FL230 in the Aerostar. It’ll do FL250 easily, but it kind of runs out of wing up there. Also, the cabin gets close to 12000ft at FL250, so it gets tiresome on long flights. Sweet spot for these is around 14K to FL200
17,650â in a PA-28 160, 26th January 1971, Oxford, Kidlington (CPL course record)
Well done. Without oxygen?
Yup, though remember giggling at the Viscount…..hypoxia setting in?
17650ft in a PA28-160 is astonishing.
I have been to about 12000 in a -161, FAA IR cross country in Arizona, 2006.
How is it possible?
ISA-20 would be a start, as would little weight and little fuel, and a very light pilot.
Of course, way back then, the course aircraft were almost brand new….so performance was nearer the published POH.
In addition, fuel was low, pilot lightweight (no longer), and it was a cold January day.
Last weekend I landed and took off the next day at 10K’ (DA 11000) at KLXV in Colorado. Then climbed to 14500 to cross the Rockies.
I did once climb to 15K over Arizona and New Mexico to get above the blowing sand. I still had 800 ft/min when I got there, but later on got into some strong wave (90 kt winds) and had to ask for a block altitude clearance. They gave me 14000-16000 and I used all of it!
Still a bit short of what Bruce Bohannon achieved in the Exxon Tiger.
Mark_1 wrote:
Last weekend I landed and took off the next day at 10Kâ (DA 11000) at KLXV in Colorado. Then climbed to 14500 to cross the Rockies.
How was the flying out there? I had planned on going to KEGE yesterday for a few days, but – alas! – had to cancel due to non-aviation life getting in the way….
172driver wrote:
How was the flying out there?
I was returning from Oshkosh to California. Excellent weather and smooth flying in the cool and clear of the morning as I departed.
Next stop was Wendover just by the Bonneville Salt Flats and then South Lake Tahoe. I think half my landings on the trip were over 6000’: Tonopah, Bryce Canyon, West Yellowstone, Leadville, Carson, Tahoe…
Nice to have a bit of surplus power at those altitudes, especially as the temperatures climb up.
I can’t remember ever being higher than 10k. I see little point of going higher than 1000 feet AGL most of the time, and that means 1k-7k in the mountains around here.
Mark_1 wrote:
ce to have a bit of surplus power at those altitudes, especially as the temperatures climb up.
Nice one!
I flew at FL180 several times, in particular when crossing the Alps. Last time with FL180 is just two days ago when a coldfront was crossing Germany from the west and I was flying IFR from EDFE to LOAN. Initially I planned to stay low at FL80, but that was severe IMC with moderate turbulences, not that much of fun. So I requested further climbs to stay above the clouds, however, some tops were even a bit higher (FL200).
As you can see on the radar the CB slightly to the left made it a good decision to climb to FL180 and thus to avoid any crossing. As for O2: mountain high works very well.
