Density altitude

Learning objectives

To distinguish Pressure Altitude from Density Altitude.
To teach the importance of density altitude in terms of aircraft performance.
To simulate the effects of variations in external temperature (OAT) on the density of air.

The force of lift, which enables an aircraft to fly, depends directly on the density of the air. Performance levels are always established according to a reference called the standard atmosphere. Flight conditions being rarely standard, one has recourse to the density altitude in order to estimate the standard altitude (ISA) that has the same value as the density of the air you are in.