(aviation) a pressure altitude measured in terms of hundreds of feet above sea level (ie. flight level 120 (FL120) is 12,000 ft.
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Flight levels are then assigned a number which is the apparent altitude (pressure altitude) to the nearest thousand feet, divided by one hundred. Therefore an apparent altitude of 18,000 feet is referred to as Flight Level 180.
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.
Aircraft are much more efficient when flying at higher altitudes. Have you ever wondered why passenger airplanes always cruise at altitudes of 30,000 and higher above mean sea level? The reason is twofold: firstly, the plane can fly faster and, secondly, it is much more efficient money-wise.
(Instructor added note: FL 600 or Flight Level 600, means a flying altitude of 60,000 ft.MSL, for more details, check out this website .) Class B. Generally, airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL surrounding the nation's busiest airports in terms of airport operations or passenger enplanements.
Flight levels are then assigned a number which is the apparent altitude (pressure altitude) to the nearest thousand feet, divided by one hundred. Therefore an apparent altitude of 18,000 feet is referred to as Flight Level 180.
One of the answers said that anything above the transition altitude is referred to as a flight level. So suppose an aircraft is flying at 35,000ft, it is flight level 350.
When climbing away from an airfield, ATC will instruct the pilots to climb to a certain Flight Level. Take the last two 0's from the altitude and you have the FL — i.e. 23,000 feet becomes FL230. The pilots will change the pressure setting to 1,013 HPA and the aircraft is now flying at a Flight Level.
A private jet can fly at a height of up to 45 000 ft, though most cruise at 41 000 ft. This is generally higher than an airline flight and allows for a more direct route – out of the most congested area of the sky. A private jet pilot will choose the optimum cruising altitude depending on the distance of the journey.