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Grotts said seeing people walk around barefoot is a huge pet peeve. I tend to agree and always feel a little guilty if I take my shoes off, which I usually do only on overnight flights. I was on the aisle, he was in the middle, and yet his foot was under the seat in front of me. He got the message, moved his foot to the right side of the seat support, and my personal bubble was once again intact. How do you make sure you're clear of terrain and obstacles on your route? If you're flying VFR, one of the easiest ways is to open your sectional chart and look at the MEF (Maximum Elevation Figure) altitudes for your route.
How High Do Planes Fly?
Alaska Airlines flight at a different altitude could have been ‘catastrophic’ - The Seattle Times
Alaska Airlines flight at a different altitude could have been ‘catastrophic’.
Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The higher airplanes climb, the thinner the air gets, and the more efficiently they can fly because of less resistance in the atmosphere, according to Ryan Jorgenson, an aviation data analyst. But what about that shorter trip—a couple hundred miles or so—especially if you’re flying near large metropolitan areas? However, for all the reasons mentioned above, this is mainly theoretical, and most commercial airplanes fly much lower than this. It should be noted that every airplane has a certified maximum altitude. During test flights this maximum is exceeded slightly to verify the that airplane remains safe should it have cause to ascend from that limit. The highest certified altitude of an airliner was Concorde’s 60,000 feet.
Here’s How High Planes Actually Fly, According to Experts
Vertical SeparationThese IFR Cruising Altitudes provides a minimum of 1,000 feet clearance or vertical separation from other IFR airplanes heading in opposing directions. In addition, we can see the IFR traffic is separated from the VFR traffic by minimum 500 feet. Ground speed refers to the velocity of an aircraft relative to the ground below. The ground speed is what you perceive—the sensation of movement as the landscape rushes by. However, ground speed can vary due to wind conditions, making it less reliable for precise flight calculations.
What is the speed of a typical commercial aircraft?
But, If the clouds are scattered to broken along your route and you can safely climb on top, you will almost always get a better ride there. Just be sure to comply with all cloud clearance rules and don’t get caught on top of an overcast. If you are an IFR pilot the freezing level may limit your altitude choices.
How high do planes fly?
It's time to kick back and wait for that refreshment cart to come around. But how many of us have stopped to ask ourselves how high do planes fly? According to USA Today, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level. As the aircraft consumes fuel, its weight decreases and the optimum altitude for fuel economy increases. For traffic control reasons it is usually necessary for an aircraft to stay at a cleared flight level. On long-haul flights, the pilot may ask air traffic control to climb from one flight level to a higher one, in a manoeuvre known as a step climb.
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And of course, we all have to obey the oxygen required rules if we plan to go above 12,500 feet. Despite all the frightening things that can happen if a plane flies too high, flying too low can be just as dangerous. Apart from flying through lower-lying bad-weather systems, there’s a lot more general aviation traffic at lower altitudes, including that of smaller commercial and private aircraft. Spending less on fuel is great for airlines, for obvious reasons, but a plane's engines also need oxygen in order to work, according to Traveller, to create combustion, which also creates energy. So, flying too high can also cause problems because the air is much thinner. Plus, the higher a plane goes, the more fuel it has to burn in order to get there so there are some drawbacks with certain altitudes as well.
These airplanes need to make sure that they stay within this range to be as safe as possible. Commercial airlines need to operate as efficiently as possible in order to make money—and not just by charging for in-flight Wi-Fi. This makes fuel economy one of the most important factors in how high planes fly.
What Flight Level should I cruise at?
That includes the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” and the heroic landing by Captain “Sully” Sullenberger. Flying above 10,000 feet greatly reduces the risk of an encounter between bird and plane. Flight levels are usually designated in writing as FLxxx, where xxx is a one-to-three digit number indicating the pressure altitude in units of 100 feet. For instance, FL200 indicates the pressure altitude of 20,000 feet. The phrase “flight level” makes it clear that this refers to the standardized pressure altitude.
This means that planes flying in opposite directions to each other are at least 1000 feet apart, so avoiding a possible collision and making for safer flights. Of course, turbulence still happens on airplanes, but you may be surprised to know that it happens a great deal less because of the high altitude of many commercial flights. According to The Points Guy, when planes run into air pockets and fierce winds, air traffic controllers can sometimes suggest different altitudes to avoid it. According to USA Today, flying higher can actually minimize turbulence. Because the planes are headed the same way along a track, controllers make use of every available flight level and not the "east is odd, west is even odder" rule above.
“Jet fuel weighs about 6.7 pounds per gallon, so the more that you burn as you’re flying, you would actually end up losing a lot of fuel weight,” Jorgenson says. This, combined with the thinner atmosphere at this height, creates less resistance. Commercial airplanes can theoretically fly a little higher than this, and of course they can also fly lower if they choose to. But small aircraft such as those flown by private pilots cannot fly this high, and usually do not go above 10,000 feet.
The short answer, according to Kyrazis, is that turbojet engines burn less fuel as the air density gets lower. At or Below 3,000Remember, these VFR and IFR cruising altitudes only apply to pilots operating aircraft at more than 3,000 feet AGL (Above Ground Level). Pilots operating at or below 3,000 feet AGL may fly at other altitudes. Also, these cruising altitudes do not apply when the airplane is turning or manoeuvring while practicing flight manoeuvres such as stalls, steep turns, and other activities. Every aircraft will have a different ideal altitude where it operates at maximum efficiency.
Each individual airplane will have a different “sweet spot” that translates to the most efficient ride for them. Obviously, not every flight on a 747 will be operated under this very specific condition, but when the atmospheric conditions and weather allow for it, every pilot should aim for this height. Including the flight's direction, turbulence, and flight duration.
