Crusing altitudes

[no1pilot2000]

What is the average cruising altitudes of an aircraft like the Saab 340/Dash 8 vs. an RJ from airport in the DC area to a NY area airport?

 

[asayankee]

What is the average cruising altitudes of an aircraft like the Saab 340/Dash 8 vs. an RJ from airport in the DC area to a NY area airport?

I just did IAD to ALB the other day and they wouldn't let us get above FL200 in the CRJ.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

!

A TP on that route will be in the low teens an RJ will be high teens to about 20K You are staying low either way... It's a route better suited for something like a Q400.

 

[RJLoser]

The Q: FL450

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Are you sure it isn't more like FL045 and VFR to aviod the flow control... just follow the Hudson, or if you must IFR follow I95. I heard this was part of Allegheney's Dash 8 newhire training checkride.

 

[no1pilot2000]

Just wondering. Years ago, I flew Piedmont from BWI to HPN, and the pilot announced that the cruising altitude would be 15,000 feet. Does ATC keep aircraft flown by the regional airlines at lower altitudes? What is the service ceiling for props vs. RJ's?

 

[Jar Jar]

Just wondering. Years ago, I flew Piedmont from BWI to HPN, and the pilot announced that the cruising altitude would be 15,000 feet. Does ATC keep aircraft flown by the regional airlines at lower altitudes? What is the service ceiling for props vs. RJ's?

Just be thankful you got 1/3 the radiation you woulda got on an rj

 

[dojetdriver]

What is the average cruising altitudes of an aircraft like the Saab 340/Dash 8 vs. an RJ from airport in the DC area to a NY area airport?

Just wondering. Years ago, I flew Piedmont from BWI to HPN, and the pilot announced that the cruising altitude would be 15,000 feet. Does ATC keep aircraft flown by the regional airlines at lower altitudes? What is the service ceiling for props vs. RJ's?

As others have pointed out, the prop stays down low, not much higher than than the low teens. Try to get it any higher and it's messing up the faster jet traffic trying to climb behind it. More on this in a sec. The "RJ" or any other jet probably won't get much higher than the mid 20's. Not efficient to try to get it to go any higher, only to have to start descending again. Not only that , but there is all the traffic coming up the Hebrew highway funneling into the NYC airport arrival tracks.

When I commuted from IAD to LGA, the ride on a jet (CRJ, ERJ, or 757) usually took in the 90 minute range. Doing it on a -8, slightly over an hour.

 

[Baronman]

When I commuted from IAD to LGA, the ride on a jet (CRJ, ERJ, or 757) usually took in the 90 minute range. Doing it on a -8, slightly over an hour.

90 minute flight time from DC to LGA? Where did they send you, to Cleveland? I think typical flight time in the RJ from DC to EWR is 35-40 min flown around 16,000-FL200.

 

[dojetdriver]

90 minute flight time from DC to LGA? Where did they send you, to Cleveland? I think typical flight time in the RJ from DC to EWR is 35-40 min flown around 16,000-FL200.

Gate to gate. By the time the vectoring/slowing, etc was done, THEN wait for the gate, it was pretty average to have those kind of block times.

If you've done that flying and/or commute, sure, YMMV.

 

[BoilerUP]

10,000ft PHL-DCA (IIRC dispatch filed 12k but we were often held to 10); I think LGA-DCA was FL200, maybe FL220.

LGA-PHL? 8,000ft in the CRJ.

 

[sinkrate]

The altitudes you get going north/south on the east coast during busy periods is a function of the route you file, not your AC capabilities. If you file a TEC route you will typically be held to 10 or 12 thousand feet, regardless of AC type. The advantage of a TEC route is you never deal with center and you won't get a 'flow time' or EDCT - you leave when you are ready, first come first served. If you file a preferred route that is on Victor airways you won't get higher than the high teens. If you file a route on jet ways you will get higher. File either of these routes and your departure time will be managed by the Center facility, not the departure or arrival airport.

So I could depart on schedule I have been from DTW-SAV at 17,000 feet and for a MSN-DCA leg filed at 11,000 feet. For the MSN-DCA leg Chicago and Cleveland centers gave us F230. Washinton center told Cleveland it would be a three hour hold if we stayed at F230. We came down to 11,000 and joined the TEC route at PIT. From there went to DCA with no delays and without talking to center.

As far as air carriers go some dispatchers know how to use TEC routes, some don't. Some airlines seem to be completely clueless about them. In general, turboprop dispatchers seem to be a lot more familiar with them.

 

[Raskal]

Just did JFK-DCA at 8000 for the second time in a 900, JFK-PHL was filed for 180 but we never got above 10000.

 

[Godfather]

Per ATC Letters of Agreement with NYC (N90), PHL Tracon, New York and Washington Centers here are the altitude/route pairings...

From DCA/IAD/BWI and DC area satellite airports to LGA/EWR/TEB
*T-Props 13000' initial with step down to 12000-11000 for PHL hand-off Routing via Wooly/Odessa/DQO.
*Jets to LGA/EWR/HPN FL210 with step down from Center via STAR.
*JFK/ISP/HPN via Sea Isle 17000 props/FL230 jets via STAR

PHL to DC area 10000 all aircraft...
PHL to NYC 7000 for EWR/TEB/MMU 8000 LGA/JFK/HPN all aircraft

NYC to PHL 8000 all aircraft and all airports

NYC to DC
*T-Props 14000 via Biggy-MXE-V3-BWI for DCA/BWI or Eliot-ETX STAR for IAD/HEF
*Jets same routes/destinations except FL220 as max final

NYC-CHO (for you Mesaba guys that will be on this route soon)
*T-Props from LGA/HPN/JFK/EWR
-Hi-Route Biggy-J75-GVE FL180 min-FL240 max.
-Low Route White-V1-CYN-V229-PXT-Tappa-CHO 8000' min-16000' max or alternate long way via Eliot-ETX-V162-HAR-MRB-MOL-CHO 8000' min-14000' max
*Jets FL220 min FL280 max via Biggy-J75-GVE-CHO or Lanna-J48-CSN-CHO

I may be incorrect on some of this but this according Hurricane at ZNY and many moons of flying those routes.

Hope this helps