At what height do planes become uncomfortable?

Short-haul flights are usually pressurized at 5,000 to 6,000 feet while long-haul flights are closer to 8,000 feet, according to Thibeault. But acute mountain sickness, which can involve headache, nausea and vomiting, can occur at altitudes of 6,500 feet and higher.



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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.

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For best protection, you are encouraged to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet MSL. At night, because vision is particularly sensitive to diminished oxygen, a prudent rule is to use supplemental oxygen when flying above 6,000 feet MSL. So, when you fly at high altitudes, supplemental oxygen is the only solution.

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The primary problem is low oxygen, says Professor Frances Ashcroft, a physiologist at Oxford University. Low pressure would cause little more than discomfort in the ears and eyes, but the associated drop in oxygen levels makes people pass out if they do not put their oxygen masks on within about 15 seconds.

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after the flight. Even if you are flying a pressurized aircraft, altitude DCS can occur as a result of sudden loss of cabin pressure (inflight rapid decompression).

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For Part 91 General Aviation operations the required flight crew must use supplemental oxygen for any portion of the flight that exceeds 30 minutes above a cabin pressure altitude of 12,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) up to and including 14,000 feet (MSL).

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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.

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Yes, an aircraft can stay in the air without going forward if the oncoming wind, called headwinds are equal or greater than th minimum speed of that aircraft. This principle is used in the wind tunnels to experiment the flight characteristics by blowing the wind to the aerofoil and assess the aerodynamic changes.

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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.

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All airplanes will be exposed to drag during flight. They must overcome this aerodynamic force to achieve and maintain lift. Otherwise, airplanes would essentially fall out of the sky. Air brakes are control surfaces that increase drag so that airplanes slow down during flight.

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Because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere and not merely a two-dimensional flat, East-West surface. Because of this spherical shape, often times the shortest distance is flying more north and south, up over the Northern latitudes and the North Pole, rather than flying east/west over the Pacific.

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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.

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The plane may even begin to break apart. But it would be nearly impossible once the plane is in the sky, airline pilot Patrick Smith told The Telegraph in 2017. “Cabin pressure won't allow it,” Smith said. “Think of an aircraft door as a drain plug, fixed in place by the interior pressure.

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This valve controls the cabin pressure and also acts as a safety relief valve, in addition to other safety relief valves. If the automatic pressure controllers fail, the pilot can manually control the cabin pressure valve, according to the backup emergency procedure checklist.

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A simple pulse oximeter reading while you are at high altitude, at rest and during activity, can determine if oxygen is needed at altitude. Alternatively, some pulmonary function labs can perform an altitude simulation test to determine your oxygen saturation at altitude.

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