Does flying slower save fuel?

When an airplane experiences less drag, it consumes less fuel. This relationship between speed and fuel consumption means that flying at a slightly slower speed can result in significant fuel savings for airlines, which in turn can lower operating costs and potentially reduce ticket prices for passengers.



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To minimize fuel consumption, an aircraft should cruise close to the maximum altitude at which it can generate sufficient lift to maintain its altitude. As the aircraft's weight decreases throughout the flight, due to fuel burn, its optimum cruising altitude increases.

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Simply add the strength of the headwind (30 mph) to your best glide speed (78 mph) and you've got the most efficient speed to fly—here, 108 mph. To determine an airplane's Carson speed, multiply its best glide speed by 1.32. This will get the best result in terms of true airspeed and fuel consumption.

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The biggest reason for flying at higher altitudes lies in fuel efficiency. The thin air creates less drag on the aircraft, which means the plane can use less fuel in order to maintain speed.

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Airlines find that fuel dumping can actually be cheaper than not dumping in certain circumstances. But it's not something pilots do on a routine basis. We spoke with Alison Duquette, spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who assured us that it doesn't happen very often.

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Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of the intended destination (emergency landing) to reduce the aircraft's weight.

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The reason planes cruise at high altitudes is that they burn less fuel and can fly faster, as the air is less dense. At 30,000 feet and higher, it is also possible for aircraft to avoid weather systems, making it more comfortable onboard.

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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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Do commercial planes fly at maximum speed? Large commercial jets fly from 550 to 580 miles per hour, but their landing and take-off speeds vary. Most commercial jets fly from 160 to 180 miles per hour, with landing speeds ranging from 150 to 165 miles per hour.

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The answer is around 500 mph in still air. Jets often cruise near their maximum speed; in those cases they cannot speed up without exceeding limitations. Exceeding a limitation is unsafe and is contrary to the regulations.

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The greater the altitude, the greater the fuel efficiency of a jet engine. Weather conditions - for instance, flying into a headwind will burn more fuel. Take-off and landing - take-offs are the most fuel intensive parts of the flight, so shorter flights burn proportionately more fuel.

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A lot of airports have restrictions on night flights because of noise issues. Also some smaller domestic airports close at night. There are a few that leave late at night in order to take advantage of the time difference in the arrival city. There aren't more because there isn't much demand for them.

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On many aircraft types, pilots can open the side windows in the cockpit. The main reason for this is not for ventilation or vision; it is related to aircraft safety law.

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Visual Illusions The lack of visual cues can lead pilots to lose any sense of depth perception. There is often the temptation to 'duck under' the correct approach path, making the airplane lower than it should be.

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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).

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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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What happens if you need to get on the ground right away? In almost every case, any commercial plane flying is technically able to land even at close to its maximum takeoff weight.

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What happens if you need to get on the ground right away? In almost every case, any commercial plane flying is technically able to land even at close to its maximum takeoff weight.

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