Prior to takeoff, the altimeter should be set to which altitude or altimeter setting?

• A. The current local altimeter setting, if available, or the departure airport elevation
• B. The destination airport elevation
• C. 29.92
• D. The average field elevation

Answer: (A)

Setting the altimeter to the current local pressure at the departure airport ensures the instrument reads your true altitude above mean sea level as you taxi, take off, and begin climb. This helps guarantee proper obstacle clearance and accurate altitude reporting to other traffic. If a local setting isn’t available, using the departure airport’s elevation as a substitute provides a reasonable baseline so your altitude indication remains tied to the actual field height at departure. Using the destination airport elevation would not reflect your starting height and could mislead you about your true altitude. 29.92 is the standard pressure used for flight levels, not for pre-takeoff altitude references, and the average field elevation isn’t a valid basis for setting the altimeter.