Air France B747 Boeing 747-428FER (B744) at FL 450

Comhrá

Saw AF B747 Cargo going over at FL 450 this evening. This is pretty rare for any commercial jet, isn't it? Why would it go to such a high cruise level?

[IMG][/img] AF at fl450 by Tipp55, on Flickr

robclay26

I would think its a error with the site. 747's Generally cruise between FL320 and FL380

Comhrá

I think their service ceiling is in fact FL 450, but I've never seen one that high, in thirty years of spotting.

Ilyushin76

Don't think its a mistake,that flight was at 41,000 feet over the US so after crossing the Atlantic 45,000 doesn't seem too strange.It was also a cargo flight so might have had very little cargo on-board which allowed it to fly that high?

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

Davidth88

Back in the 70's the PanAm 707's were often to be found flying at FL410 or thereabouts over London.

45zero seems pretty high , never seen that before

Mr Benevolent

It's very unlikely to be cruising at FL450. More like FL410, or at a real push, FL430. There's no way a commercial jet would cruise at its service ceiling, it's too impractical.

smurfjed

Service ceiling is 45'100 on FAA registered aircrafcruises by not cruise at 450 if performance permits? I have to admit that I know nothing about AF regulations pertaining to use of O2, but for us, above 410 both must be using it.

Smurfjed

EchoIndia

Several years ago, when Air France 747s were visiting Dublin for maintenance, I saw one of their 747-400s depart Dublin empty, for Paris. The flight requested and was granted FL450 en route, so it's not unheard of. It's the only time I ever heard a 747 going higher than FL410, though.

FuzzyDunlop100

Confab wrote: »

It's very unlikely to be cruising at FL450. More like FL410, or at a real push, FL430. There's no way a commercial jet would cruise at its service ceiling, it's too impractical.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's so impractical about it?

Kapellmeister

Sorry I couldnt get screenshots from flightradar, but over the last couple of days I saw an Air France 744 at Fl430 and an Air France 777 at FL430. Never seen any other airlines operate at this altitude before!

Milan Cobian

There's no way a commercial jet would cruise at its service ceiling, it's too impractical.

Out there in the real world, it happens all the time. If the aircraft is light enough to make the service ceiling, it's as practical a level as any other. As long as the sector is long enough, a commercial will almost certainly climb as high as the weight and conditions permit - if that level is the ceiling, no worries.