Altitude

Just wondering why private and business jet fly at a higher altitude than commerical jets do

Because they can. :smiley:

OK, that is a smarta$$ed generalization, but essentially true. Besides, we like looking down on 747’s.

John in Saudi

Lower fuel burn, less weather influence.

Porterjet’s answer is pretty spot-on. Many business jets have service ceilings thousands of feet higher than manycommon airliners.
Airliners:
A318, 319, 320, 321 - 39,000ft
B737 - 35000 to 41000, depending on series.
B757 - 42000ft

Business:
Gulfstream II, III, IV, V - 45,000 to 51,000ft
C750 - 51,000ft
Falcon 2000 - 51,000ft
Lear 45 and 60 - 51,000ft
Global 5000 - 51,000ft

Many times the commerical jets are able to climb higher only well into the flight, after they burn off fuel. (actually this can happen to any jet but it seems that it happens to airliners more often.)

Wow! I had no idea they went up that high. I figured about 45,000 at the most. :stuck_out_tongue:

I was at 43,000 today
The big boy fly higher when they can- most of the time they are too heavy to get above FL390

There is also this.

Say you’re joining an enroute airway that is packed, leaving very little or no in trail spacing. Outside of fuel burn, you might find more empty slots on that airway at the higher altitude, so not only do you save on the fuel, but you don’t have to deal with all of the traffic below you until you reach TOD.

BL.

Highest I have seen one is like an A340 I think, at FL410.

I’ve been at FL510 in a -25 the airplane feels like it’s skipping across the air

What air?

What air?

Thin air.

Google: Pinnacle 3701

Wow. Good thing there was no passengers on. :unamused:


Full FAA report the result of a 2 year 3 month investigation.

More photos from jetphotos

Does anybody know why the CRJ-200 sits so close to the ground. It looks like the landing gear is shorter then normal. Is there a specific reason?

No.

Ok. :smiley:

Concorde had a maximum cruise altitude of FL600 -60,000 ft. Typical cruise altitude was FL550 or FL560. Let me tell you, It’s really annoying to be sitting at FL510 and watch the Concorde streak overhead…cool, but annoying.

Get an F-15, then you can make the concorde annoyed. :laughing:

Anyone with a “little” extra cash can go to Russia and take an edge of space flight in a MiG-25. That’ll get you to 90k’ altitude. Always been another dream of mine…