Love learning all the little things about air travel? Then you will wonder what the plane's altitude is. The average figure is 10,000 m, but in practice it varies due to various factors. What defines it?
Main factors influencing flight altitude
There are different types of flight altitude indicator:
- true is the value that actually separates the aircraft from the surface of the earth or water;
- the relative indicator determines how much the plane has risen above the point adopted for the reference (the runway);
- absolute altitude means the distance from the liner to sea level.
The height to which air transport rises is determined by the laws of physics: the further from the Earth’s surface, the thinner the air becomes. As a result, an aircraft that rises to 10,000 m moves quickly and consumes little fuel. The term “ideal altitude” is associated with this feature - it means that the airliner is at a level that provides the best ratio of speed and fuel consumption.
But why don't planes fly higher? Technical issues play a role. After all, excessive rarefaction of the atmosphere is not useful: air currents support an airplane, like water in the ocean supports a ship. If you rise above 12,000 m, the liner will lose stability because its wings will be useless.
True, the rule applies only to passenger air transport. Military aircraft are capable of flying higher, but all records are broken by models built using NASA designs. The drone vessel, named Helios, flies at an altitude of 30 km.
Doug Morris, a pilot for Air Canada, explains, "The higher the better, because thin air means less friction."
What else affects flight altitude?
The altitude at which the plane flies is determined by the following nuances:
- aircraft model;
- load capacity;
- speed;
- congestion of air corridors;
- acceptable fuel consumption;
- amount of oxygen and rarefaction of the atmosphere.
Why is the standard option for civil aviation 10,000 m? This is influenced by a number of factors:
- Jet engines require cooling. If you rise to 10,000 m, the temperature outside will be – 50 ˚C.
- For current aircraft, the failure of one engine would not be a tragedy, but birds getting into the turbines is undesirable. For this reason, the ship rises to a level where birds cannot reach.
- If an unexpected situation arises, the crew and dispatchers will have more time to make decisions.
- At this level the liner is above the clouds. Bad weather will affect it less.
Conclusion
The distance from a high-speed aircraft to the surface is shown by a special device - an altimeter. Usually it reaches 10,000 m, but models from well-known airlines rise to 12-13,000 m. The altitude is determined when drawing up air routes, so the pilot can change it only within the flight level.
The profession of a pilot acquired a romantic aura at the dawn of aircraft construction - every person who took off into the sky seemed like a hero. Over the past decades, little has changed - many still consider the ability to fly a miracle. The pilots themselves, however, communicate with the planes on a first-name basis, getting the most out of the flying machines. We remembered the seven most interesting aviation records in history.
Airplane speed record
The record of 3,529.56 km/h was recorded on the US Air Force's kilometer-long training route when Captain Eldon W. Joeltz and Major George T. Morgan piloted a Lockheed SR-71A at an altitude of 26 kilometers. In 1990, this milestone could have been broken - US Air Force Lieutenant Colonels Joseph Weed and Edward Yalding reached 3,609 km/h, but the record was not counted - the pilots did not fly through special measuring points.
Altitude record (for jet-powered aircraft)
This record was set by Soviet pilot Alexander Fedotov. Piloting the MiG-25, Fedotov took the record “slide” - he accelerated the plane to 3,000 km/h, after which he began to sharply gain altitude and, having reached 37,650 meters, sent the plane down. This altitude was taken without the weight load of the aircraft, but the loaded machine performed little worse - it reached 37,080 meters.
Maximum number of aircraft shot down in one battle (among Soviet pilots)
July 6, 1943, while on patrol airspace As part of a group of La-5 fighters, senior lieutenant Alexander Gorovets encountered a large group (from 20 to 50) of German bombers. Alexander's comrades clashed with the Messerschmitts while he single-handedly took on the bombers. In the battle, Alexander shot down nine bombers (one by ramming), which is the best result among Soviet pilots. But the pilot himself did not survive - German fighters shot him down while returning to the airfield. Horovets did not have time to eject.
