Why is altitude (in regards to aircraft) still measured in feet, rather than metres?
Standardisation and inertia. The whole world basically agreed to the same sets of rules and measures and even language for flying. There's no real need to go to the expense and hassle of changing it.
The Short Answer
Standardisation and inertia. The whole world basically agreed to the same sets of rules and measures and even language for flying. There's no real need to go to the expense and hassle of changing it. And no, there's no real benefit to measuring altitude in metres instead of feet. The benefit of the metric system is that the whole system is aligned. There's nothing special about a metre that makes it better than a foot. Kilofeet, centifeet etc. would work just as well if they'd been designed that way from scratch.
Analysis
Key Concepts: There's, whole, real
This explanation focuses on there's, whole, real and spans 91 words across 8 sentences. At 34% above the average General Knowledge explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Standardisation and inertia.” It then elaboratesultimately building toward a complete picture across 8 connected points.
How This Compares in General Knowledge
Ranked #136 of 500 General Knowledge questions by answer depth (top 28%). This falls in the detailed tier — above average depth. The explanation goes beyond surface-level but keeps things accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why altitude (in regards to aircraft) still measured in feet, rather than metres?
Standardisation and inertia. The whole world basically agreed to the same sets of rules and measures and even language for flying. There's no real need to go to the expense and hassle of changing it. And no, there's no real benefit to measuring…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar General Knowledge questions?
This is an above-average answer at 91 words, ranked #136 of 500 General Knowledge questions by depth. The key concepts covered are there's, whole, real.
What approach does this answer take to explain altitude (in regards to aircraft) still measured in feet, ra?
The explanation uses direct explanation across 91 words. It is categorized under General Knowledge and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.