D-RVSM altitudes

[HMR]

As for getting direct anywhere....hardly. Out west (less traffic?) the folks at ARTCC are more "giving" when it comes to direct routings. I've always wondered how, say, Seattle center will give me direct Atlanta, but Atlanta will never give me direct Seattle

2000Flyer

Good point. I used to fly premie babies to KSJC for an air-ambulence operator. One time I was holding short at Shreveport, LA and copying down my third or so re-route. The nurses in back were working harder than usual trying to stabalize this tiny little baby. One of them yelled "this kid's dying we gotta go now!" I relayed the message to the tower. A minute later we were cleared for takeoff with instructions to "turn left direct San Jose". We literally flew straight the whole way. I think we flew right over Edward's AFB. I had never seen anything like it even on other LifeFlights.

PS- I checked a few weeks later and the baby was doing fine. Thanks ATC.

 

[mmmdonut]

Falcon 2000 Certified to FL470
Falcon 50EX Certified to FL490
Falcon 900EX Certified to FL510

Gulfstream IV Certified to FL450
Gulfstream V Certified to FL510

Global Express Certified to FL510

Lear 31 Certified to FL510
Lear 60 Certified to FL510

But... But... What about the LEGACY??!?!??

 

[banned username 2]

But... But... What about the LEGACY??!?!??

The WSofD is certified to FL390... but wait! Once the new software comes it will be certified for sub-orbital flight!

 

[mmmdonut]

Is it now officially being referred to as the WSofD?? Does that also include the EMB145?

Bummer!

 

[banned username 2]

Is it now officially being referred to as the WSofD?? Does that also include the EMB145?

Bummer!

Yes, that is the new, official FAA & ICAO Designation, in Flight Plan Block #3 please place WSofD for aircraft type... ICAO would just be WSOD...

 

[HueyPilot]

Most of the newer Lears are certified to FL510. Older Lears, including the 35 I flew (C-21 in military-speak) was certified to 450.

I went to 410 often on long-range flights. Much of the flying I did was in the eastern US, so the legs weren't quite as long and the jet flew better down in the 30s. But when we went west coast or had to fly more than a 2 hour leg, it paid off to get to 410. Now, we rarely went OVER 410, mostly due to O2 requirements (USAF required one pilot to be on O2 above 410).

I went to 450 a few times, and all those times were for weather avoidance. It's easier to go around the tops of storms than to go around an entire line...but you have to use a bit of judgement and figure out if you'll clear the storms by a reasonable margin.

Main reason why I didn't go to 450 much more often aside from the O2 requirement was the airplane didn't like being at 450 much...it was a handful up there. And if you were heavy and the temp was ISA+ anything, forget 450.

 

[ATCER]

As for getting direct anywhere....hardly. Out west (less traffic?) the folks at ARTCC are more "giving" when it comes to direct routings. I've always wondered how, say, Seattle center will give me direct Atlanta, but Atlanta will never give me direct Seattle

2000Flyer

The East cost centers have a bit of a different philosophy... with the traffic flows and sector layouts directs are not something that is easily done. Giving someone direct has A/C cutting sector boundries, warning areas, etc. It's a less a personal thing and more a procedure thing.

Sure it can. It does NOT need to be RVSM capable in order to climb or decent through RVSM airspace.

Weather or not traffic and/or ATC workload will permit someone to be able to climb unrestricted for 14000 feet (yea, right) is a completely different matter. If it were me, I sure wouldn't count on it, especailly in congested airspace, and I would expect ATC personel to NOT go out of their way to make it happen ('cept for some Mil. OPS and Life Gurard).

This is correct... depending on workload we try to. In Oceanic (non-radar) we have enough trouble climbing someone 1 or 2 thousand feet, so going 14K is not common. We try and work things out for Lifegurds... I'll often give a life guard FL400 or FL 410 if they unable FL430... I just use 2000' around him.

Good point. I used to fly premie babies to KSJC for an air-ambulence operator. One time I was holding short at Shreveport, LA and copying down my third or so re-route. The nurses in back were working harder than usual trying to stabalize this tiny little baby. One of them yelled "this kid's dying we gotta go now!" I relayed the message to the tower. A minute later we were cleared for takeoff with instructions to "turn left direct San Jose". We literally flew straight the whole way. I think we flew right over Edward's AFB. I had never seen anything like it even on other LifeFlights.

PS- I checked a few weeks later and the baby was doing fine. Thanks ATC.

99% of controllers work things out for lifeguard flights... we have some bozo's who don't help out much but that is very rare... just request what you need and we'll try and work it out. For the non-RVSM lifeguards we tend to get the routing first (direct) then work out the altitude later... the pilots all seem to prefer to sacrifice altitude for routing.

Falcon 2000 Certified to FL470
Falcon 50EX Certified to FL490
Falcon 900EX Certified to FL510

Gulfstream IV Certified to FL450
Gulfstream V Certified to FL510

Global Express Certified to FL510

Lear 31 Certified to FL510
Lear 60 Certified to FL510

FL450 is becoming more common... I see a FL470 from time to time, and maybe once or twice a year I'll work a FL490 or FL510. Last week I worked a Lear 60 (That or a Citation 750, I forget) from TNCM to KTEB, he was FL470 @ M090 ... that was impressive... he got DIRECT ... LOL