Record breaking record
The An-225 Mriya aircraft was created for the needs of the Soviet space program and was intended to transport large cargo (for example, spaceships). "Mriya" set 240 world records, and these include: the maximum weight of a commercial cargo (247 tons), the maximum carrying capacity (253.8 tons) and the heaviest monocargo (187.6 tons - the generator weighed so much with a special frame for the Yerevan power plant ). Most interesting record was staged on September 27, 2012 - then “Mriya” raised a gallery of 500 paintings by 120 artists to a height of 10,500 meters, becoming the platform for the highest exhibition in the world.
Record landing speed for a civil aircraft
During the regular Kaliningrad-Odessa flight, the crew of the Tu-134 aircraft was warned about weather conditions and received recommendations to reduce speed. The plane's pilots ignored instrument warnings and turned off the high-speed alarms. The plane landed at a speed of 440 km/h (recommended - 330 km/h), and touched down at 415 km/h without releasing the flaps. The plane flew across runway, stopping one and a half meters from the descent onto the ground. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Thus, with severe violation of instructions and discipline, a world record was set. What were the further adventures of the cheerful crew of the plane, history is silent.
Civil aircraft speed record
August 2010
The Gulfstream G650 reached a top speed of 1,219 km/h in the skies over Georgia. To do this, pilots Tom Home and Harry Freeman launched the plane into a dive at an angle of 16-18 degrees. This aircraft is a business class transport and carries only eight passengers. The Gulfstream G650 copes well with long distances - the aircraft covers more than 11,000 kilometers without landing at a speed of 906 km/h.
The largest firefighting aircraft
The Evergreen 747 Supertanker was converted from a Boeing 747-100. This aircraft is capable of carrying 77,600 liters of extinguishing agent, making it the largest firefighting aircraft. The plane is currently based in the United States, but if necessary, it goes where help is needed. So, for the first time the aircraft showed itself in Cuenca (Spain). In 2010, Evergreen extinguished a fire in Israel on Mount Carmel, and in 2011 it was used in a complex fire in Arizona.
“The desire to fly is an idea passed down to us by our ancestors, who, in their grueling off-road journeys in prehistoric times, looked with envy at the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, without any obstacles on the endless road of air,” once Wilbur Wright said.
Could the Wright brothers, back in 1903, imagine what their idea of controlled flight in the air would turn into? Now you won’t surprise anyone with supersonic planes and winged colossuses capable of transporting not only people, but also heavy equipment.
Well, we may not be able to fly like birds, but if we want, we can fly on one of the the most large aircraft in the world. Choose which of these giants you like best.
Role: multi-role aircraft.
Developer: KB Tupolev, USSR.
This aircraft, created at the Voronezh Aviation Plant in 1934, became the largest aircraft of its time. Its wingspan reached 63 meters, and its maximum take-off weight was 42,000 kg. The ANT-20 was served by a staff of 5 people, and the aircraft could carry 48 passengers.
When the Little Prince's "father" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry arrived in the USSR, he flew on the ANT-20. But the life of this model was short-lived. In 1935, during a demonstration flight, the aircraft took off together with the I-5 fighter, which was supposed to demonstrate the difference in size for newsreels. While performing aerobatic maneuvers, the I-5 entered the “Nesterov loop”, lost speed and crashed onto the ANT-20 from above. That, in turn, began to fall apart in the sky and fell on the holiday village of Sokol.
As a result of this accident, 49 people died. At the Novodevichy cemetery there is a memorial topped with a huge granite bas-relief of the crashed plane.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: Boeing.
An aircraft unsurpassed in terms of fuselage capacity. The volume of its transport compartment is 1840 cubic meters. It is used strictly to transport parts of the Boeing 787 aircraft, which are designed by third-party suppliers. A total of 4 Dreamlifters were put into operation.
The Boeing 747 LCF is unprepossessing in appearance and has even been compared to the Wienermobile, a bun-shaped car used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. And Boeing CEO Scott Carson jokingly apologized to Joe Sutter, head of the Boeing 747 development team, for what he did to his plane.
