What do pilots do when the plane is cruising?

Passing the first waypoint after the top of climb, it is the Pilot Monitoring’s (PM) job to make a fuel check. They will look at the fuel system display and write down on the flight plan what the actual fuel on board is. They will also write down the time.

How can we control air speed?

The mechanics of airspeed control require managing three dynamic elements: power, pitch, and trim inputs. We set the power as desired for takeoff, cruise, descent, or landing. Then we adjust pitch to achieve the desired airspeed. We follow up by trimming the airplane to maintain the resulting performance profile.

What determines the speed of the aircraft in cruise?

The speed of the aircraft in cruise is determined by the forces in the horizontal axis: thrust and drag. Weight and lift are forces in the vertical axis; they do pop up in the horizontal axis, but are relatively tiny in cruise. Image source

What is the average speed of a large commercial aircraft?

An aircraft usually has the highest rate of fuel consumption when it is at its cruise speed. The average large commercial aircraft usually has a cruise speed of around 575 miles per hour (between 475 and 500 knots). Got Questions? Call Us 24-7 at (888) 507-8582.

When does an aircraft consume the most fuel?

An aircraft usually has the highest rate of fuel consumption when it is at its cruise speed. The average large commercial aircraft usually has a cruise speed of around 575 miles per hour (between 475 and 500 knots).

Why do some aircraft have to climb slowly?

So for varying weight, it is best to vary lift by varying altitude. Long range cruise aircraft would have the least fuel burn if they could gradually climb as fuel weight diminishes, however there are air traffic corridors which the aircraft needs to stay in. Cruise climb is done in steps instead.