Speeding too fast

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My friend and I are talking about planes. We were wondering if they
can speed. Like go faster than you're supposed to? How would that
work? or can you go as fast as you can?

Jessy

-- Jessica Wood, October 30, 2005

Answers

Above 10,000' you can go as fast as you like. Below 10,000' and in the vicinity of airports, a speed limit of 200 or 250 knots (230-285 mph) is imposed. Military training flights sometimes go faster than this, flying low over the terrain along specified routes and in specified and charted training areas.

-- Philip Greenspun, October 30, 2005

But if you were to go faster when you're not supposed to, what kind of trouble would you get in?

-- Jessica Wood, October 31, 2005

Or would you damage the plaine by going full throttle, or just waste a lot of fuel?? Jessy

-- Jessica Wood, October 31, 2005

Your ground speed is dispalyed on the air traffic controller's screen. Having an idea of the winds aloft and other aircraft's ground speed, they can determine if you are speeding below 10,000'. The only danger is simply running into other aircraft. Above 10,000' going fast is typically good for fuel effiency, to a point. If you go above the manufacturer's recommended maximum airpseed the excessive air loads may over stress the airframe. In extreme cases there may be a material failure. Secondly, going too fast in jet aircraft approaches the speed of sound. Near this the airflow becomes very turbulent and a massive amount of drag is induced. Turbulent airflow is bad for lift drag is bad for fuel economy.

-- Bradrick Pretzer, November 1, 2005