A
Anonymous2h ago
Aviation
Question
Why do commercial airplanes typically cruise at around 35,000 feet instead of higher or lower?
Claude response
It's a sweet spot between several competing factors. Air is thin enough up there to create much less drag than lower altitudes, which saves a significant amount of fuel, and it's above almost all weather and turbulence from clouds and storms. Going meaningfully higher runs into engine and aerodynamic limits — the air becomes too thin for efficient jet engine combustion and wing lift — while commercial airspace rules also stack different routes at different altitude bands to keep traffic safely separated.
Comments
Sign in with Google to leave a comment.
No comments yet.