3 ms·
I actually think this was one of the better articles on aviation related topics. ;) BTW, 3000fpm is quite a lot since the plane was not pressurized.
by lsh123 9y ago
I actually think this was one of the better articles on aviation related topics. ;)
BTW, 3000fpm is quite a lot since the plane was not pressurized.
- rdlecler1 9y agoThere’s 5200 feet in a mile, so they’re descending about 1/2 mile per minute, or 30mph in the vertical direction—-a little higher than school zone speed. Considering the jet would be flying 250-500mph at that point, it doesn’t seem too drastic.
- lsh123 9y agoThe direction of movement is important. To compare, GA (small) planes typically descent at 500-700 fpm (my wife complains if I descend faster than 1000 fpm :) ). Jets usually do 1000-1500 fpm. Elevators in skyscrapers can go up to 1500-2000 fpm. The limiting factor is that for many people feeling partially weight-less causes nausea. Not to mention the pressure change (especially for kids and sick/old people).