For a 50-minute flight, what is the most theoretically efficient altitude to climb to?
A) 5,000 feet
B) 10,000 feet
C) 15,000 feet
D) if you can get there, 20,000 feet
The altitude worth climbing to is approximately equal to the duration of the flight in minutes multiplied by 300. For a 50-minute flight, if you have oxygen or are in a pressurized aircraft, it’s worth climbing to 15,000 feet (300 x 50), even if it means that you start right back down again.