Airplane Flying - Transportation technology has increased tenfold in recent decades, but why don't planes go faster? Turns out you have some very good reasons why
Want your commercial flight to travel at supersonic speeds: Turbulence, energy consumption and ticket prices can all be affected by your flight speed. Let's see why your commercial flight maintains a normal speed.
Airplane Flying
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When we talk about aerodynamics, there are many factors that affect the speed of an aircraft. Basically, there are three main airspeed components.
An aircraft's speed, also known as airspeed, is commonly measured in four different ways. Regardless of the type you use, all flight speeds are displayed in knots
Like cars, planes have speed limits in certain areas. While today's commercial jets won't get you across the Atlantic in less than a few hours, most large planes travel at decent speeds.
As with any other type of vehicle, your speed largely determines which tricks you can perform. For aircraft, certain speeds are absolutely necessary to achieve a safe ground-to-air transition.
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During takeoff, the average speed of a commercial airplane is 160 to 180 mph (140 to 156 knots).
For most commercial jets, the aircraft's cruising speed is 550 to 600 mph (478 to 521 knots).
During landing, the speed is mainly affected by the current weight of the aircraft. Commercial jets typically land between 130 and 160 mph (112 and 156 knots).
Private jets can fly at speeds of 400 to 700 mph (348 to 608 knots) like commercial jets. Due to their small size, they usually cannot fly as far as their larger counterparts due to limited fuel storage. But a handful of ultra-long-range jets can fly more than 8,000 miles, or 6,952 nautical miles.
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Military aviation is as diverse as the rest of the industry. Military aircraft are designed with specific purposes in mind, such as surveillance, attack or cargo transport. Rather than list the maximum speed of every military aircraft, here are some examples from different categories:
Single-engine aircraft, such as the Cessna 172, fly significantly slower than commercial aircraft. For a typical single-engine plane, you can fly about 140 miles (122 knots). However, some more advanced single-engine aircraft, such as the Pilatus PC-12 NGX, have a top speed of 334 mph (290 knots).
Commercial aircraft, although heavier and larger, are capable of reaching higher speeds over longer distances. Although no two aircraft are exactly alike, physical limitations keep most aircraft in the same playing field.
Outside of commercial aviation, a variety of aircraft boast top speeds ranging from the relatively slow Cessna 172 to the supersonic F-22. However you fly, make sure you land with Flying Magazine. If you've ever wondered how airplanes fly and why they need to stay at cruising altitude, you've come to the right place!
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If you're a frequent flyer, you can hardly pay attention to the routine stages of a flight. The plane takes off and then climbs for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the flight. Once the plane is at cruising altitude, the flight attendants will start making their rounds and the pilot can announce that you're free to move around the cabin (although you should still leave your phone in airplane mode). Once the landing begins, it's time to fasten those seat belts in anticipation of landing. During the time between take-off and landing, the aircraft flies at a constant altitude. But how high does the plane fly? And why do they have to be at a certain height? If you've ever asked these questions during those long hours staring out that little round window, we've got the answers in this fiery piece of airplane trivia!
The cruising altitude of a commercial aircraft depends on the size of the aircraft. But in general, most commercial airplanes fly between 32,000 and 40,000 feet — or six to seven and a half miles above the ground. Turboprop planes, smaller planes that typically carry a handful of passengers rather than hundreds, fly at altitudes of less than 25,000 to 30,000 feet. But since these propeller planes are often used for short-haul flights, they can stay at low altitudes because when they reach higher altitudes, it's time to start their descent.
Do you remember the story of Icarus, the Greek mythological character who flew too close to the sun and died when his wings melted? Passenger jets don't risk melting down if they fly too high, but there are cabin pressure and oxygen problems that keep them below set altitude. Theodore Kirazis, an Airbus A-320/321 captain and retired USAF F-15 pilot, explains in non-aviation terms:
Commercial airlines need to operate as efficiently as possible to make money, not just charge for in-flight Wi-Fi. This makes fuel economy one of the most important factors in how high planes fly. The short answer, according to Kirazis, is that turbojet engines use less fuel because air density is reduced. There are some fancy calculations involved, but basically the speed and degree angle at which the plane climbs is determined by both weather conditions and the size of the plane; Larger planes weigh more, partly because they carry so much fuel, which burns as they climb.
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According to Kyrazis, an hour of climbing can burn 10,000 pounds of fuel. And get this: "If a major airline saved just one gallon of gas on all of its flights for a year, the cost savings on that one item would exceed $15 million!"
The higher a plane flies, the faster it can fly - up to a point. "The less dense air at higher altitudes means that the actual speed of the plane traveling over the ground is much higher than what the airspeed indicator indicates to the pilots in the cockpit," Kirazis said. This means the plane is making better time than even the instruments show. But the downside is that extremely cold temperatures slow down the aircraft. To balance this, pilots find that happy medium between fuel-efficient high altitudes and the slowing effects of sub-zero temperatures. If you're wondering, why isn't it that cold on a plane?
No one likes to experience turbulence during a flight, but the chances are highest during takeoff and landing. "A lot of the turbulence associated with weather systems can be avoided above 35,000 feet," says Kirazis, who prefers commercial airliners to climb above storms and stay there. The exception, he said, is thunderstorms, which can reach up to 50,000 feet in the atmosphere. When that happens, the plane has to go through or around the storm.
Despite all the horrible things that can happen when a plane flies too high, flying too low can be just as dangerous. In addition to flying through poor weather systems at low-altitude, there is much more general aviation at low altitudes, including small commercial and private jets.
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Another big risk of flying at low altitude? Clashes with BS. "Most two-strike occurs during takeoff and landing," Kirazis said. These include 2009's "Miracle on the Hudson" and the heroic landing of Captain "Sully" Sullenberger. Flying above 10,000 feet greatly reduces the risk of a two-aircraft encounter.
Elizabeth Heath is a travel and lifestyle writer from Italy. His writing on travel and sustainability appears in national and international publications and he is the author of several travel guides. And for sister publication FamilyHandyman.com, she writes about pets (especially dogs!), books, seasonal gift guides, home improvement and the outdoors.
We no longer support IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Passengers don't realize how automated a pilot's job is already. Julian Harbrigg/Getty Images/IEM
With self-driving cars and trucks advancing rapidly, it's natural to wonder if self-flying planes are next. Indeed, the airline industry is committed to making autonomous passenger planes a reality — and faster than you might think.
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Airbus' main rival Boeing has hinted that such a craft could be on the way. At the Paris Air Show last summer, Mike Sinnett, the company's vice president of product development, said that "the basic building blocks of the technology are clearly available." Key components will be tested next year, including an artificial intelligence system "that pilots make decisions about".
"What the industry is telling me is that they want to remove a pilot and redesign the design fairly quickly
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