Question #8bd73
2 Answers
Low air density
Explanation:
The stratosphere is the region above Earth's surface starting about 10-13km and extends up to 50km.
The reason why commercial airplanes don't fly in this region is mainly due to its low air density; in which an airplane will have less lift and its engine will have less oxygen to support combustion which creates thrust. Albeit there is less aerodynamic and parasitic drag. The stratosphere is also extremely cold, it is usually 0°C±5. This means that an improperly protected aircraft could literally freeze up.
They do.
Explanation:
The majority of commercial jet aircraft travel in the lower parts of the stratosphere. They do this because the lower density means less drag on the aircraft. They also want to be up there because they will be above the majority of severe weather.
It is common for a Boeing 737 to fly at around 35,000 ft but can fly up to about 45,000ft. The base of the stratosphere is 26,000 ft near the poles and around 30,000 ft in temperate regions. Military aircraft can easily get into the high 50,000ft range and some even higher. Air traffic control actively keep aircraft separated up to 60,000 ft. So little air traffic flies above that point that there is no reason to provide air traffic control.
