aircraft altitude - 2023 EMACS

Question

This value is encoded by a kind of Gray code using twelve bits, or four octal digits, called the Gillham code. Devices that measure this value include a small “Kollsman window”, named after their inventor Paul Kollsman. While Mode A transponders only broadcast identification, Mode C transponders additionally transmit this value. Regions where this value is between (15[1])FL 180 and FL 600 are considered (15[1])class A, (15[1])meaning only IFR operations are allowed, (15[1])as opposed to classes B (15[1])through E that allow both IFR and VFR. The rate of change in this value is measured by a (*) variometer. A TCAS (“TEE-kass”) system monitors differences in this value (10[1])and gives commands to increase or decrease this value as a safety measure. (10[1])Both velocity and this value are approximately kept constant during a holding pattern. For 10 points, devices that measure (10[1])what value utilize the fact that atmospheric pressure decreases (10[1])as this value increases? ■END■

ANSWER: aircraft altitude [accept height; accept elevation; accept flight level or FL before “FL”; accept vertical position or vertical distance but prompt on just “distance”] (TCAS stands for Traffic Collision Avoidance System, which prevents mid-air collisions.)

<AW>

= Average correct buzz position

Buzzes

Player	Team	Opponent	Buzz Position	Value
Anish Jindal	Computer Science: Going Outside	Carnegie Lemons	56	15
Earthflax Geologybuzzer	Macro Editors	a neural-net processor; a thinking machine	63	15
Ashvin Srivatsa	Eight Megabytes And Constantly Swapping	Edwardian Manifestation of All Colonial Sins	65	15
Andrew Hunter	A TV Guide for Netheads	I thought this was a Counter-Strike themed tournament	71	15
Michael Du	I Paused My Unique Game to Be Here	Why does ACF have electrons do its work?	76	15
Adam Fine	screaming into the public static void main(String[] args)	playing emacs while my parents are arguing	104	10
Eric Chen	Eventually Munches All Computer Storage	The	117	10
Seth Ebner	Dianetics for Diabetics	We Bought a Complexity Zoo Story	136	10
David Bass	JAX guide -league -of -legends -lol -mortal -kombat	foo	145	10

Summary

Tournament	Edition	Exact Match?	TUH	Conv. %	Power %	Neg %	Average Buzz
EMACS at CO	08/06/2023	Y	4	100%	50%	0%	92.00
EMACS Online	10/01/2023	Y	5	100%	60%	0%	93.00