I hope I convey my point probably, but why do planes go so many thousands of feet in the air? Is it faster that way, or could they achieve similar flight times at a lower altitude?
Does it have something to do with the curvature of the earth?
In: Engineering
Adding to all the comments about aerodynamic efficiency, airliner jets on very short flights will climb all the way to their cruising altitude and stay there for a few minutes before descending all the way down. It is worthwhile in the fuel savings to do that than cruise at a lower altitude.
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