Mountain Flying
Density Altitude Explorer
Your airplane doesn't care what the field elevation sign says — it cares how thin the air is. Heat, altitude, and humidity all thin it out, so on a warm day the wing, prop, and engine perform as if the runway were thousands of feet higher. Set the conditions and watch that altitude climb.
The altitude your airplane feels
field elevation pressure altitude density altitude
Humidity
Density altitude
0
ft — what the airplane feels
Pressure alt
0
ft
ISA deviation
0
°C vs standard
Above field
0
ft higher
What it costs you
- Engine power (normally aspirated)100%
- Takeoff / landing distance×1.0
- Rate of climb700 ft/min
- True airspeed (per 100 KIAS)100 kt