Omshanti From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 65 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 1992 times:
Hi Friends,
I am interested to know what is the highest cruise altitude you have attained while flying on a commercial airplane and what kind of a/c were you in. One that comes to mind for me is on a LH 744 from AB) (FRA / FRF / EDDF), Germany">FRA to BOS and we were cruising at around 41000 ft. I quite didnt understand the reasoning and didn't know it could actually fly at such an high altitude.
BCAInfoSys From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 1963 times:
I was on a UA 772 from ORD - LHR, and we got up to 43,000. We were at 39,000, but for whatever reason, they (the pilots) got clearance to go a little higher once we got off the east coast of Canada.
F9Widebody From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1604 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1850 times:
BILLAMT From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1820 times:
FL510 on a Citation X. Pretty neat to watch the TCAS, and all the symbols a -8, 9, 12 and so on. We were the only ones up there. By the way, it was en route GSO - PHX. Gotta love the biz jets.
VS346 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 339 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1764 times:
Omshanti,
41000 isn't that uncommon, especially for transatlantic routes. Each flight is assigned an altitude before the start. It ranges from like 20,000 something to 40 0r 50,000 feet (someone with more technical knowledge can be more specific. This is done for spacing. Your flight just happened to be assigned 41000
Cheers,
VS346
Virgin-Atlantic: More experience than our name suggests
Adriaticus From Mexico, joined May 2004, 1112 posts, RR: 21 Reply 11, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1662 times:
My parents flew the Concorde once. They described how the flight deck called the passengers' attention to the fact that they were "surpassing" the 18km altitude and the curvature of Earth could be clearly seen now. The bird leveled shortly afterwards. That must be somewhere around 60,000 ft.
InnocuousFox From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 2805 posts, RR: 16 Reply 12, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1444 times:
Above FL180, there is spacing of 1000' between each level. Westbound gets even, eastbound odd. This lasts until FL290. At that point, there is 2000' spacing with the even that would have been at FL300 getting the first 2000' jump (over FL290) making it FL310. The next westbound, therefore, would be FL330, even at 350, etc.
Occassionaly, for weather or traffic, you will can be assigned a flight level that is normally for the opposite direction - and usually only temporarily. You will hear the ATC assign "flight level 350, wrong way" just as a comfirmation that they know they are putting you on the opposite direction flight level.
Dave Mark - Intrinsic Algorithm - Reducing the world to mathematical equations!
PA110 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1952 posts, RR: 26 Reply 13, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1331 times:
I believe highest I've flown is FL450 on Corsair 747SP from PPT to LAX. My brother is a pilot and was traveling with me. They invited us both into the cockpit. I remember when they were discussing altitude, the F/O made a hand gesture as if we were balancing on the head of a pin.
Concorde rarely, if ever, hit 60,000 feet across the pond. On the equator where it's hotter on the ground, it's colder upstairs so on special charters, Concorde hit FL600 (ie Honolulu-Nadi, Guam-Bangkok) but on the Atlantic run it wasn't possible.
fly Saha Air 707s daily from Tehran's downtown Mehrabad to Mashhad, Kish Island and Ahwaz
AFHokie From United States of America, joined May 2004, 222 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (9 years 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1249 times:
Anyone else here recall the story of the SR-71 that asked ATC for FL600? Supposedly, the controller didn't realize he was talking to a high altitude recon plane, and controller snidely remarked "sure, you're cleared FL600 if able" to which the pilot then responded, "roger, descending FL600"
Tubbyboeing From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (9 years 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 1192 times:
FL450 on a QF B744, flying JNB-SYD in June 2003, can't remember the exact date though. We were avoiding some bad weather, so we climbed from FL390 to FL450, maintained it for about 2 hours, then back down to FL390.
It was pretty exciting, that's the highest I have ever been, must be awesome to fly at 55,000 feet in a Concorde, but sadly I will never get to experience that now
Warren747sp From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 1132 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (9 years 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1178 times:
FL450+ on a 747SP JFK-NRT. It actually feels high walking around at that altitude on the plane.
XJRamper From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 2352 posts, RR: 52 Reply 23, posted (9 years 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1174 times:
FL510 on a Citation X.
That must have been awesome traveling at the max ceiling for the C X.
For those who flew the Concorde from Toronto, did they have to wait to kick it in high gear until they were over the ocean? Or were they allowed Mach speeds in the upper portions of Canada?
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