In this installment we will talk about whyé commercial airplanes try every time they take off, fly the más high possible, focused on consumption combustible.
Okay, they are not commercial airplanes since they do not fly themselves (aún), but the aerosolsíline that require their planes to fly asás high possible if soí conditions and route allow it. In this post we will not talk about other causes such as to avoid bad weather or for tráI'm theéreo, but we will focus on fuel consumption.
as you well know, the objective of an airplaneíidea is to offer connectivity, but didédoing it in a profitable way and for this there are many pairsámeters that must be controlled, take into account in order to optimize resources.
One of the costs that airlinesíareas must maintain strict control is that of fuel consumption, That is why there are several ways to optimize its use, such as navigation.ón RNAV RNP that allows the use of m routes or proceduresáshort s, turn off one of the engines after landing, take advantage of the currents wind to reach más ráI ask destiny and others.
To fly high, lower consumption
Hereí comes the point we want to review, planes fly más high to reduce consumption, but ¿becauseé?
the simple answer: between más alto, it flies más ráI ask, since between meás altitude the air is less dense, which generates less aerodynamic resistanceálittle to grandpaón while moving through the atmosphereóball, which in the long run is represented in a reductionón of fuel consumption, which is one of the advantages of jet engines versus track enginesón.
The altitude at which an aircraftóWhether it can fly depends on several factors such as type of aircraft, distance to destination, dirección of the wind and even the certificationón of the aerolínea and avión for RVSM operations (Separationón reduced vertical míwhat), políbusiness ethics and others.
when a flight takes off, one of the crew's objectivesón is to ascend the más soon possible at your cruising level, but to do it there will beán several factors that must be taken into account, restrictions by tráI'm theéreo, standard departures and arrivals, weather and alsoén the weight of the aircraft. So good between más high it flies it caníto reduce consumption, the weight of cargo and passengers affectá until qué flight level can reach (between más heavy, máClimb is slow and fuel consumption increases) and in these cases, a promotion is planned «scaled» themselvesún the weight of the aircraft decreases.
As we can see once más, in aviationón many torques are handledámeters and considerations before an avión takeoff, where the security and efficiency are key, así that the prónext time you hear that your avión flies to 31 thousand feet, It is because at that altitude and after many yearsálysis, the grandfatherón consumeá less fuel to get you safely to your destination.
pardon the ignorance, It is not true that airplanes fly in the air due to the principle of lift, which is achieved by flying against the wind at a certain speed.. Then, if the higher you fly, there is less air, no more speed is occupied and therefore more fuel consumption?
The higher the altitude there is less air resistance., Why does the oxygen density decrease?.
To clarify the question of why planes try to fly as high as possible?
Response. The higher the altitude, the lower the fuel consumption and that is because the air density is lower. It must be remembered that oxygen is needed for combustion, fuel and wick or candle. Less Oxygen less fuel, that is the reason that at sea level fuel consumption is higher. Now the planes are limited to a height depending on their structural manufacture for the pressure they can withstand and another is the takeoff weight, they can go lower heights until they consume fuel, lose weight and then higher heights up to the manufacturer's structural limit at which the plane reaches.
Yo con mi ULM Quicksilver, This all sounds Chinese to me., but it is always good to learn from the experts…
The planes respect EVEN or ODD cruise flight based on quadrantal levels either of the course 359 al 179 for odd levels and 180 al 358 for even levels. Hence, the dispatchers offer an altitude X to the commander looking for the lowest fuel consumption and the + fast possible.. the commander then assesses traffic congestion unexpected turbulence and aircraft failures in flight.
I have always loved aviation.. And I like to hear them talk about it
all professionals, before and during the flight they plan at what level to fly. In other words, and gathering all the previous comments, it is determined by analysis of the aerobic manual., what is the optimal level. For example it can be 31.000 ft ( FL 310) y no FL 350. OR OTHERWISE.
The author Nicholas, I wasn't giving a Sailing class, I was just commenting, with some arguments, because airlines try to get higher or more optimal flight levels. As long as the weight of the aircraft allows it and air traffic control authorizes it, will try to blow those levels, to get less consumption, taking into account that all aircraft have an operational ceiling.
Physics 1 from school
I thought they fly as high as possible, for safety due to glide ratios, I once heard that in case of an engine problem emergency they always ascend and take height to make the calculation to the nearest airport according to the plane's glide ratio,calculate how many meters you have to climb and then glide down to the airport
Without seeming ignorant or very know-it-all…
I think I remember something a teacher mentioned to us. If it is true that at higher altitudes there is less opposition, this would also affect the performance of the engine at the time of combustion.. And that is why it was studied and that is how the rvsm appears, which implies flying within a range of flight levels in which you obtain the greatest engine power with the least fuel consumption.. Outside these ranges, the performance of the engine would not be efficient for the airlines and that is why many certify their aircraft in rvsm to get the most out of their aircraft.. If it's not true, please give feedback. !
Makes sense, there is also an upper limit that beyond this the performance will not be the best.
good isai, RVSM was implemented to maximize the use of airspace.
Before use, aircraft from FL 290 up to FL410 were to maintain a vertical separation of 2000 pies (being able to fly at optimal levels in the same way).
