I wish they wouldn't use the metric system - Mayday (2003) Discussion

[–] sartr-1 10 years ago

The Gimli Glider episode was about a plane that ran out of fuel because one of the ground crew failed to convert kilograms to pounds. So that proves metric is evil and deadly.

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[–] InglouriousSister 10 years ago

That's why every country should just embrace the evil. Come over to the dark side, we have a logical system!

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[–] sartr-1 10 years ago

Well, switching to metric wouldn't do me any good in a country where everything is measured according to the, um, Holy Roman System, or whatever it's called.

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[–] InglouriousSister 10 years ago

I thought it was called the British Imperial system? Of course this is just assuming you're North American, the Holy Roman System probably Is used somewhere.

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[–] sartr-1 10 years ago

Metric Shmetric. You see? You can't say that about, um, the system I use, whatever it's called.

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[–] Northerner335 10 years ago

I'm guessing that because this is a Canadian show, they are required to state everything in metric. We have all kinds of regulations on shows made in Canada.

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[–] InglouriousSister 10 years ago

I guess everything should also be in metrics cause international air travel is better if somewhat uniform. All the world using imperials just because the North Americans are stuck on those is like saying the de facto aviation language should be Swedish.

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[–] essex9999 10 years ago

And while we're at it, the British should go back to pounds, shillings and pence. And guineas. Can't forget the guineas. Air travel should be priced in guineas. It would draw a better class of passenger, I think.

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[–] hovercraftfullofeels 7 years ago

Haha, very good :)

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[–] Kent_Kainer 10 years ago

Obviously you don't matter :P

Even the American military counts in klicks (=km) and not miles. Science uses the metric system too. I mean come on... who measures in feet? Sounds so ancient. Like weighting in stones. Paying with shells...
Wearing purple is only for royals!

Celsius is a very easy system.
0°C = the freezing point. Everything below 0 is minus (-10°C) = cold, colder, fking cold ^^
100°C is the water boiling point.
1 liter of water = 1 kilogram... so even converting between different measurements is easy.

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Peter Bishop: I lost a universe!

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[–] essex9999 10 years ago

But, aside from the jokes in this thread, doesn't aviation use miles, knots and pounds? I mean, don't they use those measures everywhere, not just in the US, just as English is the standard language of air traffic communication?

If so, it does seem a bit silly considering that almost the entire rest of the world is metric, but if that is what officially is used, I think Air Emergencies/all the other names of this program should use them.

And I think it might be this show where I've heard them refer to "liters" of fuel, when I thought aircraft fuel was always measured in weight - pounds (or kilograms, if the metric really is used in some places), not gallons or liters.

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[–] nomad472002 9 years ago

Jet fuel is measured in pounds, av/gas in U.S. gallons in the U.S., litres elsewhere. Speed is measured in knots, altitude in feet above mean sea level to 17,999 feet, flight levels above FL 180.

Nomad

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[–] Graggoz 8 years ago

Knots are neither an imperial unit nor a metric unit. An hour travelling at one knot represent travelling one minute of latitude (hence the 1852m).

The only imperial unit that is standardized in aviation is the altitude (feet).

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[–] LeParas-1 7 years ago

Knots are neither an imperial unit nor a metric unit. An hour travelling at one knot represent travelling one minute of latitude (hence the 1852m).

Knots is originally a Naval unit of speed, 1 knot is exactly one nautical mile per hour which equals 1.852 kmph or 1.51 mph. Also the colors of the aircraft's navigation light were originally invented for naval purposes. Green is on the right side (starboard), red is on the left side (port)and white is in the centerline of the waterborne vessel or aircraft. Also the flown distances of an aircraft are always measured in nautical miles, not US or imperial miles.

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[–] somesunnyday 8 years ago

I'm biased cause I grew up on it (Australian) but it the metric system makes so much sense, why would anyone not adopt it???

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[–] Bobman84 7 years ago

Metric system is much easier to comprehend and understand. Most of the world is switching to it, so the UK & US should as well.

It's like how English is/should be the universal language.

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[–] hotsprings2 8 years ago

Hope the OP is just trolling

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[–] Archnenna 7 years ago

Likewise. Most documentaries use feet, inches, pounds etc. and I always have to Google to convert them. I'm happy this show uses these that I understand.

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