What altitude do airplanes usually fly at?

Commercial aircraft typically fly between 31,000 and 38,000 feet — about 5.9 to 7.2 miles — high and usually reach their cruising altitudes in the first 10 minutes of a flight, according to Beckman. Planes can fly much higher than this altitude, but that can present safety issues.

How far from the airport does a plane start to descend?

around 100 to 120 miles
A: Normally an airliner will begin its descent around 100 to 120 miles from the destination (assuming the cruising altitude is above 30,000 feet). The point of initial descent varies depending on the cruise altitude, the amount of traffic going to your destination and weather conditions.

What altitude do commercial airlines fly at?

between 33,000 and 42,000 feet
In fact, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level. Typically, aircraft fly around 35,000 or 36,000 feet above sea level.

How do planes know when to descend?

Answer: Pilots plan the descent based on the wind and air traffic flow. In addition to the radar guidance from air traffic control, pilots program navigation computers and radios to ensure proper lateral and vertical paths.

What is the average altitude of a commercial airplane?

According to USA Today, the common cruising altitude for most commercial airplanes is between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, or between about six and nearly eight miles above sea level. Typically, aircraft fly around 35,000 or 36,000 feet in the air. To put that in perspective, the peak of Mount Everest measures at 29,029 feet.

How much altitude do you need to lose before landing?

A good rule of thumb for most jets would be: 3 miles for each 1,000 ft. of altitude to lose + 1 mile for every 10 KIAS of airspeed that you need to lose before landing. We are cruising along at 38 thousand feet and landing at an airport with an elevation of 2 thousand feet which means that we need to lose 36,000 ft.

How high does a plane fly on a 3 degree approach?

Related Questions More Answers Below. On a 3 degree approach the plane would be 318 feet above the landing point altitude at a one nautical mile distance. Using statute miles this would be 276 feet above the landing point however approach plates and flight distances are normally measured in nautical miles.

What is the normal traffic pattern altitude for a plane?

The normal altitude for a small plane to use for the traffic pattern is between 800 and 1000 feet above the runway. This can be adjusted upward for locations where there are high obstacles such as hills in the normal traffic pattern areas. Jets generally use a traffic pattern altitude around 2000 feet above the runway.