What is the highest you have flown (excluding Concorde)

[v8Statesman]

Yesterday I was on a 333 QF71, For the majority of the flight we sat at flight level 400 (40,000ft). This is the highest I have ever (knowingly) been of the ground. Before that it was Flight level 375.

It got me thinking (that and I am bored out of my brain (but being served very well) in the SIN QF FCL) what is the highest other members have been.

 

[StevePER]

I think I've done FL430.

 

[bambbbam2]

Was on a per-syd flight recently at 42 i believe..

 

[markis10]

Controlled airspace ends at FL450 generally so that would be the limit excluding Concorde, which sat at FL600.

 

[oz_mark]

Been to FL430 a couple of times plus a few others between FL400 and FL430.

Not sure how many passenger aircraft have service ceilings above FL430.

 

[russ]

Controlled airspace ends at FL450 generally so that would be the limit excluding Concorde, which sat at FL600.

That sounds a bit odd for controlled airspace to finish so close to regular flight cruising levels. My understanding is that (at least in the USA) controlled airspace goes up to FL600. Is that correct?
http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap3/aim0302.html

 

[NM]

Certainly been in the FL410-430 range a few times on 747s.

But the stories in this thread at airlinepilotsforum.com from a former SR71 pilot make a good read. I especially like the one about the radio requests for ATC to provide ground speed readings :mrgreen:. He mentions turning off the coughpit lights at 84,000 feet so he could see the night sky.

 

[Evan]

FL410-430 range also for me, it was very un-expected to see a QF 744 at this height on one of my flights, but it was a lightly loaded flight and towards the end of the flight so could get that high.

 

[Alanslegal]

Saw the flight map saying FL410 on the 388 SYD-LAX recently - kind of tooked my by surprise the thing could fly so high!

 

[futaris]

The furthest anyone has been from the ground on earth, is 401,056km, during the Apollo 13 emergency.

That is ~ 1,315,800,500 feet, or:
FL13,158,005 :shock:

 

[samh004]

Certainly been in the FL410-430 range a few times on 747s.

But the stories in this thread at airlinepilotsforum.com from a former SR71 pilot make a good read. I especially like the one about the radio requests for ATC to provide ground speed readings :mrgreen:. He mentions turning off the coughpit lights at 84,000 feet so he could see the night sky.

That story is a great read.

 

[drron]

Never been high when flying

 

[tuapekastar]

Never been high when flying

Yes, was going to ask if this question was confined to being in aircraft!

 

[bambbbam2]

The furthest anyone has been from the ground on earth, is 401,056km, during the Apollo 13 emergency.

That is ~ 1,315,800,500 feet, or:
FL13,158,005 :shock:

I don't know about that.. there were dogs and monkeys used in the early space era days on one-way rockets..

 

[MDC]

OK stupid question... how do you know how high you are. I guess little old me in whY doesn't get this info... or I'm too busy watching movies

 

[Evan]

OK stupid question... how do you know how high you are. I guess little old me in whY doesn't get this info... or I'm too busy watching movies

Not all airlines (is available on QF B744,A330,A380) have a moving map display, this alternates every say 10 seconds to different pages showing info like time from departure, local time, height, speed, outside temp etc.
Some like CX also have gates that you arrive and connections gates.

For airlines that have this (most long haul planes for most airlines) it is generally also available in whY.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

I used to work as an aviation forecaster in the Bureau's National aviation centre. One product I produced was the national significant weather charts. One thing we put on the charts was the tropopause heights (the heights at which the lower atmosphere ends and you enter the Stratosphere). This varied between FL300ish in the southern ocean (sub 250 in a deep low) to 500+ around the equator. Now I am no expert on aircraft operations but I was informed the main reason why we forecast this was to minimise the intake of ozone into the air intake systems..

One thing we also forecast was jet stream properties and maximum winds in the subtropical jet (~20 degrees south/north... seasonal) were at ~FL400 but turbines were most efficient (air density/temperature) lower than that.. so there is a trade off...

 

[v8Statesman]

Yes, was going to ask if this question was confined to being in aircraft!

The question was for aircraft height! But I did put it in the playground

 

[v8Statesman]

Been to FL430 a couple of times plus a few others between FL400 and FL430.

Not sure how many passenger aircraft have service ceilings above FL430.

Here I was thinking I was flying High, looking down on you all, but now I find several of you 3,000 ft above me.


(Now I never got to fly Concorde so for the purpose of this thread, we are living in "la-la" land and pretending it never excisted!)

 

[v8Statesman]

Was on a per-syd flight recently at 42 i believe..

Is this a newish thing? I am sure all might flights (that I've bothered to look at) have been in the FL350 range. I do remember when seeing FL375 etc thinking to myself we are higher than normal.