Developer: Boeing.
Boeing knows how to develop aircraft that set records. The 747-8 became the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 76.4 meters.
The Boeing 747-8 is a representative of the new generation of the Boeing 747 series (eighth on our list). It features a longer fuselage, an improved wing and greater economic efficiency.
Role: passenger airliner.
Developer: Boeing.
Once upon a time, when asked what the largest aircraft in the world is in terms of passenger capacity, the designers of the double-deck Boeing 747 proudly answered: “Ours”! Depending on the modification, the aircraft can accommodate up to 624 passengers on board. But then the Airbus A380 appeared and displaced the Boeing 747 from the pedestal of the most spacious aircraft.
If you watched Casino Royale with Daniel Craig as James Bond, you may remember the SkyFleet S570 airliner that terrorists wanted to blow up. This airliner was a Boeing 747-236B, which was built in 1980 and flew until 2002. A worthy end to a career.
And one of the Boeing 747s is connected largest air disasters in the world. It occurred in 1977 on the island of Tenerife. In fog, two Boeing 747s collided with each other on the runway, killing 583 people.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.
This winged machine, named Antaeus in honor of the invincible giant from ancient Greek myths, is still the world's largest turboprop aircraft.
Transportation of cargo during the war in Afghanistan and during the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, transportation of refugees and military personnel from Eastern Europe and neighboring countries - this is not the complete “track record” of the An-22. And in one of the passenger flights organized during the air bridge between Egypt and the Soviet Union in 1972, Antey set a record, taking almost 700 people on board. This is a real hard worker, reliable and unpretentious in operation.
Role: transport aircraft.
Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.
The top five largest aircraft in the world is opened by a Soviet design, which, until the advent of the Airbus A380 (number four on the list), was considered the largest commercially produced aircraft.
However, no one has yet taken away the title of “largest military aircraft” from the An-124, as well as the title of the world’s most load-bearing serial transport aircraft.
And although the production of “Ruslan”, as Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov called this aircraft, has now been suspended, the existing fleet of aircraft will be modernized. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov in July 2018.
Role: passenger airliner.
Developer: Airbus.
The largest passenger aircraft in the world (of mass-produced ones) and one of the largest aircraft on Earth. When you watch a video of one of the largest aircraft in the world, it’s hard to believe that such a colossus is capable of taking off.
The Airbus A380 is capable of carrying up to 853 passengers in economy class configuration. By comparison, the A380's main competitor, the Boeing 747 passenger airliner, carries only 624 people in full economy class configuration.
It's not just airlines that own the luxurious Airbus A380. By order of the Saudi Prince Al-Walid ibn Talal, a private jet was built, which cost the owner $488 million.
Role: passenger airliner.
Developer: Airbus.
This is the largest penis Airbus family A340 and the third longest aircraft in the world (75.36 meters). Aircraft like the Airbus A340 were produced until November 2011, but could not compete with the Boeing 777. However, they still fly Passenger Transportation in various countries of the world.
It is curious that during the entire period of operation (since 1993), only five A340 aircraft were lost. However, not a single passenger or crew member died.
Role: cargo aircraft.
Developer: OKB im. O.K. Antonova.
It is the largest transport aircraft ever built. Its maximum take-off weight is 640 tons and its payload capacity is 250 tons.
The An-225 is capable of transporting on its fuselage vehicles, construction and military equipment and other large cargo to different parts of the world. But this giant was intended for a different, much more ambitious purpose. It was created as part of the Buran reusable spacecraft project. It was assumed that the An-225 would transport Buran components and the launch vehicle from the place of creation and assembly to the launch site.
The first flight of the Mriya (dream in Ukrainian) took place in December 1988, carrying a Buran weighing sixty tons. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the “dream” was left without work. It began to be used again (after appropriate modernization) only in 2000, for commercial transportation.
