Originally Posted by
Timbo
The media is saying they requested a climb from 320 up to 380.
We don't (yet) know how heavy they were, how much fuel they had, etc, but can any of you guys with lots of A320 time tell us how much stall margin you typically have, half way through a 3hr. flight, at FL380?
Will the A320 go right up there immediately after takeoff, with 168 pax and 3+hrs. fuel on board? I doubt it, since they were at 320 in the first place, but I'd like to hear more about that from some A320 pilots.
I go through close to there at 380 all the time. I hate it. The thing that gets you the most are the buildups that aren't raining yet. Middle of the night plugging along and you just get the snot kicked out of you from something you can't see or paint.
I've had guys want to go higher(insane) which puts you a lot closer to upset if you run into the top of one of those buildups. I'd rather stay lower and try to weave with a greater margin.