FLxxx rather altitude is precisely to avoid having to
work out what your height above sea level is. In other words, by
bringing in "above sea level" they've negated the whole purpose of
Flight levels.

Not for a layman. When pilots announce the altitude in thousands of
feet, it's always based on the flight level, not the true GPS
altitude. The article is trying to explain jargon in a simplified form
for laymen, not provide textbook definitions for pedants.

Also, it's hundreds of feet, not thousands.

That's exactly what the article says when it says you need to add a
couple of zeros.

Also it's not feet everywhere.

But they don't use flight levels, do they? They just quote the
altitude in metres.