Is it safe to fly at 41000 feet?

The sweet spot for modern airliners is between 35,000 and 42,000 feet, where the plane's engines are most efficient. The way the wings are designed is also unsuitable for thin-air flight as they would not be able to create enough lift. Planes cannot just keep going up and up - at some point, it will stall.



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Turbulence on private jets Private jets fly higher than commercial jets – Boeing and Airbus fly on average at 35,000 – 40,000 feet. Business jets generally fly at 41,000 – 50,000 feet where they are less susceptible to air pockets and severe turbulence, as well as a more direct route.

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An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

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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. Less wind resistance, more power, less effort, so to speak.

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Well, considering both in-cloud and out-of-cloud turbulence, flight between 8,000 and 12,000 feet will allow for the smoothest ride, on average.”

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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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Most commercial airplanes have a certified maximum altitude of about 40,000 to 45,000 feet. Regardless of its certified maximum altitude, if an airplane flies too high, it may fail in one or more ways. For starters, the engine may suffocate from a lack of oxygen.

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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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How much does an airplane drop in turbulence? USA TODAY's pilot expert says most bumpy flights, you're only going down a few feet. And by a few he says most times it less than 100 feet.

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