How High Do Planes Fly?
What Affects How High Planes Fly
- Weight of the Plane: Heavier planes need to go higher, where the air is thinner, to help lift them. As the plane burns fuel and gets lighter, it can climb higher.
- Flight Length: The longer the flight, the higher the plane will go. This is because the plane gets lighter as it burns fuel and can fly higher.
- Air Traffic Control: Sometimes, air traffic control will set a limit on how high planes can go. This might be due to too many planes in the air or special rules for certain areas.
Changes in Height During a Flight
There are three main parts of a flight when it comes to how high a plane is:
- Takeoff and Climb: The plane gets off the ground and starts gaining height fast, usually getting several thousand feet up within a few minutes.
- Cruising: After climbing, the plane reaches cruising altitude and stays there for most of the flight.
- Coming Down for Landing: As the plane gets near its destination, it starts losing height slowly, eventually landing on the runway.
Military and Other Special Planes: How High They Fly
Heights for Military Planes
- Fighter Jets
These speedy and agile planes usually fly anywhere from near the ground to about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters). These heights allow them to do their jobs, like dogfighting and ground attacks. - Bombers
These planes fly high to stay safe while dropping bombs. They can fly between 40,000 and 50,000 feet (12,000 to 15,000 meters) to avoid enemy defences. - Spy Planes
Planes like the U-2 spy plane fly super high, over 70,000 feet (21,000 meters). This lets them collect information without being easily detected.