And most recently, in September 2018, the giant aircraft set a new record by making a thirteen-hour non-stop flight from the Ukrainian Gostomel to the American Oakland Airport. He covered a distance of 9800 km.
Role: carrier aircraft.
Developer: Scaled Composites.
This huge plane will not carry regular cargo. Rather, it will serve as another way to deliver objects, namely satellites, into the stratosphere before launching them into space orbit. This type of transport will be more reliable and less expensive than traditional rockets.
Unlike the most big plane in the world - the Ukrainian "Mriya" - the American Stratolaunch does not yet fly. Its first demonstration took place in May 2017. In terms of wingspan - 117.3 meters, it is much superior to the An-225 (88.4 meters, respectively). On this moment Stratolaunch - the aircraft with the largest wingspan in the world.
However, the American is inferior to its Ukrainian “colleague” in terms of maximum take-off weight (589,670 kg and 640,000 kg, respectively) and length (73 meters for Stratolaunch versus 84 meters for the An-225).
The exact dates for new Stratolaunch tests are still unknown. Engineers hope the aircraft will enter service within the next 10 years.
When the conversation turns to speed, it takes your breath away. If we are talking about planes flying at supersonic speeds, then this is something fantastic. All these aircraft are masterpieces of engineering, equipped with the most advanced technologies of its time.
Top 10
He has truly fantastic speed 11,230 km/h. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Developed using technology alternative to turbojet engines in our time.
Although its maximum speed is listed as 12,144 km/h, he's not in first place. This is explained by the fact that at the time of testing, the X-43 record had not been broken. Both the first and second aircraft were developed by NASA using the latest technologies.
He is rightfully considered one of the most fast planes with a pilot on board. The maximum speed it can reach is 8200 km/h. This is almost seven times the speed of sound. The aircraft was designed for research into hypersonic flight. The X-15 is equipped with a rocket engine. However, it can only take off on board a strategic bomber, from where it takes off. The maximum altitude reached by the aircraft is 107 kilometers.
- "Blackbird" or SR-71
The aircraft is a reconnaissance aircraft for the US Air Force. The aircraft was produced in limited quantities - 32 aircraft. The first aircraft equipped with stealth technology. Maximum speed approx. 4102 km/h. The plane was actively used for espionage.
- YF-12
Outwardly, it is no different from the Blackbird, except that it carries air-to-air weapons. It was the predecessor and prototype of the SR-71. Maximum speed: 3,661 km/h.
- Legendary MiG-25
It was designed to intercept the American Blackbird and had a speed of 3916 km/h. The characteristics of this combat aircraft are impressive - at a speed of more than 3 times the speed of sound, it was capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 25 kilometers. It has proven itself very well in a number of military conflicts.
What makes it unique is that in 1954 it reached a speed unimaginable at that time. But after an unsuccessful flight, its production program was closed. Maximum speed: 3,370 km/h.
- Valkyrie XB-70
Truly the most powerful aircraft of the times cold war. Designed to deliver nuclear weapons beyond a short time. High speed ( 3672 km/h) made it possible to avoid the consequences of a nuclear explosion, as well as from enemy interceptors.
- MiG-31
At a speed of 3464 km/h. This aircraft, thanks to its powerful engines, was capable of reaching such speeds at any altitude. The technical radar filling made it possible for several aircraft to control a fairly wide area.
It’s incredible, but this aircraft has been in service for 40 years and will serve the US Air Force for at least another 8 years. His speed is 3065 km/h, and specifications and scope of application make it indispensable for the Air Force.
Top 4 passenger aircraft
- Tu-144
The legendary Soviet supersonic airliner had a speed of 2430 km/h. A truly fantastic result for that time among passenger aircraft. By the will of fate, it gave way to Concorde, which for a long time (until 2003) carried out passenger transatlantic flights.
When it comes to designing passenger aircraft, this model deserves a place at the top. Even from the name it becomes clear that the future aircraft will overcome the speed of sound ( 2335 km/h). The plane will be designed for any category of passengers.
