Pressure Altitude Calculator
Reviewed by Hamza Gujjar, Algorithm Architect & Software Developer
Last updated: July 27, 2026What altitude looks like on standard pressure
Pressure altitude is the altitude an altimeter would display if set to standard pressure (29.92 inHg) instead of the local altimeter setting - a required intermediate step for calculating density altitude and for flying at flight levels above the transition altitude.
Worked example
For a field elevation of 1,500 ft with an altimeter setting of 29.72 inHg:
PA = 1500 + (29.92 - 29.72) x 1000 = 1,700.0 ft
Above the transition altitude, all aircraft set their altimeters to standard pressure (29.92 inHg or 1013.25 hPa) regardless of actual local pressure - this ensures every aircraft's altimeter reads consistently relative to every other aircraft's, maintaining safe vertical separation even though none of them show true altitude above mean sea level at that point.