144:
47:
205:
is the density altitude at which flying in a clean configuration, at the best rate of climb airspeed for that altitude with one engine producing maximum continuous power and the other engine shut down (and if it has a propeller, the propeller is feathered), will produce a given rate of climb, usually
279:
which can be sustained: although the true airspeed at an altitude is typically greater than indicated airspeed (IAS), the difference is not enough to compensate for the fact that IAS at which minimum drag is achieved is usually low, so a flight at an absolute ceiling altitude results in a low TAS as
197:
for that altitude and with all engines operating and producing maximum continuous power, will produce a given rate of climb. A typical value might be 100 ft/min (0.51 m/s) climb, or on the order of 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s) climb for jet aircraft.
255:, yet can only generate enough lift to match the weight of the aircraft. Hence, the aircraft will not have any excess capacity to climb further. Stated technically, it is the altitude where the maximum sustained (with no decreasing airspeed)
270:
or other devices temporarily increasing thrust. Another factor that makes it impossible for some aircraft to reach their absolute ceiling, even with temporary increases in thrust, is the aircraft reaching the
317:
209:
However, some performance charts will define the service ceiling as the pressure altitude at which the aircraft will have the capability of climbing at 50 ft/min (0.25 m/s) with one
266:'s case, it was tested to be 68,000 ft (21 km; 12.9 mi). It is impossible to reach for most (because of the vertical speed asymptotically approaching zero) without
280:
well, and therefore in a high fuel burn rate per distance traveled. The absolute ceiling varies with the air temperature and, overall, the aircraft weight (usually calculated at
330:
251:(TAS) is required to generate sufficient lift on the wings. The absolute ceiling is therefore the altitude at which the engines are operating at maximum
399:
348:
262:
Compared to service ceiling, the absolute ceiling of commercial aircraft is much higher than for standard operational purposes. In the
111:
83:
64:
247:
is the highest altitude at which an aircraft can sustain level flight. Due to the thin air at higher altitudes, a much higher
90:
372:
130:
97:
17:
79:
427:
68:
432:
437:
396:
210:
272:
175:
Service ceiling is the density altitude at which the rate of climb drops below a prescribed value.
35:
104:
57:
143:
422:
228:
8:
293:
202:
187:
182:
is the maximum altitude of an aircraft during normal operations. Specifically, it is the
276:
275:". Flight at the absolute ceiling is also not economically advantageous due to the low
235:
before it was retired) routinely flew at 60,000 ft (18.3 km; 11.4 mi).
183:
160:
403:
164:
31:
232:
416:
256:
248:
224:
about 51,000 ft (15.5 km; 9.7 mi). Before its retirement, the
221:
220:
have a service (or certified) ceiling of under 45,000 ft (13,700 m) and some
191:
217:
267:
163:
an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions, as determined by its
46:
263:
225:
201:
The one-engine inoperative (OEI) service ceiling of a twin-engine,
194:
152:
30:
This article is about aircraft performance. For cloud base, see
252:
147:
The absolute ceiling and service ceiling diagram of an aircraft
319:
Pilot's
Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25A)
281:
357:
326:
71:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
414:
373:"Ask the Captain: Highest altitudes for planes"
397:Bombardier Global Express XRS Specifications
347:"12: Transition to Multiengine Airplanes".
131:Learn how and when to remove this message
350:Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3B)
142:
14:
415:
311:
309:
27:Maximum altitude an aircraft can reach
69:adding citations to reliable sources
40:
306:
238:
24:
170:
25:
449:
206:50 ft/min (0.25 m/s).
45:
370:
56:needs additional citations for
389:
364:
340:
329:. p. 10-7. Archived from
13:
1:
299:
7:
287:
10:
454:
80:"Ceiling" aeronautics
29:
316:"10: Climb Performance".
36:Ceiling (disambiguation)
360:. 2016. pp. 12–19.
231:(SST) (as well as the
148:
34:. For other uses, see
428:Altitudes in aviation
186:at which flying in a
146:
433:Aircraft performance
229:supersonic transport
65:improve this article
294:Aerodynamic ceiling
211:propeller feathered
203:fixed-wing aircraft
188:clean configuration
438:Gliding technology
402:2010-02-23 at the
277:indicated airspeed
149:
141:
140:
133:
115:
16:(Redirected from
445:
407:
393:
387:
386:
384:
383:
368:
362:
361:
355:
344:
338:
337:
335:
324:
313:
245:absolute ceiling
239:Absolute ceiling
216:Most commercial
184:density altitude
161:density altitude
151:With respect to
136:
129:
125:
122:
116:
114:
73:
49:
41:
21:
453:
452:
448:
447:
446:
444:
443:
442:
413:
412:
411:
410:
404:Wayback Machine
394:
390:
381:
379:
369:
365:
353:
346:
345:
341:
333:
322:
315:
314:
307:
302:
290:
241:
180:service ceiling
173:
171:Service ceiling
165:flight envelope
159:is the maximum
155:performance, a
137:
126:
120:
117:
74:
72:
62:
50:
39:
32:Ceiling (cloud)
28:
23:
22:
18:Service ceiling
15:
12:
11:
5:
451:
441:
440:
435:
430:
425:
409:
408:
388:
363:
339:
336:on 2015-06-25.
304:
303:
301:
298:
297:
296:
289:
286:
240:
237:
233:Tupolev Tu-144
190:, at the best
172:
169:
139:
138:
53:
51:
44:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
450:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
420:
418:
405:
401:
398:
392:
378:
374:
367:
359:
352:
351:
343:
332:
328:
321:
320:
312:
310:
305:
295:
292:
291:
285:
283:
278:
274:
273:coffin corner
269:
265:
260:
258:
257:rate of climb
254:
250:
249:true airspeed
246:
236:
234:
230:
227:
223:
222:business jets
219:
214:
212:
207:
204:
199:
196:
193:
192:rate of climb
189:
185:
181:
176:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
145:
135:
132:
124:
121:December 2009
113:
110:
106:
103:
99:
96:
92:
89:
85:
82: –
81:
77:
76:Find sources:
70:
66:
60:
59:
54:This article
52:
48:
43:
42:
37:
33:
19:
423:Aerodynamics
391:
380:. Retrieved
376:
366:
349:
342:
331:the original
318:
268:afterburners
261:
244:
242:
215:
208:
200:
179:
177:
174:
156:
150:
127:
118:
108:
101:
94:
87:
75:
63:Please help
58:verification
55:
371:Cox, John.
417:Categories
382:2020-11-06
300:References
91:newspapers
395:See e.g.
377:USA TODAY
259:is zero.
218:jetliners
400:Archived
288:See also
264:Concorde
226:Concorde
195:airspeed
153:aircraft
157:ceiling
105:scholar
253:thrust
107:
100:
93:
86:
78:
354:(PDF)
334:(PDF)
323:(PDF)
112:JSTOR
98:books
282:MTOW
243:The
178:The
84:news
358:FAA
327:FAA
284:).
67:by
419::
375:.
356:.
325:.
308:^
213:.
167:.
406:.
385:.
271:"
134:)
128:(
123:)
119:(
109:·
102:·
95:·
88:·
61:.
38:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
