Welcome to an exciting and educational view of the skies above us. In this blog, we’ll look at various altitudes where some of the most interesting objects and phenomena can be found. From the gentle drift of hot air balloons and the majestic flight of vultures to the high-speed travel of jet planes and the lofty heights of the International Space Station (ISS) and beyond, the charts here showcase the diverse altitudes of these amazing natural and man-made entities.
Let’s take a look at the finished dynamic chart. Select the unit of measurement of your choice using the buttons below.
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The Upper Limits (UL) of atmospheric layers are shown with dotted lines for reference.
Karman Line shown with dots.
Some More Factoids
- Hot air balloons: Hot air balloons usually fly at altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 feet (about 300 to 900 meters). The highest altitude reached by a hot air balloon is 69,852 feet (21,027 meters), set by Vijaypat Singhania in 2005 at the age of 67.
- Birds: The highest altitude recorded for a bird in flight is held by the Rüppell’s griffon vulture. This bird has been observed flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). A Rüppell’s griffon vulture collided with a commercial aircraft over West Africa in 1973.
- Helicopters: Most helicopters fly at altitudes between 500 and 5,000 feet (about 150 to 1,500 meters). The highest recorded altitude for a helicopter is 42,500 feet (12,954 meters), achieved by Frédéric North in an AS350 B2 in March 2002.
- Karman Line: The Kármán line, located at an altitude of about 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level is considered the point where outer space begins and the atmosphere becomes extremely thin or nearly a vacuum.
- Drones: Military drones can fly at various altitudes depending on their size and capabilities. The highest-flying military drones, such as the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, can reach altitudes of up to 65,000 feet (about 19,812 meters). This drone is known for its high-altitude, long-endurance capabilities and can remain aloft for up to 35 hours.
- Clouds: The highest clouds in the troposphere between 20,000 ft (6,096 m) and 40,000 feet (12,192 m), these are common are known as cirrus clouds. Cumulus clouds are generally found at low altitudes, typically between 1,000 and 6,600 feet (about 300 to 2,000 meters). They are known for their fluffy, cotton-like appearance and flat bases. Stratus Clouds: Stratus clouds are also low-altitude clouds, usually found below 6,500 feet (about 2,000 meters). They often appear as a uniform, gray layer covering the sky, resembling a blanket. Stratus clouds can form at very low altitudes, sometimes even at ground level.
- Passenger Planes: Most commercial airplanes cruise at altitudes between 33,000 and 42,000 feet (about 10,000 to 12,800 meters). [The common cruising altitude is around 35,000 to 36,000 feet (about 10,700 to 11,000 meters).]
- Military Planes: The highest altitude achieved by a military plane was by the X-15, which reached an altitude of 354,200 feet (about 67 miles or 107 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. Other notable high-altitude military planes include the MiG E-266M, which reached 123,523 feet (about 23.4 miles or 37.6 kilometers), and the SR-71 Blackbird, which reached 85,135 feet (about 16.1 miles or 25.9 kilometers).
- International Space Station (ISS): The ISS orbits Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles (402 km).
- Space Walks: The highest altitude for a spacewalk was achieved by the Polaris Dawn mission, reaching 870 miles (1,400 km) above Earth’s surface.
- Satellites: Many of the Telecommunication satellites are in geostationary orbit (GEO), approximately 22,236 miles (35,785 km) above the equator. These are ideal for broadcasting and telecommunications services. Satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): 2,000-36,000 kilometers (1,200-22,400 miles) above Earth. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites often orbit in this range.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this. I find these facts fascinating as well as creating dynamic, completely data-driven charts based on our discoveries and events.
You may also be interested in:
https://flyingsalmon.net/ocean_depths/ (Interesting Facts at Ocean Depths)
My Patreon site (and selected downloads: workbooks, solutions, codes, etc.)
