High Altitude Flying & Cruising Speed

**Snewto00** · 05-08-2005, 10:01 PM

I need help! Please be gentle in the feedback as I am a novice. 8-)

In FS9, it is virtually impossible for me to get an aircraft to fly above 33,000 feet. If I'm lucky enough to find a plane that can make it above that, the speed is so affected that the plane flys at an angle. If I add flaps to level the plane, it slows the plane to stall.

Is there anything that I can do to get my planes to fly at higher altitudes without stalling?

Also, I am unable to get any of my planes to fly above 350kts without the "overspeed" warning being activated. I assumed that most planes 737 & higher can cruise at speeds at or in excess of 450kts.

How can I increase the cruising speed without getting the "overspeed" warning?

Thanks in advance!

Stewart

**rservice** · 05-08-2005, 10:35 PM

You need to read the cockpit basics section in the learning centre, particularly, how the airspeeed indicator works.Learn the difference between indicated air speed (KIAS) and true airspeed(TAS), also ground speed (gs).Bear in mind that safe speeds also depend on altitude. The barber pole on some aircraft indicates maximum safe speed at a given altitude. If you check ground speed on the GPS, you will notice that it generally increases above KIAS as you gain altitude.
Headwinds, tailwinds and crosswinds also affect speed.
The heavies may fly with a degree of pitch which is normal and will be more pronounced if you have maximum fuel loads. As fuel burns off, the pitch will decrease some what. Most heavies perform what they call a step climb, i.e. climb to a certain altitude determined by the aircraft specs until enough fuel is burned off ( reducing weight) and then continue climbing to assigned flight level. Hope this helps.
Ron

**dwitek** · 05-09-2005, 02:33 PM

You may also want to check your payload and fuel load. If you are at maximum or above you may have trouble climbing higher than FL330.

The max speed of the plane is a function of indicated airspeed. SInce the air thins as you climb the amount of air passing through tube is less and less thus showing a lower speed INDICATED on the guage. Your groundspeed will be much higher. I find that when I'm doing around 350 knots indicated at FL300, the ground speed will be 460-520 depending on wind, air pressure, etc.