Reaches speeds of 1153 km/h. The fastest civil vessel with business jet status. Used mainly as a private one for wealthy businessmen and business people.
And finally, the fastest scheduled passenger aircraft is an engineering masterpiece of Airbus. The newest aircraft, which, in addition to its speed, is also the world's largest double-decker airliner. Maximum speed: 1,020 km/h.
Military aircraft
The fastest military aircraft in the world are the Russian MiG-25 and the American SR-71. Interesting fact is that the Soviet fighter was actually created to neutralize the American intelligence officer. The MiG set a lot of speed records of its time. The pilots who piloted this aircraft claimed that the aircraft was capable of exceeding Mach 3.5 (the speed of sound). This value is greater than that of the American Blackbird. However, this is not documented anywhere. In turn, the SR-71 did not have sufficient reliability. Over the entire history of its flights, a third of the aircraft produced were lost.
Combat aircraft
Much has already been said about record-breaking military aircraft from various years. The fastest combat aircraft currently in use is the MiG-31. The fighter is designed to destroy targets in the air at any altitude and in any weather conditions. The enemy's use of thermal and radio interference is not a problem for the vehicle.
Created to intercept cruise missiles. Nowadays, they are used in military conflicts to solve a wide range of problems. For some time they were used as “special forces” in the Russian air defense forces.
The video shows the takeoff of this fast car
Turboprop aircraft
A truly unique aircraft, which has been in service since the distant 1952 (!) year. The speed for that time was amazing - 924 km/h. The engines, with a power of 15,000 horsepower, set a Guinness record for screw engines. The aircraft is still in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and performs a wide range of combat missions.
An interesting fact is that the speed of the Tu-95 is slightly less than the speed of the American B-52 jet. The aircraft's armament and technical characteristics allow it to safely hit targets beyond the range of enemy radar equipment.
The relevance of the vehicle is also confirmed by its use in the military conflict in Syria, where a bomber regiment successfully completed a number of tasks assigned to it.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that aircraft production technologies do not stand still. However, those aircraft that were discussed above will firmly take their place in the history of aircraft manufacturing as advanced aircraft at that time. Who knows what records await humanity in the future, and what purposes new hypersonic aircraft will accomplish. Time will tell all this.
Any person who has used the services of civil aviation at least once in his life has undoubtedly heard the pilot’s announcement of flight data, among which was the concept of “flight altitude,” and wondered at what altitude do planes fly?
The concept of minimum, maximum and ideal aircraft flight altitude
For all passenger airliners, there is the concept of an “ideal altitude” of flight, at which the resistance of oncoming air masses is minimal, the lifting force of the wings is optimal, and fuel consumption is minimal. All of these factors provide an integral part of all commercial air travel - speed and price.
This ideal altitude is selected by the aircraft commander and dispatchers at specially equipped points on the ground in the range from 9,000 to 12,000 m, forming a working flight corridor 3 km thick. The limit of the lower flight corridor is determined by the physicochemical properties of the air, which, starting from an altitude of 9,000 m, becomes rarefied enough to still provide aircraft lift force due to the difference in pressure above and below the wing, created by its special shape, and at the same time eliminate the increased force of air friction on the fuselage, which allows the aircraft to reach maximum speed with minimal fuel consumption.
If you take a measurement atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 9,000 m, the barometer will show only 240 mm of mercury, and at an altitude of 12,000 m - already 140 mm, both of which are 3-4 times lower than normal atmospheric pressure at the surface of the earth (760 mm of mercury ), but aircraft designers include these parameters with safety factors in the design and normal operation of the combustion chambers of jet engines.
All test stands at factories are also configured for this indicator and, based on practical observations, many years of work by scientists and practical experience in testing aircraft, it was found that it is the atmospheric pressure of 200 mm or 20 cm of mercury that is ideal for passenger and cargo air travel.
