aircraft altitudes?

Question

do passenger planes fly at different altitudes depending on the direction they are going?

Answer 1

Yes. Going west is at even flight levels (altitudes in 1000 ft increments... flight level 210 is 21,000 ft, 220 is 22,000 ft), going east is at odd flight levels). Air traffic control can choose to alter this pattern.

General aviation below 18,000 ft uses the same pattern but separations are 500 ft. For instance a plane flying west might be at 4,000 or 6,000 ft. A plane flying east might choose 4,500 or 7,500 ft.

Aloha

Answer 2

Yes. Passenger planes almost always fly under IFR (instrument flight rules). They are assigned their altitudes by air traffic control when operating in controlled airspace. When they are not in controlled airspace, the "hemispheric" rule applies. This means that when operating below 18,000 feet (above sea level) on a magnetic course of zero through 179, you must fly an odd- thousand foot altitude (like 7,000 or 9,000 feet), and for courses of 180 through 359 an even-thousand foot altitude must be maintained. This rule is usually followed in controlled airspace, too. Of course there is an exception: it is possible for a pilot to request an altitude that does not follow this rule, but ATC must approve of it. Just for your information, for a pilot operating under VFR (visual flight rules), the hemispheric rule applies, but you add 500 feet to the odd or even thousand foot altitudes.

Answer 3

Drewpie is mostly correct.

With RVSM, aircraft with the RVSM equipment the even -west & odd - east is true up to FL410 (Flight Level, 41000 ft) and after that the seperation needed is 2000 ft, FL430, 470, 510, 550 are west bound and FL450, 490, 530, 570 are east bound and then above FL600 then 5000ft is need.

RVSM airspace starts at FL290, a Non-RVSM aircraft can fly up to FL280, after that they must have RVSM equipment.
Aircraft that do not have RVSM equipment (non-RVSM) can not fly between FL290 to FL410 unless they are given a waiver by Air Traffic Controllers and we only give them to military and lifeguards, Now a non RVSM aircraft can fly up through or pass down though RVSM airspace if they can maintain flight above FL430.

VFR aircraft can fly at any alt below FL180 (18000ft), but it is recomended that they fly at even alt +500ft for west bound and odd alt +500 for east bound, unless they are in a "Class B" airspace (airspace around a large airport) then they are bound to using the correct alt for direction of flight +500ft..

Also there are times when FL180 becomes unuseable, when the altermeter readings are lower than 29.92 in

Wrong alt for directions of flight are not used very offen, maybe during midnight shifts and slow traffic times, Sometime a block (ie; FL320 to FL340, and the pilot can use any of those alts he wishes) of alt can be use for bad weather, military formation (3 or more aircraft).

Answer 4

Drewpie needs to check his information.. We went to RVSM airspace quite some time ago. Other than that all seem to be correct answers.

General aviation does fly above FL180, see it EVERYDAY.

Addendum 9/23; Scott.rm, please, pfffftt. I sometimes am not as cognizant in remembereing that alot of answers need to be broken down Barney-style for those those not invloved in the aviation industry. This particular question i just really didn't feel like breaking down the Airspace, exceptions to RVSM, and the rules, procedures, and atc coordination requirements. However, my colleague has done so below, enjoy his answer.

Answer 5

All of the above. Easy way to remember it is to recall the old Danish fighter pilot Neodd Sweven. North thru east -- Odd altitude. South thru west -- even altitude. NE-ODD SW-EVEN.

Answer 6

Yes
Odd/Even

(i) On a magnetic course of zero degrees
through 179 degrees, any odd
thousand foot MSL altitude (such as
3,000, 5,000, or 7,000); or
(ii) On a magnetic course of 180 degrees
through 359 degrees, any even
thousand foot MSL altitude (such as
2,000, 4,000, or 6,000).
(2) When operating at or above 18,000
feet MSL but below flight level 290,
and—
(i) On a magnetic course of zero degrees
through 179 degrees, any odd
flight level (such as 190, 210, or 230); or
(ii) On a magnetic course of 180 degrees
through 359 degrees, any even
flight level (such as 180, 200, or 220).
(3) When operating at flight level 290
and above in non-RVSM airspace, and—
(i) On a magnetic course of zero degrees
through 179 degrees, any flight
level, at 4,000-foot intervals, beginning
at and including flight level 290 (such
as flight level 290, 330, or 370

Answer 7

Pressure altitude affects it as well. Both pressure and density altitude affect the number of molecules of air per unit volume, and that's what affects performance.

Answer 8

yes, and the altitude depends on what ATC tells them to fly on

Answer 9

Wow Lew, for an controller, you don't know what you are talking about. Yes, above FL280 in the states is RVSM, but below that it is not.

Answer 10

yes follow the first three answers..