Step climb

[Guest bisinchi]

Hi,On the FMC, one page displays the optimum cruise altitude and the max allowed altitude, but is there anyway to predict when the step climb has to be initiated?Regards,Francois

[Guest rara_bb]

Hi there,that's rather easy... you'd always try to fly as close as possible to the optimum cruise level. So, for step climb, climb to your initial flight level first, and then keep monitoring the optimum going higher as your aircraft burns fuel. As soon as the optimum reaches a new flight level, you step-climb to this higher level.Depending on how realistic you want it, keep in mind the restrictions concerning the airway you fly on. For example in Europe, fly eastbound on odd flight levels and westbound on even flight levels.Say you are eastbound on FL350, and your optimum level climbs slowly higher. As soon as it is higher than FL360, climb to FL370. Wait until the optimum passes FL380, then climb to FL390. And so on.The max-climb altitude is rather an indication how high you could go, for example if ATC wanted you to climb, for traffic avoidance.GreetingsBEn

[Guest vrandar]

Rather than just drifting up as the optimum FL goes up, bear in mind that step climbs are frequently done in 4000ft steps.

[Guest DZollner]

Only in the US. ;)

[Iain Sealey 1]

Not for much longer RVSM is only a few months away now! No more stupid 4000ft step climbs!

[Guest rara_bb]

> Only in the US. ;)Indeed. Or rather, it depends on whether RVSM is applied.Google it, if necessary.Best greetings!BEn

[Guest vrandar]

Yes indeed, I should have expanded my response slightly.

[Guest bisinchi]

Thanks for your answers on step climb.That's what I was doing: climbing to optimum altitude and wait till it goes up 2000ft or 4000ft, then do another step climb to that altitude.I would have liked to have step climb predictions as to when the step climb would occur, to enter the new altitude for the remaining waypoints and to have a more realistic fuel prediction.Regards,Francois

[Guest catIIIdual]

hello Fran

[Guest bisinchi]

Hi,Thanks for the info!!Actually, I was wondering about the A340-300,Regards,Francois