The term standard day is used throughout

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

, and other sciences and disciplines as a way of defining certain properties of the

atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

in a manner which allows those who use our atmosphere to effectively calculate and communicate its properties at any given time. For example, a temperature deviation of +8 °C means that the air at any given altitude is 8 °C (14 °F) warmer than what standard day conditions and the measurement altitude would predict, and would indicate a higher

density altitude The density altitude is the altitude relative to standard atmospheric conditions at which the air density would be equal to the indicated air density at the place of observation. In other words, the density altitude is the air density given as ...

. These variations are extremely important to both meteorologists and aviators, as they strongly determine the different properties of the atmosphere. For example, on a cool day, an airliner might have no problem safely departing a medium length runway, but on a warmer day, the density altitude might be higher, require a higher

ground speed Ground speed is the horizontal speed of an aircraft relative to the Earth’s surface. It is vital for accurate navigation that the pilot has an estimate of the ground speed that will be achieved during each leg of a flight. An aircraft diving ve ...

and

true airspeed The true airspeed (TAS; also KTAS, for ''knots true airspeed'') of an aircraft is the speed of the aircraft relative to the air mass through which it is flying. The true airspeed is important information for accurate navigation of an aircraft. Tr ...

prior to liftoff, which would require more acceleration, a longer runway, and a reduced climb rate after liftoff. The pilot may choose to reduce the gross weight of the aircraft by carrying less fuel or reducing the amount/weight of the cargo, or even reducing the number of passengers (usually the last option). Not carrying sufficient fuel to complete the flight to the destination, the pilot would plan an intermediate fuel stop, which would likely delay the final destination arrival time. In meteorology, departure from standard day conditions is what gives rise to all weather phenomena, including

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...

s, fronts, clouds, even the heating and cooling of our planet.

Standard day parameters

For Pilots: At sea level, Altimeter:29.92 in/Hg at The "standard day" model of the atmosphere is defined at sea level, with certain present conditions such as temperature and pressure. But other factors, such as humidity, further alter the nature of the atmosphere, and are also defined under standard day conditions: *

Density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

(''ρ''): 1.225 kg/m³ (0.00237

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

/ft³) *

Pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...

(''p''): 101.325

kPa KPA may refer to: * Keele Postgraduate Association, Keele University, UK, formerly Keele Research Association (KRA) * Kensington (Olympia) station, London, England, National Rail station code * Kenya Ports Authority * ''Kiln phosphoric acid'', a d ...

(14.7 lb/ in²) *

Temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

(''T''): 15 °C (59 °F) *

Viscosity The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water. Viscosity quantifies the inte ...

(''μ''): 17.3 μN·s/m² (3.62 × 10⁻⁷ lb s/ft²)NASA: Standard Day Conditions
/ref> The first three properties are usually referred as "standard day" conditions, which the viscosity aspect is largely ignored throughout the aviation community. However, viscosity, which is affected by humidity levels, plays a key role in aerodynamic drag, which is why it is a key component of standard day conditions. Because it is a key component of drag, it affects the amount of fuel burned per unit of distance travelled.

References

{{Reflist Atmosphere of Earth Acoustics Planetary atmospheres