Do you always accept SimBrief Altitudes? If not what do you use to make a different choice? 

I have a 1 hr 5 min flight in the Hjet from EGJB to EIDW at 43,000 feet. Would that altitude be used in real live for that short flight?

 

 

Its possible. Flights from Amsterdam to Scotland sometimes go FL410. Flights from Scotland to London have been know to go up to FL390 timings for these flights are around 50mins-60mins

Simbrief seems to always pick the highest possible altitude your plane can reach depending on payload. So if you are light then expect the max service ceiling for cruise in whatever plane you're in. I've gotten FL380 from simbrief using the FBW320 KLAS-KLAX. Flights don't ever go that high on such a short route. Normally I check what flights are using in real life and pick one. Otherwise I just go with what simbrief says.  

Edited July 1, 20232 yr by environmental_ice

I never use the simbrief altitudes.

For jet flights of less than 400 air miles, a good rule of thumb is to use flight distance in nm expressed as a flight level.  e.g. 310 miles -> FL310...100 miles -> FL100 (10,000') etc.  Adjust up or down a level as needed for proper hemispherical altitudes, and of course as needed for terrain clearance.

It's rare (but possible, especially flying cargo) to run into gross-weight limits on flight levels on short flights due to the low fuel loads.

8 minutes ago, Bob Scott said:

For jet flights of less than 400 air miles, a good rule of thumb is to use flight distance in nm expressed as a flight level.  e.g. 310 miles -> FL310...100 miles -> FL100 (10,000') etc.  Adjust up or down a level as needed for proper hemispherical altitudes, and of course as needed for terrain clearance.

It's rare (but possible, especially flying cargo) to run into gross-weight limits on flight levels on short flights due to the low fuel loads.

Never heard of doing this before. I like it!

When flying in North American I normally grab a real world flight from flightaware and use that altitude in Simbrief.  Since most European flights don’t have that information on Flightaware (why is that?) I just use whatever Simbrief gives me.

Will bookmark this and use all this information. Thanks a lot!

After you've built your flight, go to the "Route" section in Simbrief and click on FlightAware.  You'll see both a route analysis summary as well as real world flights.  Find your route in the itemized list and see what FL real world airlines are flying (at least for US flights).  Go back and plug that FL into your flight selections for a more realistic flight.  Otherwise as noted, you'll just get the max cruising level which is often impossible to fly on short routes.           

2 hours ago, Bob Scott said:

For jet flights of less than 400 air miles, a good rule of thumb is to use flight distance in nm expressed as a flight level.  e.g. 310 miles -> FL310...100 miles -> FL100 (10,000') etc.  Adjust up or down a level as needed for proper hemispherical altitudes, and of course as needed for terrain clearance.

It's rare (but possible, especially flying cargo) to run into gross-weight limits on flight levels on short flights due to the low fuel loads.

Would 282 NM be FL 280? 

Edited July 1, 20232 yr by reecemj

1 hour ago, caneman said:

After you've built your flight, go to the "Route" section in Simbrief and click on FlightAware.  You'll see both a route analysis summary as well as real world flights.  Find your route in the itemized list and see what FL real world airlines are flying (at least for US flights).  Go back and plug that FL into your flight selections for a more realistic flight.  Otherwise as noted, you'll just get the max cruising level which is often impossible to fly on short routes.           

You can fly the max alright, you just won't be able to land.😉

6 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

You can fly the max alright, you just won't be able to land.😉

womp womp 

3 hours ago, reecemj said:

Would 282 NM be FL 280? 

Yes, unless you're eastbound, in which case FL270 or FL290 would be appropriate.

I think Simbrief also takes the winds into consideration. I have done a lot of flights lately in the ATR between EGPH and EGPB. Sometimes I get Fl 240 and a few days later I get Fl 200 for the same route.

Edit: Weights were the same in these flights.

Edited July 1, 20232 yr by Gerwil

6 hours ago, regis9 said:

Since most European flights don’t have that information on Flightaware (why is that?) I just use whatever Simbrief gives me.

It won't show you the filed altitude, but the track log at the bottom of the map shows the altitiude they stopped climbing at

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW420/history/20230701/0537Z/EGLL/LEMG

You can also open it for an exact number.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW420/history/20230701/0537Z/EGLL/LEMG/tracklog

 

As for why, I guess filled flight plans aren't public information, or Flightaware isn't allowed to use it.

Edited July 1, 20232 yr by Tuskin38