Fl 320 2016-2021: Fill & Download for Free

I fly the 777 and as they are long haul flights, usually at around FL390 (39,000 feet above sea level) Most commercial jets usually fly between FL 300 to 390-a short haul flight such as NYC to Boston usually tops out at about FL 320 or so and then begins it’s decent into Logan, my Los Angeles to London flights are higher as the higher the altitude, you’re above bad weather and also less drag at 390 means we burn less fuelCheers,JCS

I absolutely prefer STAR's and SID's. No contest.STAR's are Standard Terminal Arrival Routes and SID's are Standard Instrument Departures. They both save greatly on radio chatter, and from the added task of following step climbs and radar vectoring issued by ATC. Every altitude change or radar vector is an additional chance for error. STAR's and SID's eliminate the extra burden of following an ATC Controller's litany of instructions.For example:Yesterday, after a moderately long flight from Dublin, Ireland, I flew the OOSHN5 RNAV STAR into Boston KBOS. My entry point was AAJAY. I was at FL320, and was issued the instructions, "Major Airline 155, cleared direct to AAJAY, cleared to descend via the OOSHN5 RNAV arrival, Runway 33L transition".KBOS OOSHN 5 RNAV ARRIVALI already had the OOSHN 5 RNAV loaded into my FMS. The lowest altitude on the RWY 33L transition is 5000 feet. I loaded that altitude into my Master Control Panel altitude window. I ensured that both LNAV and VNAV were active. The FMS followed the vertical and lateral path depicted on the arrival, and we did not receive any modifications from ATC.I did not receive another call from ATC until I approached SCITU, the last fix for the RWY 33L transition, at the required 5000 feet, 210 Knots IAS. Boston Approach Control then gave me a descent to 3000 feet, then two turns to intercept the RWY 33L Localizer. I was then cleared for the ILS 33L Approach. Finally, I was switched to tower.It only took 5 radio calls from the time I left FL 320 until I landed. A switch to Boston Approach Control, 1 descent and turn call, 1 additional turn call, an approach clearance, and a frequency switch to tower.The chance of making an error was greatly reduced. The radio frequencies were all kept free of unnecessary chatter.ATC has a far easier time of maintaining separation with well designed SID's and STAR's. On a STAR, once the spacing is accomplished at the entry point, the spacing will still exist at the final transition fix. Fine tuning may simply be a matter of extending the downwind leg between aircraft landing on the same runway. SID's also accomplish proper lateral and vertical separation at the terminating fixes.

The 737–600, -700, -800 are based on the same airframe and wings. A pilot certified on the 737 can fly all three. There are the obvious differences. The -700 is longer than the -600, the -800 is longer than the -600 and -700, while the longer -900 is longer than all three.Due to the lengthened fuselages of the -800 and -900, extra care must be taken by pilots to takeoff and land at higher airspeeds due to the longer lengths of the fuselage behind the main gear, creating a tail strike hazard (same with the A321 to the A320).All the models of the 737 cruise at the same mach numbers ~Mach .78 but their top altitudes may differ a little. The -600, -700 and -800 can fly higher at altitudes of FL 400 and FL 410, typically fly FL390 on easterly headings and FL 380 on Westerly headings. The -900 may top out at FL 360 Westerly FL370 Easterly.The -900 being a heavier airplane on long trips can’t take on more than people and baggage, making it not great for trips where airlines could add on freight. The 737–800 is great for adding freight for longer distance flights.The A321 which is a very heavy single aisle airplane with “under powered” engines can’t fly high. On a trip say between Denver and Philadelphia my only fly at FL 320.