When climbing from a pressure altitude of 2,000 ft with a temperature of 10 °C to cruise altitude of 9,000 ft, what is the distance required?

To determine the distance required to climb from a pressure altitude of 2,000 ft to a cruise altitude of 9,000 ft, consider the altitude change and the general rate of climb for a commercial aircraft under standard conditions.

First, calculate the difference in altitude between 2,000 ft and 9,000 ft, which is 7,000 ft. The horizontal distance required for a climb can be estimated using the aircraft’s rate of climb and a standard climb gradient.

In technical terms, a typical commercial aircraft's rate of climb can vary, but a common estimate is around 500 to 1,000 ft per minute depending on the aircraft type and conditions. For the calculation, if we assume a climb rate at a reasonable 1,000 feet per minute and an average groundspeed of about 120 knots during the climb, we can work out the distance required.

To convert the altitude change into time, divide the total change in altitude (7,000 ft) by the rate of climb (1,000 ft/min), yielding 7 minutes of climb time.

During this time, if the aircraft travels at 120 knots, this translates to:

Distance = Groundspeed × Time.

Distance = 120 knots × (