After coming into effect, the required vertical separation between aircraft decreased to 1000 pies, optimizing the use of the same airspace (more aircraft in the same space)
It's a bit more complex than what I just described., but essentially that's it.
It is very important to pay attention to the perspective of the writer. It was clearly indicated that the focus was fuel economy. So what is written should be analyzed for that purpose and not for other reasons that have to do with altitude but related to other points.. Grs and greetings to all.
What predisposition to confrontation! Nicolás el autor gentilmente escribe un comentario muy valioso desde el punto de vista de la «Física Básica»: «A mayor altura, lower air density, therefore any object can advance more, acelerando «menos», nothing more….!
From there to there the connoisseurs in aeronautics already plan, they do and get what they require according to the requirements!
It remains to add that the higher the altitude, the lower the oxygen, this makes the combustion of the engine baroe depending on the air and the injected fuel. Less fuel is required because the oxygen needed for combustion is scarcer.. This complements what the author of the article said.
Thank you Rafa.
Effectively if the focus is set at the proper height in order to have less fuel consumption, then greater height means less air density and with this, better aerodynamic performance.
Companies fly as high as they can depending on aeronautical regulations and the type of plane (this depends even on the pressurization that the aircraft may have to conserve an optimal amount of oxygen).
This is the best article I have read on the subject..
Cheers !
The note was clear. He developed it according to the approach given by.
The rest commented is extension does not contribute to understand a little more about the subject.
What you say is wrong and many pilots and engineers consider it correct….at sea level or at FL350 airplanes generate the same aerodynamic drag (not minor as you say in the article). The difference is that at FL350 for the same resistance they have a higher TAS…..the IAS (impact air) it is the same but the TAS is not….
Many astronauts who are experts in aviation have already come out to comment… Interesting. ?
what do you know about cta.? The company files the fpl. is assigned,route and flight level,It is only changed for purely safety reasons,usually weather conditions or aircraft technical problems,flight levels according to the machine .. thanks. the explanation is broader.
Completely, the explanation could be given to all those points and others, but the focus is fuel consumption. Many flights shift their flight level up and down throughout the flight for many conditions..
Although it is true that the higher the altitude, the lower the density of the air. , it also decreases the amount of essential oxygen in the combustion of the engine,and it also lowers the air temperature. How does all this ultimately affect fuel consumption? ?
Brayton cycle engines have a supercharger, most with variable blades, that adjust perfectly according to the need, so by compressing the air, the amount of oxygen per liter of air is almost the same and it also gets hotter, in addition with regard to the low outside temperature, temperature difference improves thrust, since the thrust depends on the temperatures, densities and pressures.
The company presents what it wants, The analysis and possible approval depends on air traffic.
Not only meteorological factors influence route deviations and levels.
Even noise attenuation can be a determining factor.
Already spinning finer, sometimes, In my workplace, religious ceremonies of autochthonous peoples influence the routes and assigned levels
That is not true, the aircraft are assigned flight levels and preconceived routes for their destination and they must have different levels between coming and going to avoid collisions, this is what they call flight control.
Hello Pedro, the airlines request in the flight plan their optimal altitude to fly based on their calculations, which can change according to air traffic and also at the request of the pilots when meeting, for example,, with turbulence. Not a fixed altitude, can change even during various stages of flight going up and down.
regardless of what, From my point of view, Start a technical and well-developed commentary with a.. » eso no es cierto» es una falta de respeto al autor y a quienes leemos. what you say is very light.
I see and read that they have responded correctly to your comment.
And I confirm.
a plane, a flight that before taking off has an assigned route plus the optional ones in case of emergency or unforeseen events. Being your flight plan informed and accepted by the aeronautical authority, can request depending on what moments of the flight procedure, variations or modifications according to the factors that the article mentions. Climatology, air traffic, convenience of air currents, modification of destiny, etc.
Air corridors or aero routes exist to organize traffic, especially at high altitudes., there are also lower altitude routes. As well as control points and guidance for IFR navigation, be these the VOR, NBD. intersections. etc.
Aircraft commanders can ask the ATC that is in their range for an altitude change, for example, or a horizontal shift to avoid atmospheric phenomena or in many cases during the approach stage., request more direct vectors for the currently active track and avoid detours.
in summary, I believe that the world of air navigation is so complex and perfectly defined that it is foolhardy to give information as a lie without having the appropriate knowledge or the time to compare what is being read..
Your statement is true, it is very impolite, comenzar una publicación con ese «eso no es cierto» falta de respeto total, Fly 27 years and still learning, humility much humility, that's the key, well done for that remark, a hug and good day mate
It's not true either, there are options where the pilots fly under authorization from the control towers. Planes also use optimal operating points like all navigators under multiple restrictions for security and logistics.
Erika's explanation comes through a technician who explains why at higher altitudes we consume. The density of the air is the only reason?
Wonderful to share between people passionate about aviation. But qualified to opine? Let's contribute if we know.
Yes it's correct! When they schedule the routes, they also program the heights, and the highest heights for long journeys.
I am air traffic controller (radar approach), you are something wrong.
I think the analysis of the article is correct, you could look for information about TOD and TOC and how it is influencing flight planning (companies) and in control procedures.
It is one of the few articles that refers to RNAV RNP navigation and RVSM and not only refers to, also explains it simply and compactly.