Wednesday, April 24, 2024

instrument flight rules How do pilots decide what their cruising altitude will be?

plane cruise altitude

But small aircraft such as those flown by private pilots cannot fly this high, and usually do not go above 10,000 feet. Flight levels[3] are described by a number, which is the nominal altitude, or pressure altitude, in hundreds of feet, while being a multiple of 500 ft, therefore always ending in 0 or 5. Therefore, a pressure altitude of 32,000 ft (9,800 m) is referred to as "flight level 320". Airline dispatchers are employed by carriers, and generally work in the company’s HQ. They control the planning and execution of their airline’s flights -- keeping track of where they are, where they are going, their fuel/weight, as well as assigning them specific routes. Most importantly, they calculate a flight’s ideal altitude and request it from Air Traffic Control, who tries to accommodate the request when giving the pilot clearance to take off.

Reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM)

The short answer, according to Kyrazis, is that turbojet engines burn less fuel as the air density gets lower. But in fact, small aircraft generally fly much lower than that for a variety of other reasons. This is partly because they tend to fly shorter distances, and pilots simply do not want to spend too much time climbing and descending on a short flight; it just isn’t worth it. Also, most small planes are not equipped with oxygen, which would be necessary if they were to fly too high. It is probably not really safe for them to be much above 10,000 feet. And a substantial majority of small planes are flown for recreational purposes, and pilots enjoy flying lower, where they can see things below them.

How high do planes fly?

He got the message, moved his foot to the right side of the seat support, and my personal bubble was once again intact. After all, there's nothing more embarrassing (and panic-inducing) than getting stuck on top of a cloud deck with no way to get down, short of declaring an emergency. Or, if you're an instrument pilot, scrambling to find charts to navigate your way down through the soup on a pop-up IFR clearance.

Propeller aircraft

We do not comment on the details of open investigations,” an administration spokesperson said. Now that you’ve gotten this far, you need to contend with the weather. And Mother Nature isn’t always cooperative when it comes to flying. No matter their views on the armrest issue specifically, everyone I spoke to for this column agreed that being a decent seat neighbor is all that matters when flying. Gregg, an automation technician from Lawrence, Kansas, flies about twice a week and said he’ll often switch his flight if there are only middle seats available.

The ultra-long-range airplane has a maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet. From here, the supply of air to the cabin is much the same as other aircraft, except when it comes to another important factor — moister air. The air on the Dreamliner is much more moist than on other types. You may have noticed that certain aircraft types are more dry than others. On the 787, the crew are able to set exactly how many passengers are on board. The air conditioning system then uses this number to optimize the humidity of the air being directed into the cabin creating an environment much more like that on the ground.

Keeler: CU Buffs’ Deion Sanders loses 15 guys in 17 days? It’s not them, Coach Prime. It’s you.

To balance that out, pilots find that happy medium between fuel-saving high altitude and the slowing effects of subzero temperatures. In case you’re wondering, this is not why it’s so cold on airplanes. There are certain rules for exactly where airliners can fly, and the direction of travel can affect what altitude they will climb to. Planes flying eastward, including northeast and southeast, will fly at odd altitudes, such as 35,000 feet. Planes flying in approximately westerly directions have to fly at even altitudes. 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.

Am I going to have airspace problems?

However, some airplanes are more fuel efficient than others, especially based on the type of engine they have. So some airplanes, such as those with piston engines, can only fly at lower maximum altitudes. Meanwhile, turboprops and turbine engines allow other airplanes to fly higher. The real breakthrough in technology came in 1949 with the advent of the British-made de Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jetliner. Due to its pressurized cabin, it was able to climb up to altitudes of 40,000 feet without the need for passengers to breathe extra oxygen or wear heated suits.

Airplane armrest etiquette: Why the middle seat should win out Cruising Altitude - Yahoo Canada Shine On

Airplane armrest etiquette: Why the middle seat should win out Cruising Altitude.

Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:52:08 GMT [source]

How High Do Helicopters Fly?

Whenever you fly, there seem to be weird, petty annoyances to deal with. Etiquette experts say civility in general has taken a backslide in the past few years, but it’s especially noticeable on airplanes, where everyone is packed close together. If your passengers' teeth are getting rattled out of their heads because of turbulence, they're not going to be very impressed.

This feature allows pilots to "what if" various scenarios based on winds aloft, weight and balance and fuel requirements. "We're always looking to maximize the benefit of the wind," she said. Helicopters can also fly at various heights based on their engine capabilities. Turbine-powered helicopters can fly up to 25,000 feet but may hover at lower altitudes.

plane cruise altitude

Given the shorter trips that helicopters take, they usually fly much lower, generally at 10,000 feet, where the air is denser and makes it easier to maneuver the flight controls. If a helicopter flies too high, the air becomes less dense, and the rotors have a higher likelihood of being unable to generate or maintain enough lift. The cruising phase of flight begins after an airplane levels off after a climb and remains until it initiates a descent for landing. Finally, longer flights benefit from flying at higher altitudes; the thinner air reduces drag, increases engine efficiency, and saves fuel. Given the extreme conditions outside, modern aircraft provide a wonderfully comfortable environment in which to spend 16 hours.

And on top of that, you're burning extra fuel, and flying a slow indicated airspeed, all the way to your cruise altitude. There’s a lot to consider when you’re picking your cruise altitude. But if you’re thinking about obstacles, your plane’s performance, and the weather and winds along your route, you’ll have a smooth flight, and, hopefully, some happy passengers, as well. Generally, the higher an aircraft gets, the less fuel it is required to use, as the air at higher altitudes is less dense, therefore, creating less drag.

"For example, if there is a plane 20 miles ahead of us that reported moderate turbulence, ATC will suggest an altitude to avoid it." The Thunder Gull 2000 is a cantilevered, ultralight aircraft made by Earthstar Aircraft in California. It is comparable to other ultralights, such as the Kolb Firestar, Aeromarine Merlin, Aero‑Works Aerolite 103, Pterodactyl Ascender, and others.

If you're looking at few or scattered clouds, climbing above them might be an option, but if you're looking at a broken layer along your route, it's best to stay below. That means that an aircraft passing under another aircraft will be separated vertically. Modern systems allow planes to pass as little as 1,000 feet above or below each other. Mark Vanhoenacker, British Airways pilot and author of Skyfaring, wrote that an airplane's altitude is "vertical wayfinding in the ocean of air." Aside from that beautiful turn of phrase, here's how that works. The Piper Cub is a light single-engine aircraft built by Piper Aircraft. It is the company’s most-produced model with more than 20,000 built between 1938 and 1947.

The air is pressurized and sent to two identical air conditioning packs. Each pack has two dedicated CACs, however a single CAC is enough to power a single pack. As I mentioned above, most aircraft use bleed air to pressurize the cabin. This means that no matter how good the filtering and cleaning system, the air you breathe has still come via the engine.

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