How long will it take the airplane to descend 1000 feet?
Using a time equation is just as easy, and it actually makes more sense when you're flying faster airplanes. A good rule of thumb is to allow yourself two minutes for each 1,000 feet of altitude you need to lose.
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Airliners can descend over 8,000 feet per minutes if needed. A descent from 35,000 feet at that rate would have you down to 11,000 feet in 3 minutes or less. John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.
In aviation, the rule of three or 3:1 rule of descent is a rule of thumb that 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of travel should be allowed for every 1,000 feet (300 m) of descent. For example, a descent from flight level 350 would require approximately 35x3=105 nautical miles.
If the plane doesn't crash, the descent rate generally can't hurt you. If the plane crashes, the horizontal deceleration is likely to do far more harm than the vertical deceleration. That said, 18,000 feet per minute is pretty fast, like 180 knots, so unpressurized it could cause possibly ear & sinus damage.
Most jets climb at 250 knots up to 10,000 feet due to FAA regulations. Above 10,000 feet, 280 to 300 knots with a transition to Mach . 7 around 24,000 feet are average for the 737. The Airbus will climb 250 knots up to 10,000 feet, then accelerate to 300 knots or a little more, then transition to Mach .
That's why pilots are taught the 1 in 60 rule, which states that after 60 miles, a one-degree error in heading will result in straying off course by one mile. Which means the lake you planned to fly over could turn out to be a mountain.
35 x 3=105. This means you should begin your descent 105 nautical miles from your destination, maintaining a speed of 250 KIAS (about 45 percent N1) and a descent rate of 1,500 to 2,000 feet per minute, with thrust set at idle.
Airplanes rely on a braking system to safely land on runways. At cruising altitude, most commercial airplanes fly at a speed of roughly 500 to 600 mph. When landing, however, they must reduce their speed.
The reason commercial airplanes fly at 30,000 to 36,000 feet is because it places them in a unique part of Earth's atmosphere known as the lower stratosphere. The lower stratosphere is above the clouds, so commercial airplanes are protected against bad weather.
No person may operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots (230 mph) at or below 2,500 feet above the surface, within 4 nautical miles of the primary Class C or Class D airport.
The Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 91.119 indicates that, except when necessary for departure or landing, the minimum altitude over urban areas is 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and 500 feet AGL over rural areas.
The airplane accelerates to rotation speed, but it's still on the ground. Obviously, some airplanes will lift off more quickly than others. Generally speaking, though, the takeoff roll lasts about 15 seconds for single-engine general aviation airplanes.