Pen 16 when starting to descend?

[EHM-1749 Hector]

"You had climb after FL180 without changing your qnh to standard 29.92"
For heaven's sake, how can you get this penalty when you are starting to descend?
I was typing in IVAO's window (no controller) my descent and arrival (BUSE2P) when I got the warning.
Can something be done to flag down this penalty and to apply it only when climbing?

[EHM-2097 Andrei]

Sorry about that Hector.

One thing's for sure, the penalty message does not reflect its actual meaning: you ARE above 18000ft but have your altimeter set to QNH different from 1013 mbar.

The most dangerous place to get this penalty on descent is exactly when crossing FL180, because depending on the weather you may get an altitude above 18000 immediately after resetting the altimeter. There is a "tolerance" for this but I never knew exactly how much. The solution is to change from QNH to 1013 and back way below 18000ft / FL180 (yes, there is no penalty for 1013 setting below transition altitude / level )

Another possibility is related to the "B" for "BUSE2P" you were typing. If something triggered a change of focus from your IVAP window to the FS window, then the "B" you typed means exactly that in the standard FS controls set: resetting the altimeter to local QNH. I got this type of penalty N times shutting down lights while I thought I was typing "L" in FMC, an the only solution I found was remappping ALL one-letter keyboard shortcuts to their Ctrl-something counterparts.

Hope this helps

Andrei.

[RCortez]

I'm a Newbie as you knows, I'm very very far away of you Hector and Andrei too to close your score, nevertheless I think penalties are penalties. Yesterday I was flying on IVAO and suddenly my airplane got over speed, I mean penalty 6, but I was in CMD and at 280 IAS too and suddenly the wind give me 294 IAS and the Logger told me you're airplane was at overs peed  In my case the wind was the beginning of this problem. I know that your problem is different, but penalties are penalties I'll continue to learn with practice and with your suggestions too

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

... The "B" key resets your QNH to standard when above FL180, and to local QNH (taken from FS weather) below FL180. So that should not trigger this pen16, when you are starting your descend. Actually, with the DA F70/F100 it is the only way to avoid pen16, because the "STD" button only sets the main altimeter, and you get a penalty because the backup altimeter is still set wrongly.

I believe the tolerance for this penalty is only about 500 ft (or was that the Landing lights @ FL100 penalty?). But Andrei is right anyway: You can set your QNH to local anywhere below FL180 when descending. I always plan a continuous climb or descend through the FL100 through FL180 range (when no ATC online ), and do my lights and QNH things in that range. That way you minimalise the chance of getting those penalties. Believe me, I have a PPP score of about -12.000, so I have lots of experience there  

Reading Roberto's post, maybe (while descending below FL180) you got blown up to above FL180 after setting your local QNH by a sudden turn of the wind (FSX has very strict wind layers, that can have even opposite wind directions, with hardly any smoothing in between). Unlikely, I know, but it's possible...

P.S. I only know BUSE2P as a SID from LPPT; so that's not an arrival...
P.P.S. At what altitude / Flightlevel did you get the penalty? FL370, or FL190, it makes a difference in this case.

[RCortez]

Thank you Eric-Jan I received the penalty at FL350 Thanks again for your comments

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

Sorry, Roberto,

I was actually asking Hector about the FL, because it matters for the QNH penalty. The question was inspired by your input, though .

The windshear problem with FSX can happen at any layer, so at any FL Anywhere you fly in cruise mode (relatively close to Vmax) this can happen to you It has to do with switching weather stations, or wind layers. FSX does not smooth out weather transitions very well. If you fly at some flightlevel, with a layer boundary at that flightlevel, and with a headwind below your flightlevel, and a tailwind above your flightlevel, it can happen that you descend a little, get a head wind that makes you climb into the tailwind layer, which in turn causes you to descend again, into the headwind layer, etcetera, etcetera, ... You might get the overspeed penalty in that process (switching from tailwind to headwind), and if you get thrown to above FL180 (if you were cleared to, say alt 17.000ft) with your altimeter set to local QNH, you can get the pen16 Hector was talking about.

Cheers all,
Eric-Jan

[RCortez]

Thanks again Eric-Jan

[EHM-2387 Eric-Jan]

... I got this type of penalty N times shutting down lights while I thought I was typing "L" in FMC, ...

I had a similar experience with <SHIFT>-E during the Croissière Noire PP Tour. Opening your door in mid-flight is not appreciated 

Eric-Jan

[EHM-1749 Hector]

The B key is supposed to set the standard pressure above FL180 and when my penalty was applied I was descending thru FL330. This means that even if the B key was activated for some reason when I was typing it would cause no harm.
I also either deleted or changed some key strokes after I got penalties like beacons or strobes turned off while in cruise, or landing gear deployment while in cruise, etc but never touched, until now, the B key. I normally use either Ctrl or Shift plus the key to change the action.
That's why I always type in uppercase. I know that this mean that I am yelling which is true after you get such an injustified penalty. Sometimes I also write that I am yelling because my mic is out or order.

[RCortez]

I know what you mean Hector is embarrassing like that  you're true to yelling... limitations to the machine, or other things Courage and good continuation in