AIM — FAA OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE

7-3-2 Pre-Flight Planning for Cold Temperature Altimeter Errors

AIM Chapter 7. Safety of Flight — Section 7-3, Cold Temperature Barometric Altimeter Errors, Setting Procedures and Cold Temperature Airports (CTA)

Official text — AIM 7-3-2

AIM — FAA OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE

Flight planning into a CTA may be accomplished prior to flight. Use the predicted coldest temperature for plus or minus 1 hour of the estimated time of arrival and compare against the CTA published temperature. If the predicted temperature is at or below CTA temperature, calculate an altitude correction using TBL 7-3-1. This correction may be used at the CTA if the actual arrival temperature is the same as the temperature used to calculate the altitude correction during preflight planning.

Reproduced from the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (Basic (with Change 3)). The AIM is FAA guidance, not regulation. Verify against the official source before relying on it operationally.

Is this a regulation?

No — this is FAA guidance, not a regulation.

Aeronautical Information Manual. FAA operational guidance and recommended practices. The AIM is not regulatory, although it often explains how to comply with regulations.

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