This, combined with the thinner atmosphere at this height, creates less resistance. The direction of the wind is also an important factor. This also explains why you feel the plane slowing down during landing. In most cases, these planes use a piston-powered engine, which operates similarly to the engine in your car and with power that only allows for shorter flights, according to the National Business Aviation Association.
This type of engine prevents these smaller planes from reaching the same altitudes as commercial aircraft. Pilots also refrain from flying these types of planes at greater heights because of potential health risks like hypoxia, which is when tissues do not receive enough oxygen, according to the National Institutes of Health.
That lack of oxygen can occur at higher altitudes due to a decrease in oxygen pressure, according to the FAA. As the plane ascends, the level of oxygen decreases, which can cause rapid decompression for an aircraft that is not pressurized in the same way as a commercial airplane.
What about helicopters? Choppers are mainly designed to fly short distances and typically fly much lower than airplanes, normally at under 10, feet. They rarely ask about it, or want to know what altitude is used. But there are good reasons for how high planes fly. In fact, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33, and 42, feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level.
Typically, aircraft fly around 35, or 36, feet above sea level. 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, feet. Indeed, they often fly much lower than this. The main reason for airliners flying so high is that it saves fuel and therefore saves money, which is always a priority for airlines.
The air becomes thinner as the altitude increases, and thin air creates less drag on the aircraft. In addition, jet engines operate more efficiently at high altitudes, meaning the plane can travel faster while at the same time burning less fuel. Plus if a plane goes higher, it has to burn more fuel in order to get there. So there has to be a balance, which is the reason for the fairly specific altitudes generally used by airliners. Flying higher means that commercial airplanes can avoid most other airborne traffic.
At the altitudes they use, there will be no light aircraft and helicopters, and no drones, which all fly much lower. Birds rarely fly that high, which is important, as bird strikes, though rare, can be disastrous if they happen.
An extreme case of this sort of disaster was the US Airways aircraft which was forced to land on the Hudson river after a bird strike. This sort of thing is extremely unlikely, but it does happen occasionally. It is not essential for aircraft to avoid bad weather, but it is a good idea.
Commercial airplanes usually fly above the troposphere, which is the part of the atmosphere where weather events usually happen. The troposphere is usually said to finish at 36, feet. This is why when you are cruising in an airliner, it is usually bright and sunny, with all the cloud and rain below you.
Turbulence is less common at high altitudes too. Again, airliners can generally cope with turbulence, but it is preferable to avoid it if possible. However, planes are not able to fly any higher than their maximum height for a very terrifying reason. Planes going higher than the maximum height given to the aircraft means that less oxygen can be supplied to the engine.
In October , a Bombardier CRJ plane attempted to climb to 41, feet, the maximum it could travel. Pinnacle Airlines experienced failure in both engines and were unable to restart with both of them. The plane, which had just two pilots onboard, was forced to land on a busy highway, resulting in both of them dying in the crash. Peter Terry, a commercial airline pilot of 30 years, told the publication Concorde few up to 60, feet in the air.
While there is no official maximum altitude for flying from aviation authorities, aircraft carriers have their own maximum heights that they are capable of flying.
Private planes and commercial jets can go up to 42, feet, while smaller aircraft often stay around 10, feet. This is where they over-estimate the times of a flight to pre-empt any delays that could affect the airline.
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