Slow planes in the FL?

[meritflyer]

Does it hack ATC off if there is a C182T or even a PC-12, King Air, or TBM up in the high flight levels?

I'd still fly up there if I owned one of those bad boys but just curious if ATC thinks "oh great" when a aircraft in the FL is zipping around at 250 knots.

[Andrew_VT]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Does it hack ATC off if there is a C182T [...] in the high flight levels?

Just thought that was funny. A 182 in the HIGH flight levels. I've heard the lower flight levels (180-250) are pretty uncrowded compared to the jet altitudes. I've been told the VLJs trying to fly at 300kts at FL410 to get their max range are going to be a real problem.

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Does it hack ATC off if there is a C182T or even a PC-12, King Air, or TBM up in the high flight levels?

Yes...

[staplegun]

Originally Posted by Andrew_VT

I've been told the VLJs trying to fly at 300kts at FL410 to get their max range are going to be a real problem.

I doubt they'll get to 300 Kts...

Most high-performance aircraft transition to Mach number in the high 20's-low 30's. As you climb with a constant Mach IAS(indicated airspeed) drops. At FL410 the B-767 flying at Mach .80 will usually have IAS below 250 Kts...

Now, if you're talking TAS(True airspeed) then you are correct!

Kevin

[Andrew_VT]

Originally Posted by staplegun

Now, if you're talking TAS(True airspeed) then you are correct!

I was... and yes 300kts is pathetic but from what I've read on the eclipse aviation critic blog (which I am hopelessly addicted too) thats the only way the eclipse will come close to pulling off its range specs.

[NJA_Capt]

Originally Posted by staplegun

At FL410 the B-767 flying at Mach .80 will usually have IAS below 250 Kts...

Gee, and all this time I've been fussing about the CRJs being speedbumps.......and it was the 767s

[MFT1Air]

Originally Posted by Fox Xray

Yes...

Funny. . .less is more!

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by Fox Xray

Yes...

Sorry. I fly my T182 at FL180-200 sometimes. I file for 170 KTAS.

There are other birds in the sky other than airliners. Those damn jet jocks.

[Fox Xray]

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Sorry. I fly my T182 at FL180-200 sometimes. I file for 170 KTAS.

There are other birds in the sky other than airliners. Those damn jet jocks.

Those altitudes are just so bad to fly at from the perspective of ATC. Sectors are broken up into altitude stratum's... generally in a center you'll have FL230 and below, FL240 through somewhere in the 30's, say FL340. Then FL350 and above. FL350 and above is cruising, FL240 - FL340 is cruising and some transition to the higher sectors, and FL230 and below is transition, climbing or descending in and out of the higher FL's and some low level (12000 and below) enroute traffic. The problem is cruising at FL180 - FL230 puts you at the top of that transition sector, not a good place to be for us (ATC). Not only is an A/C flying there... it is flying S L O W ... that A/C just becomes the ultimate fly in the ointment. We have to do a lot of vectoring to get A/C around the slower A/C ... vectoring the slower A/C doesn't work, it's to S L O W ... LOL. A high number of OE's happen to ATC when a high slow A/C is in the sector... it disrupts the flow.

BUT ... that's the nature of the job. It USED to be why we were paid the big bucks...