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There are some regions, like the Tibetan Plateau where the average elevation is actually higher than 10k feet, meaning an nosedive could technically have you hi
by qmarchi 6y ago
There are some regions, like the Tibetan Plateau where the average elevation is actually higher than 10k feet, meaning an nosedive could technically have you hit a mountain.
- groby_b 6y agoThat would be why most airlines don't fly over the Tibetan Plateau :) If you really want nightmares about flying in that region, I recommend looking at the approach to Paro airport. 7.5k elevation, surrounded by 18k peaks, horrifying turbulences.
- prepend 6y agoLukla airport is really fun, it’s at 11k and mountains all around.
- srean 6y agoIIRC till a few years ago only 4 pilots had authorization to land there. I was more scared while landing in Boston for the first time. It seemed to me that the aircraft was landing on the water, was not expecting that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLHah4XUwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbLHah4XUwk (Paro landing)
- cardiffspaceman 6y agoThere are a few "av-geek" videos that cover operations of airlines in the vicinity of the Tibetan plateau, and they talk about how the pilots have to be qualified and trained for the fact that the plane is never at an altitude where people breathe easily. Even railroad operations require things like the availability of supplemental oxygen for passengers and crew.
- kwillets 6y agoCuzco is one. I think it's higher than the pressurization altitude.
- joshvm 6y agoThis is also an issue for planes landing at the South Pole, where the plateau can have a pressure altitude of up to 12500ft. If you arrive in a Hercules (as opposed to a DC3/Basler which is unpressurised) they have to vent the cabin just before landing.