For what reason do commercial airliners fly at high altitudes where the air is thin?

For what reason do commercial airliners fly at high altitudes where the air is thin?

The reason aeroplanes fly so high is due to improved fuel efficiency. A jet engine operates more efficiently at higher altitude where the air is much thinner, allowing an aircraft to travel faster whilst at the same time, burning less fuel.

Why do airplanes fly at such high altitudes it takes a lot of energy to lift a big plane to a high altitude jet fuel is expensive so why do they do it?

Flying in the heat Air density in turn depends mostly on air temperature and elevation; higher temperatures and higher elevations both reduce density. The lower the air density, the faster an airplane must travel to produce enough lift to take off.

Why do planes not fly at lower altitudes?

It also isn’t the most efficient use of fuel to fly that high in the first place, he says, since planes can fly at a lower altitude with the assistance of wind. Another reason why planes don’t fly higher is due to the weight of the aircraft. An airplane’s potential speed also increases the higher it goes.

Why do planes fly over Greenland when crossing the Atlantic?

While map projections distort these routes confusing passengers, the great circle path is the shortest path between two far locations. This is why pilots fly polar routes saving time and distance. And this is why pilots often fly over Greenland.

Why do planes not fly over Pacific Ocean?

The primary reason airplanes don’t fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn’t flat. Rather, it’s spherical. As a result, straight routes don’t offer the shortest distance between two locations.

Why do airplanes fly so high in the sky?

Most often, commercial airplanes fly anywhere between 30,000 and 42,000 feet in the air, which equals five to seven miles high. Why? The main reason is fuel efficiency. Put simply, airplanes use less fuel in higher altitudes where the air is thinner, increasing the efficiency and saving them money at the same time.

How does altitude affect the performance of an airplane?

As altitude increases, air density decreases, which decreases engine performance but gives it better fuel efficiency. However, less air density with high altitude does mean that the airplane has less wind resistance and drag, which partially offsets the decrease in engine performance.

What is the cruising altitude of an airplane?

Commercial airplanes typically fly between 32,000 feet and 38,000 feet, with the sweet spot being approximately 35,000 feet, which is popularly referred to as cruising altitude. A balance between operating costs and fuel efficiency is achieved somewhere around 35,000 feet, which is why commercial airplanes usually fly at that altitude.

Why do planes fly at 35, 000 feet?

The “sweet spot” of flying is regarded as between 35,000 and 42,000 feet (the airline industry still uses feet and inches as its standard measurements) – too high and the oxygen becomes too sparse to fuel the engines, too low and the air resistance is greater.