Standby or "third" altimeter

[Typhoon1244]

I've been hearing a lot of controversy about this issue...this is for those people who cruise in the flight levels and have two normal altimeters and a standby:

Do any of y'all set the arrival city's altimeter setting in the standby altimeter as a reminder after you get the ATIS? I see this all the time, but now I've heard about a guy who has the FAA on his tail because of it.

Haven't found it in the FAR's yet...(can't they make an index for these stupid things?)

Any thoughts?

 

[transienttorque]

We set the standby altimeter to the arrival ATIS as part of our in-range check.

What issue does the FAA have?

 

[avbug]

I leave the standby alone, and have the copilot set the arrival altimeter on his or her side. (More accurately, the PNF sets it, except in airplanes where only one side reads accurately at altitude, in which case it's a no brainer; set the inaccurate side).

 

[sydeseet]

Ditto. All three are set during the 180 part of the descent checklist, we do the same climbing through 180 on the way up as the completion of the climb check.

 

[Typhoon1244]

What issue does the FAA have?

Oh, this fed tried to violate a Windy City guy I know for doing just what I described. Nothing ever came of it, but we never did figure out what the guy's major malfunction was. I think he basically didn't like not seeing all three meters on the same setting.

 

[transienttorque]

I wonder what that Fed would have thought about AA. I was jumping on them back in the good old days, riding up front on a MD-80, and the captain pointed out that they would be setting QFE in the standby.