Your favorite altitude

When you are flying VFR in good weather, what is your "comfort zone" for
altitude (irrespective of regulatory or other restrictions)? At what altitude
AGL do you find that you feel a little too close to the ground, and at what
altitude MSL do you find that you feel too high for your own comfort? Also,
what type of aircraft do you normally fly (just to put these numbers in
perspective)?

--
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Mxsmanic wrote:
When you are flying VFR in good weather, what is your "comfort zone" for
altitude (irrespective of regulatory or other restrictions)? At what altitude
AGL do you find that you feel a little too close to the ground, and at what
altitude MSL do you find that you feel too high for your own comfort? Also,
what type of aircraft do you normally fly (just to put these numbers in
perspective)?

The question makes no sense as written.

Generally 3000 AGL minimum to have some glide room if the engine quits.

For short trips, 4500/5500 MSL, longer trips 5500/6500, real long
trips or over mountains, 7500/8500.

A Tiger.

--
Jim Pennino

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In mountainous areas, I like to stay at least 1000 ft. above the
highest terrain along the course. More if the winds aloft are high.
Out here in the west, it always seems like I'm bumping up against the
oxygen altitude limits if I'm IFR though...

--Dan



On Apr 11, 12:55 pm, wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:
When you are flying VFR in good weather, what is your "comfort zone" for
altitude (irrespective of regulatory or other restrictions)? At what altitude
AGL do you find that you feel a little too close to the ground, and at what
altitude MSL do you find that you feel too high for your own comfort? Also,
what type of aircraft do you normally fly (just to put these numbers in
perspective)?

The question makes no sense as written.

Generally 3000 AGL minimum to have some glide room if the engine quits.

For short trips, 4500/5500 MSL, longer trips 5500/6500, real long
trips or over mountains, 7500/8500.

A Tiger.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Dan writes:

In mountainous areas, I like to stay at least 1000 ft. above the
highest terrain along the course. More if the winds aloft are high.
Out here in the west, it always seems like I'm bumping up against the
oxygen altitude limits if I'm IFR though...

Why only when you are IFR?

I note that a lot of the areas in the western U.S. have sizable mountains.

If you have a choice between continuing straight on and climbing several
thousand feet to clear some mountains (with the potential need for
supplementary oxygen), and taking a detour to go them without a change in
altitude but at the cost of extra time and distance, which do you usually
prefer or consider more prudent?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Dan writes:

In mountainous areas, I like to stay at least 1000 ft. above the
highest terrain along the course. More if the winds aloft are high.
Out here in the west, it always seems like I'm bumping up against the
oxygen altitude limits if I'm IFR though...

Why only when you are IFR?

I note that a lot of the areas in the western U.S. have sizable mountains.

If you have a choice between continuing straight on and climbing several
thousand feet to clear some mountains (with the potential need for
supplementary oxygen), and taking a detour to go them without a change in
altitude but at the cost of extra time and distance, which do you usually
prefer or consider more prudent?

Since most aircraft don't have oxygen, the question is rather pointless.

If an aircraft does have oxygen, it most likely has the capability
of easily clearing mountains and the choice is obvious.


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

wrote:

Since most aircraft don't have oxygen, the question is rather pointless.

If an aircraft does have oxygen, it most likely has the capability
of easily clearing mountains and the choice is obvious.

A portable oxygen system is quite affordable (and actually reduces
fatigue during long flights even if you don't fly at altitudes legally
requiring to use it); quite a few normally aspirated piston singles
can fly quite happily at these altitudes (well, not by much, but
they can)

--Sylvain

writes:

Since most aircraft don't have oxygen, the question is rather pointless.

You can carry oxygen on board easily enough. It seems prudent to me to always
have oxygen on board, but that's just me.

If an aircraft does have oxygen, it most likely has the capability
of easily clearing mountains and the choice is obvious.

If the choice were obvious, I wouldn't ask.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:

Out here in the west, it always seems like I'm bumping up against the
oxygen altitude limits if I'm IFR though...

Why only when you are IFR?

I note that a lot of the areas in the western U.S. have sizable mountains.

You answered your own question; the difference to simplify a bit, is that
the minimal altitude required when flying over mountains is much higher when
flying IFR than what you can do VFR.

If you have a choice between continuing straight on and climbing several
thousand feet to clear some mountains (with the potential need for
supplementary oxygen), and taking a detour to go them without a change in
altitude but at the cost of extra time and distance, which do you usually
prefer or consider more prudent?

Depends on the weather, the aircraft I am flying, whether it is day or
night and my currency (recent flying in the conditions considered and
in turn how confident I feel doing the thing), the duration of the
flight (how tired will I be), etc.

For instance I am fine with flying over mountains, OR at night OR IFR
(in IMC that is); I am getting less confortable with two of these elements
together, and I won't go with all three. Having the choice between single
and (one) multi engine make the choice a wee bit more complicated (well,
actually no, it doesn't; considering the aircraft from which I can choose
it makes more sense economically to pick one of the single engines is
nobody else is willing to share the cost) :-)

A typical flight I have done a couple of times is flying from San Jose
to Las Vegas; I don't mind going over the mountain with a clear weather
and little wind early in the morning; but I'll make the detour southward
when flying back in the evening/night.

May be am I just a wuss,

--Sylvain

Sylvain wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:

Out here in the west, it always seems like I'm bumping up against the
oxygen altitude limits if I'm IFR though...

Why only when you are IFR?

I note that a lot of the areas in the western U.S. have sizable mountains.

You answered your own question; the difference to simplify a bit, is that
the minimal altitude required when flying over mountains is much higher when
flying IFR than what you can do VFR.

If you have a choice between continuing straight on and climbing several
thousand feet to clear some mountains (with the potential need for
supplementary oxygen), and taking a detour to go them without a change in
altitude but at the cost of extra time and distance, which do you usually
prefer or consider more prudent?

Depends on the weather, the aircraft I am flying, whether it is day or
night and my currency (recent flying in the conditions considered and
in turn how confident I feel doing the thing), the duration of the
flight (how tired will I be), etc.

For instance I am fine with flying over mountains, OR at night OR IFR
(in IMC that is); I am getting less confortable with two of these elements
together, and I won't go with all three. Having the choice between single
and (one) multi engine make the choice a wee bit more complicated (well,
actually no, it doesn't; considering the aircraft from which I can choose
it makes more sense economically to pick one of the single engines is
nobody else is willing to share the cost) :-)

A typical flight I have done a couple of times is flying from San Jose
to Las Vegas; I don't mind going over the mountain with a clear weather
and little wind early in the morning; but I'll make the detour southward
when flying back in the evening/night.

May be am I just a wuss,

Maybe, but mostly likely you will get to be an old wuss.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

the smooth one

wrote in message
...
Mxsmanic wrote:
When you are flying VFR in good weather, what is your "comfort zone" for
altitude (irrespective of regulatory or other restrictions)? At what
altitude
AGL do you find that you feel a little too close to the ground, and at
what
altitude MSL do you find that you feel too high for your own comfort?
Also,
what type of aircraft do you normally fly (just to put these numbers in
perspective)?

The question makes no sense as written.

Generally 3000 AGL minimum to have some glide room if the engine quits.

For short trips, 4500/5500 MSL, longer trips 5500/6500, real long
trips or over mountains, 7500/8500.

A Tiger.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.