Hello there.
I’m trying to figure out what the cruise speed and altitude I should be flying across the Atlantic in the 737 max.
If I depart from Heathrow using the IFR flight plan to Ottawa ATC instructs me to reach a altitude of 12000 at speed of no more than 220 knots then the only other instruction I get is to resume own navigation?
Is it up to the pilot as to what altitude/speed I travel at?
Or should I be using a different form of navigation?
Thanks.
In short, complicated. The in game ATC is not really useful for these purposes. One way of figuring out a good combination of FL and speed is through SimBrief planning. If you mean transatlantic routes, there are specific published airways (NATs). As far as I know, SimBrief probably had taken that into consideration. The cruise speed is more specific to the aircraft. Unfortunately, I don’t think the 737 Max model you mentioned has a function flight computer which usually calculates the economic performance. Again, using SimBrief as reference will work.
Edit: the ATC instruction might be a constraint in your Standard Instrument Departure procedure.
Hi thanks. I will check out simbrief planning.
I thought the route was already set out when you select departure and arrival on the selection screen?
I don’t know how realistic the flight plan is on fs.
I did another flight in the same plane/ departure and arrival airports and I was instructed to cruise at a different altitude this time, right between low and high level clouds, is that how IFR works?
From what I’ve been reading planes don’t fly through cloud, they either fly below or above and will fly at a high altitude to avoid bad weather or to fly with the wind (if possible) for better fuel economy?
Sorry I’m a complete novice with all this flying stuff.
Thanks.