Can a plane fly at 50000 feet?

Can a plane fly at 50000 feet? All planes are designed to fly whatever they need to achieve their mission (military or civilian). Some can fly at 50,000 or above because their missions require it, such as the U-2 and the SR-71 reconnaissance planes. A U-2 flew over the Chinese balloon at about 60,000 ft. Some fighter aircraft can reach 50,000 also.

How high is too high for planes?

The maximum height that a commercial airplane is allowed to reach when they fly is 42,000 feet, as this is the universally approved maximum altitude. This max altitude for airplanes is known as the “service ceiling.” Most commercial air jets fly at such a high altitude because it is known to optimize efficiency.

Is it safe to land a plane in high winds?

With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing.

Do pilots feel turbulence?

Turbulence from Convection Currents and Obstructions. Convection currents cause the bumpiness experienced by pilots flying at low altitudes in warmer weather. On a low flight over varying surfaces, the pilot will encounter updrafts over pavement or barren places and downdraft over vegetation and water.

Do pilots breathe pure oxygen?

Very rarely would you breathe pure O2, it's typically mixed (using a rebreather, diluter, or cannula) with cabin air. At high cabin/unpressurized altitudes Diluter-demand systems can provide up to 100% Oxygen when needed for a flight crew.

What can fly at 80000 feet?

Can you fly at 80000 feet? The US Air Force U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flies at 72 000 feet almost every day for many hours. The world's fastest manned aircraft, the SR-71, flew for many years at 80 000 feet and higher.

What happens if a plane flies at 60000 feet?

Flying beyond the altitude of 60,000 feet entails the risks of structural failure, physiological hazards, and decreased operational efficiency. Commercial airliners are specifically engineered for lower altitudes, and exceeding these prescribed limits may also give rise to aerodynamic complications.

What happens if a plane flies too high?

Aerodynamic altitude: If a commercial airliner flies too high, it will encounter less dense air passing over the wings to create lift. This can cause the plane to stall and fall out of control. Depending on the weather conditions and aircraft weight, this can occur anywhere between 40,000 and 45,000 feet.

Can airplanes stop in air?

Techincally, there is only one way for the aircraft to remain hanging motionless in the air: if weight and lift cancel each other out perfectly, and at the same time thrust and drag cancel each other out too. But this is incredibly rare. To stay in the air and sustain its flight, an aircraft needs to be moving forward.

Can a 747 fly at 45000 feet?

For example, the Airbus A320 has a maximum altitude of 39,000 feet (11,900m) and the Boeing 747 45,000 feet (13,700m).

Can a plane fly at 60000 feet?

There are no specific regulations governing civil aircraft operations beyond the altitude of 60,000 feet. Nevertheless, certain exceptional aircraft like the Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 have managed to ascend to altitudes of FL600 (equivalent to 60,000 feet).

Can turbulence bring down a plane?

Severe turbulence can cause a plane to drop so suddenly that pilots temporarily lose control. But, again, that's not enough to crash the plane. That's not to say it's never happened. In 1966, human error and turbulence combined to bring a plane down over Mount Fuji.

Why do planes drop suddenly?

When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

How high can a plane fly without oxygen?

And that at cabin altitudes above 14,000 feet pilots must use oxygen at all times. And that above 15,000 feet each occupant of the aircraft must be provided supplemental oxygen. All of this is spelled out in Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91.211.

What do pilots see when flying?

Whether flying at night or during the day, pilots need to see some kind of horizon. They use this to determine the airplane's attitude. At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres.