Reaching the service ceiling (non turbine)

[Corin]

Fly at >10,000 feet regularly for fuel economy reasons, as well as possible favorable tail winds. No oxygen. I understand why people dont, but you would be crazy not too, if you are flying in a mountaneous area, solely for gliding range. 14.5 is the max I have done, and only did it twice, in the winter.

 

[TangoJulietTango]

I also routinely cruise >10,000' if I'm going greater than 150 miles or so (and if the winds are favorable). Then again, I'm driving one of those physics bending Mooneys

Hopefully soon I can get a portable oxygen setup to start exploring above 12,500. I'm NA, but there have been times I would've liked to be in the teens, and I usually still have 500fpm left when I level off.

 

[flyingron]

The O2 comes in handy at lower altitudes as well. Going high is nice at times. I've done IFR between 10,000 and 16,000 in the Navion.
One time coming out of Cincinati, Margy had to be back at work the next day so she bummed a ride with a friend who had driven to the same event. I leisurely finished breakfast and went out and preflighted the plane. I start out thinking I'm likely going to catch up with the weather at some point and need to put down. As I'm climbing out I'm thinking I can get on top of all this mess. I look at the GPS and I'm doing 180 knots GS in the climb. This is interesting. I level out and I'm doing over 240 @ 17,500'. Still, I'm thinking any minute now I'm going to have to ask for a clearance. Then suddenly the tailwind goes away (must have crossed the front). And then a giant hole opens up. I scream down through it but overshoot CJR by a bit. Still just about an hour and a half from LUK to CJR. Land and call Margy to find she's still in west viringia in the rain somewhere.

 

[Rockymountain]

Have you ever done it? Gone up as high as it can go? (NON turbine aircraft). I haven't taken the Arrow up to its max! I capped out just under 12.5 for O2 reasons and because the climb at that altitude SUUUUCCCKKSSS.

Reason I'm asking is I see some pretty ridiculous numbers cited for turbo'd aircraft on their specs, where I can't imagine anyone actually taking it up that high. For instance, a Turbo Stationair that Cessna advertises as having a service ceiling of FL260. I see a 210 Turbo with a ceiling listed at FL270. I see a couple Mooneys with similar FL250-ish levels. I'm not doubting that they can get there, but is it even remotely practical to climb that high?

From just poking around on ForeFlight and watching traffic (a favorite pastime of mine) I don't think I see planes like this usually get above low/mid teens. That's not exactly a scientific study but it makes me wonder if anyone actually does take it up that high?

Non turbine (as in jet engine jet fuel power?) or non-turbo, meaning turbocharged? I have taken turbocharged, pressurized (Malibu Mirage) and non-pressurized (Cirrus) up to 25,000 feet with ease. As to non-turbo'd, I have had my DA40 up to its maximum operating altitude of 16,300 ft. Felt like a leaf floating in the wind up there, but it got there with some patience. ;-)

 

[iamtheari]

I had my PA-28R-180 (original Arrow) at 12,000 MSL on a hot day that I later calculated was 15,000 DA, which is the ceiling listed in the POH. We were under gross, two men and full tanks, but at that altitude any input you made would cause a descent. Even adjusting the seat belt dropped us a few feet.

 

[Brad W]

Not longer after getting my PPL, I went up with a friend who was a bored CFI with no students that day in one of the school's C152s one day...just one of those bored days looking for a purpose. I think we got bored again before reaching 9,000.... I think we made 8,500ft flying out of 49ft elevation field.
That probably would have been a good day to do our "see how many spin turns we can make"....but I think we did that on a different flight.

 

[mandm]

Does less fuel and weight help us get higher?

 

[iamtheari]

Does less fuel and weight help us get higher?

Less weight does. Less fuel only helps because of the weight. Not enough fuel will definitely limit your ceiling. 8)

 

[kyleb]

Less weight does. Less fuel only helps because of the weight. Not enough fuel will definitely limit your ceiling. 8)

Carry all the fuel you can and climb the entire flight. You're at max altitude when you run out. ;-)

 

[MauleSkinner]

I had a Pawnee, PA-25, O-540 fixed pitch at 250HP, 1/2 tank fuel, get maxed out at about 3000ft AGL. Granted the airport was at 5500MSL on a hot day with a water ballasted glider in tow.

I had a 235 Pawnee that took 12 minutes to get to 1000 AGL in western MD (maybe 500’ field elevation) with a Grob 102 in tow…those things have powerful spoilers!