Calculate how thin the air is based on pressure and temperature.
Environmental Parameters
ft
°C
Calculation Results
Enter altitude and temperature
About this calculator
Quick Reference
DADensity Altitude
PAPressure Altitude
OATOutside Air Temp
ISA15 - (0.00198 · PA/1000)
Overview
Density Altitude is the pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature. It is a critical value for pilots because it represents the altitude the aircraft 'feels' like it's flying at, significantly affecting engine and wing performance.
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Pro Tips
High, Hot, and Humid conditions result in high density altitude, which degrades aircraft performance.
Pressure altitude can be found by setting your altimeter to 29.92 inHg (1013 hPa).
As a rule of thumb, every 1°C increase over standard temperature adds about 120 feet to density altitude.
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Fun Facts
"On a very hot day, a runway at 2,000 ft elevation might have a density altitude of 5,000 ft, making it difficult for some planes to take off."
"Density altitude affects not just planes, but also the performance of naturally aspirated car engines."
