Indicated altitude

• A. Altitude read directly from the altimeter
• B. Altitude corrected for temperature effects
• C. Height above the surface
• D. Height above mean sea level

Answer: (A)

Indicated altitude is the number the altimeter displays when its setting is the current local pressure (the local QNH). The instrument translates ambient atmospheric pressure into a height reading, so what you see on the dial is the altitude directly read from the altimeter. Temperature, terrain, or other factors don’t change the reading itself—the readings change when you adjust the setting, and corrections for nonstandard temperature or pressure are used to estimate true or density altitude, not what the instrument shows by itself. This is why the best choice is the altitude read directly from the altimeter.