Originally Posted by BoilerUP

Why? I can think of plenty of reasons to top convective activity (can also think of plenty to go around it too) and convective activity that can be topped at FL370 isn't really that tall to begin with.



Yes...but as I posted yesterday, TAS from FL310 (very near if not the altitude with the highest TAS) to the airplane's certified service ceiling of FL410 decreases no more than 10-11 knots at a constant mach.

Besides, the airplane could care less what its TAS is or if its a couple knots lower a couple thousand feet higher - IAS/CAS and Mach are what matter at high altitude.

Losing 2-3 knots of true airspeed after climbing to avoid weather/turbulence is a VERY small price to pay for pax comfort...besides, you get paid by the minute, so who cares if you get there 30 seconds later?



Just because you personally wouldn't have done it doesn't make it "experimenting"...especially when you've no idea what their weight, mach, ISA temps or what kind of convective activity they were trying to top.

To me, it sounds like the captain, presumably having more experience in type than the FO and understanding the atmospheric conditions and the limitations of his airplane, made a PIC decision to fly the airplane in the manner he saw fit, resulting in a safer situation for everybody.

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Don't mistake what I'm saying, I'm not advocating taking a CRJ-200 to FL370 or higher on all or most flights. What I am advocating is a better understanding of the airplane's very real performance limitations and high-altitude aerodynamics so that professional pilots need not fear operating their airplane 100% within its performance envelope.