Except in high winds aloft or bad turbulence, I have found that flying
low (safety permitting) generally results in the most optimum
solution. Climbing higher for better tailwind doesn't buy more than a
few minutes. Of course, the ratio of climb time to cruise time has a
big effect too. There are too many variable to make a rule of thumb.
What I do is try a few altitudes on DUATs flight planner and pick the
lowest altitude that seems reasonable.



"John Harlow" wrote in message ...
I'd like to get input on opinions on the "best" VFR altitude for a route.

It seems to me it's largely based on distance, winds aloft and comfort
level. Do you have a "rule of thumb" trading off altitude (and therefore
safety margin) to avoid headwinds? Or, if winds aloft are to your
advantage, how high would someone go in a 172 class aircraft before returns
diminish?