Such an aircraft flight altitude is absolutely unacceptable for human life, therefore, the aircraft cabin is carefully sealed before the flight, as evidenced by sensors in the cockpit, and inside the aircraft special compressor equipment artificially maintains the oxygen level and normal pressure on board even at an altitude of 10,000 meters. In case of an accident or sudden depressurization of the cabin, each person is instantly provided with oxygen masks with automatic supply of the breathing mixture.
The ideal or effective flight altitude that an aircraft gains also depends on the design features and its technical characteristics. Thus, aircraft for short (up to 3,000 km) or medium (up to 7,000 m) distances can rarely gain altitude above 11,000 m, while long-haul airliners can easily overcome the limit of 12,000 m, but are limited by safety laws air transportation and the actions of air traffic control services on the ground.
But practically no passenger airliner actually flies above 12,000 m or 30,000 feet, except in emergency cases, since the air at this altitude greatly loses density, which causes the plane to “stall” at air pockets in case of presence of ascending or downdrafts, A jet engines cannot effectively use the force of air masses that have lost density to ensure optimal speed of the vessel, which leads to unjustifiably increased fuel consumption and a decrease in the maximum flight range. Thus, the maximum flight altitude of an aircraft with passengers does not exceed 12,000 m.
When flying below 9,000 m, on the contrary, air resistance is significant and, despite the efficient operation of the engines, the aircraft is not able to reach its maximum cruising speed due to the strong headwind, which also leads to excessive fuel consumption.
So, to the question: “At what altitude do they fly? passenger aircraft“The answer is the same – on different levels, but within the corridor from 9 km to 12 km, on average 10 km.
Additional Information! Modern aviation technologies have at their disposal unique aircraft capable of overcoming air echelons of 20, 30, 40, 50 and even 100 km, right up to entering low-Earth orbit. Thus, the world altitude record for an airplane was 112,000 m in 2004 on a rocket-powered ship, Space Ship One.
But these altitudes are overcome exclusively for scientific, testing or military purposes, when it is necessary either to take air samples, or to carry out a training flight for astronauts, or to hide a military aircraft from civilian radar screens in conditions of strict secrecy, and all passengers, crew members and pilots They have been preparing for a long time for strong overloads, both positive and negative, on special simulators, which is not compatible with commercial passenger transportation.
Safety Factors Affecting Optimal Flight Altitude
The optimal high-altitude flight corridor for a passenger aircraft is selected according to various criteria, but the average altitude is 10,000 m. This distance from the ground is also determined for flight safety reasons, namely:
- At an ideal flight altitude, natural cooling of the engines occurs - at an altitude of over 10,000 m, the air temperature outside drops below - 50 degrees Celsius, which protects the driving mechanisms of the aircraft operating on high-octane aviation fuel from overheating, which eliminates the risk of fire and prevents a disaster
- At an altitude of over 8,000 m, as a rule, all the influence of the earth's surface on the atmosphere ends, and therefore the formation zones of cloudiness, fog, clouds and thunderstorm fronts, which makes the flight safe in any bad weather, which means that already when climbing to 9 000 m, the ship rises above the clouds and is not affected by weather conditions.
- The complete absence of birds, insects and other representatives of terrestrial fauna guarantees absolute cleanliness and perfect chemical composition air masses and prevents the entry of foreign objects into engines operating on reactive air, which can lead to their fire and accident in the air.
- Most main factor– the higher the flight altitude, the more time the ship’s pilots have to make life-saving decisions in the event of an emergency, which often saves the lives of hundreds of passengers and crew members. Therefore, among aviation employees there is an opinion that the most dangerous stages of flight are takeoff or landing, when even the slightest inaccuracy, coupled with dangerous atmospheric influences, pilots have no room for error. And in horizontal flight, after gaining cruising altitude, almost any situation, up to the failure of all engines, can be solved.
Thus, the choice of the minimum altitude corridor for a horizontal flight by aircraft is absolutely justified by the safety requirements of commercial air transportation, when the airline bears full responsibility for the life and health of its customers, as well as material costs to the balance holder of the aircraft.
