What is QFE?

• A. The altimeter setting that yields altitude above mean sea level.
• B. The altimeter setting that yields height above the local airfield.
• C. The standard pressure setting of 29.92 inHg.
• D. The altimeter setting that yields height above sea level.

Answer: (B)

QFE is the altimeter setting that yields height above the local airfield. When you set the altimeter to the airfield’s pressure, the reading becomes zero on the field itself, and as you climb, the indicated altitude represents how high you are above that field’s elevation. This is different from QNH, which gives altitude above mean sea level, and from the standard setting (29.92 inHg / 1013 hPa), which is used to read flight levels independent of local pressure. So the description “height above the local airfield” best captures what QFE represents.