CFN – Pilot Dan Baz is answering your flying questions here on the Cornwall Free News.
If you have a question about flying you can email Captain Dan or post below.
Question
Are there speed limits in the sky ?Question asked by Michelin.
Answer
Yes, there are speed limits in the sky. There are general speed limits and specific speed limits. At altitudes below 10,000 feet above sea level, maximum speed is 250 knots (450 kms/hr).
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Airplanes coming in for landing, descending below 3,000 feet above ground and within 18 kms of an airport must not exceed speed of 200 knots (360 kms/hr). There are speed limits for aircraft circling in a holding pattern. These speed limits vary depending on airplane’s altitude and category of aircraft (jet or propeller).
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These are general speed limits, governed by Canadian Air Regulations. In addition to these limits, there may be specific speed limits at certain points in airspace for both departing and arriving airplanes. These speeds are shown on navigation charts.Each aircraft type also has design speed limits, that pilots must respect. There is a structural maximum speed limit. This is to ensure that aerodynamic forces acting on an airplane are not too excessive, thus causing damage to the airplane. For jet airplanes there is also a Speed of Sound limit, Mach limit, to ensure that an airplane will not generate a sonic shock wave. This Mach limit is normally between 80 to 90% of the speed of sound, depending on airplane type.
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A bit more about Captain Dan:
Captain Dan Baz enrolled in Flight School at the age of 16.
He has completed studies in Aircraft Engineering and Master of Business Administration. He has been at the controls of many different types of aircraft, from single engine Cessnas to large intercontinental jets on global routes.
Over the last four decades he has flown thousands of hours up in the blue sky.
Have a question for the Captain ? Send it to Captain Dan Baz captaindanbaz@yahoo.com Every week a question from the readers will be selected and answer posted in this column.