The human factor when choosing the optimal flight altitude
Within the established air corridor from 9,000 m to 12,000 m, pilots and dispatchers independently establish the ideal aircraft flight altitude according to the following criteria:
- Flight direction rules. Over the course of many years of development of civil aviation in the world, unspoken rules for choosing the optimal flight altitude have developed among participants in the air transportation process. Thus, it is accepted that any air flight carried out towards the east, north-east and west-east takes place at an odd altitude of 9000 m and 11,000 m, and towards the west, north-west and south-west - at an even altitude of 10,000 m and 12,000 m. This allows dispatchers to comfortably arrange the trajectories of aircraft, search for the necessary vessels and monitor radars when the aircraft are within the jurisdiction of a particular control tower, and, if necessary, ensure that the aircraft rises or descends by insignificant amounts.
- In the case of a high location of a thunderstorm front or the approach of mixed flows of ascending and descending air (turbulence zone), the aircraft can move within the air corridor to fly around an obstacle only with the confirmation of the dispatcher in order to avoid possible intersection of the trajectory with other aircraft. The aircraft commander, seeing indicators of changes in air composition on instruments located in the cockpit, makes a request to the nearest control tower, and, after waiting for permission, performs the necessary maneuver. As a rule, experienced pilots analyze weather conditions along the entire flight path before departure and notify dispatchers in advance about a possible change in the altitude of their aircraft.
If there is a danger of intersection of the trajectories of two aircraft flying in different directions, the controller independently gives the command to the pilot to change the cruising altitude as soon as possible. This work requires great responsibility and care from employees, since even a small deviation from the altitude course can lead to unpredictable consequences.
The controller also always sees on the radar the slightest fluctuations in weather conditions along the route of each flight, and if the crew has no idea about the impending bad weather, he can always warn about the need to change the flight altitude in advance, which will allow the pilots to do this without sudden maneuvers.
Note! With the rapid development of civil aviation in the world in recent years, on average there are up to 5,000 aircraft in the sky at the same time, moving in different directions, which does not exclude the possibility of crossing flight trajectories, therefore, the accuracy of the altitude positioning of the airliner for safety is specified up to 10 meters.
Also, in the sky there are frequent cases when one aircraft during a flight enters a turbulence zone and the crew has to make a decision to change flight level on the spot. The dispatcher, being aware of the problem in this area, has the opportunity to adjust the trajectories of other aircraft flying in that zone. same direction.
Altitude records reached by passenger aircraft
Few aircraft are capable of occupying the highest civil echelon of 12,000 m. For example, the Airbus A310 is capable of reaching a maximum altitude of only 11,000 m, and as for the Boeing 737-400, its technical characteristics allow it to reach 12,000 m. Above As a rule, passenger planes do not rise to this level.
However, history knows cases when, almost simultaneously in the USSR and France, the famous passenger supersonic airliners Tu144 of various modifications and Concorde, which reached a maximum supersonic speed of up to 2,500 km/h, and occupied an air flight level of up to 18,000 m, were produced and put into operation. but they were able to rise to 20,000 m with a distance covered over 7,000 km. Passenger transportation began in the 70s of the last century and made it possible to almost halve the travel time to the point of arrival compared to conventional aircraft.
But, due to numerous incidents that resulted in the death of many people, as well as increased fuel costs and difficulty in maintaining quickly burning air-breathing engines, which reduce the service life of the aircraft, the equipment was considered unreliable, as a result, it was withdrawn from service in early 2000s Thus, the Tu 144 stopped commercial flights in Russia and abroad during perestroika, and the Concorde made its last flight in 2004.
Based on the data presented, we can conclude that civil Aviation has found for itself the optimal altitude level for commercial transportation, and, despite the fact that flights are possible at much greater vertical limits, striving for them makes no sense. It is the operating altitude range from 9 to 12 km that ensures minimal air resistance, maximum speed and optimal fuel consumption, which affects both the travel time to the destination and the cost of flights, which is reflected in the price of tickets for passengers.
