Most passengers find the cruise period of a flight relaxing. When the meal service is over, it is a good time to watch a film, have another drink or take a nap. If you are sitting in first class, you will most likely have arranged your bedding.
It can be easy to forget that you are in a pressurized metal tube hurtling through the air at 600 mph. The scene at the front of the plane could not be more different.
Your pilots are awake as they navigate the aircraft through the night sky. They know how high the plane is, how fast it flies, and what's ahead for the next several hundred miles.
Life on the ground can seem a million miles away at 39,000 feet. The events that play a role in how a flight operates and the routes we fly are the geopolitics.
You can see how many points are away from you on a 10-hour flight with the free app.
Flightradar 24 will show you how many aircraft are in the air at any one time. There are areas where there are no planes.
Even though aircraft are flying thousands of feet above the ground, airlines keep a close eye on the security situation in the countries where they are flying.
Some countries may not be able to provide an air traffic service to allow aircraft to fly through their airspace.
Much of North America and Europe can be found in the Middle East and Western Asia. This corridor is used by almost all aircraft traveling between these areas.
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There are a number of areas on the map that don't have flights over them. Some countries, such as Russia, Iraq and Iran, are more limited than others.
The assessment that airlines make about certain routes and what would happen if one of their aircraft develops a technical problem that requires them to divert and land is based on this figure.
The route through Egypt and Saudi Arabia has become more difficult due to the route restrictions. This results in air traffic control delays, or "slots," which means that only a certain number of aircraft fly through that airspace in a certain time, a number which ATC can safely handle
Airlines have been exploring other routes to avoid the inevitable delays and to ensure the safety of everyone on the plane. One of the most interesting routes is the one that goes over seven countries and ends in India.
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The route sends aircraft along the eastern border of Pakistan and Tajikistan to avoid Afghan airspace. Passengers who are still awake and watching the moving map channel will see this route.
The Himalayas mountain range is getting closer, which may be noticed by the more astute traveller.
The approaching mountains are on the minds of the pilots in the quiet.
The altitude of the plane is related to the sea level. There is a lot of air between the aircraft and the water if the plane is at 39,000 feet.
It is possible to reduce the distance between the aircraft and the closest piece of rock when flying over mountains. Even if the aircraft is 39,000 feet, there is only 30,000 feet between it and the mountain.
It is important for pilots to know the lowest altitude at which they can fly in a specific area. The minimum safe altitude is what it is called. Should the pilots need to descend, this will come into play.
The height of the mountain will not be the only factor taken into account by the MSA. If the crew missed the rock and hit the mast, it would be tragic.
When pilots fly around the world, they are always aware of the MSA. This is 2,000 feet over the ocean to take into account any large ships or ships with balloons above them. The MSA is more of a problem on land than it is on the ground.
How do pilots decide how high to go?
The MSAs can ramp up quickly when flying over mountains. The Himalayas can be so high that they can provide logistical challenges for pilots.
The chart pilots have access to the chart on their tablets. The last two zeros were removed to show the route around Afghan airspace.
The safest altitude for pilots to descend is 19,800 feet, which is through southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The MSA goes up to 28,700 feet as the aircraft turn the corner.
The numbers might not be a problem for the casual observer. If an aircraft is flying at 39,000 feet, that is well above the highest of the MSAs A pilot's role is not only to think about the here and now but also about what's to come.
What if the aircraft developed a technical problem and had to descend? It is a very real consideration to have a high MSA. What would need the pilots to descend?
A loss of cabin pressurization is the first scenario that comes to mind.
The cabin of an aircraft is pressurized to make it possible for you to breathe as if you were on the ground. The pressure in the cabin is higher than the pressure in the atmosphere. When the plane is flying at 39,000 feet, the cabin altitude is around 7,000 feet.
The cabin altitude can become the same as the actual altitude of the aircraft if cabin pressurization is lost. If this happened during the flight, the cabin altitude would become so high that the people in it wouldn't be able to get enough oxygen into their systems.
Oxygen masks are dropped down in the event of a decompression to make sure everyone is breathing normally.
The job of the pilots is to descend the aircraft to an altitude where the use of the mask is no longer necessary once everyone has their masks on. It is usually between 10,000 and 14,000 feet.
We have a problem on this route. The pilots would like to descend to 10,000 feet. Two people are not compatible.
In the event of an engine failure, a descent may be necessary.
The optimum altitude can be generated by adding the wind details and the length of the route.
If one of the engines needs to be shut down, the power will be reduced by 25% on a four-engine aircraft or 50% on a two- engine aircraft. All aircraft are designed to fly safely in this situation.
It is possible that the aircraft is no longer able to maintain its current altitude, so the pilots will have to descend to an altitude at which the remaining engine power can keep the aircraft flying. The drift-down altitude is determined by the weight of the plane.
The heavier the aircraft, the more lift it needs from the wings to fly, so more engine power is needed to drive it forward. The drift-down altitude will be lowered. As the aircraft burns fuel, the drift down altitude will increase.
An engine failure is related to how aircraft are designed.
On a long flight between Amsterdam and Singapore, for example, the drift-down altitude of the plane is not as high as the one in the picture.
What do pilots do in the event of an engine shut down over a high area? Escape routes are the answer.
The flight operations department of the airline will evaluate the worst-case scenario for any route with a significant amount of MSAs. The escape route will allow the pilots to leave the high terrain and descend to either 10,000 feet or drift-down altitude in the event of an engine shutdown.
The most concerning part of the case is the fact that the plane can provide oxygen for two hours. The escape route prescribes that the pilots should descend to the MSA of 28,700 feet and then turn away from the high terrain.
This plan will let the crew know when it is safe to descend. It's possible that you won't notice much descending for a while if you were on an aircraft with a decompression over high terrain. The pilots are making sure that they are clear of the mountains before taking off.
The aircraft will be able to maintain its altitude for only a short time if the engine fails. When an engine is shut down, the airspeed will decrease to a point where the aircraft will drift down to the altitude.
As a result, it is imperative that the pilots start guiding the aircraft onto the escape route and toward the lower ground before it flies lower than the MSA.
We can relax and think about the next stage of the flight when we are away from the high terrain and over an area where the MSA is less than 10,000 feet.
With all that's happening in the world, airlines have to find new ways to get passengers to their destinations. As some of these routes take aircraft over terrain, pilots have to be aware of their position all the time.
We always plan for the worst-case scenario since safety is our top priority. We know how to deal with the problem and keep our passengers safe in the unlikely event that it happens.
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