CEILING (AERONAUTICS)

With respect to aircraft performance, a ceiling is the maximum density altitude

an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions, as determined by its flight
envelope.
1. Service ceiling:
Service ceiling is where the rate of climb drops below a prescribed value. The
service ceiling is the maximum usable altitude of an aircraft.
Specifically, it is the density altitude at which flying in a clean configuration,
at the best rate of climb airspeed for that altitude and with all engines
operating and producing maximum continuous power, will produce a given
rate of climb (a typical value might be 100 feet per minute climb or 30
metres per minute, or on the order of 500 feet per minute climb for jet
aircraft).
Margin to stall at service ceiling is around 5% of stall speed.
The one engine inoperative (OEI) service ceiling of a twin-engine, fixed-wing
aircraft is the density altitude at which flying in a clean configuration, at the
best rate of climb airspeed for that altitude with one engine producing
maximum continuous power and the other engine shut down and feathered,
will produce a given rate of climb (usually 50 feet per minute). However some
performance charts will define the service ceiling as the pressure altitude at
which the aircraft will have the capability of climbing at 50 ft/min with one
propeller feathered.
2. Absolute ceiling:
Absolute ceiling is the height at which rate of climb drops to zero. The
absolute ceiling is the highest altitude at which an aircraft can
sustain level flight, which means the altitude at which the thrust of the
engines at full power is equal to the total drag at minimum drag speed.
At absolute ceiling, therefore, even with maximum power, the aircraft
can no longer accelerate or climb. Stated technically, it is the altitude
where the maximum sustained (with no decreasing airspeed) rate of climb
is zero.
Most commercial jetliners have a service (or certificated) ceiling of about
42,000 feet and some business jets about 51,000 feet.
It is impossible to reach for most (because of the vertical speed
asymptotically approaching zero) without afterburners or other devices
temporarily increasing thrust. Another factor that makes it impossible for
some aircraft to reach their absolute ceiling, even with temporary
increases in thrust, is the aircraft reaching the "Coffin Corner: At this
limit margin to stall is zero.
Flight at the absolute ceiling is also not economically advantageous due to
the low indicated airspeed which can be sustained: although the true

airspeed (TAS) at an altitude is typically greater than indicated airspeed

(IAS), the difference is not enough to compensate for the fact that IAS at
which minimum drag is achieved is usually low, so a flight at an absolute
ceiling altitude results in a low TAS as well, and hence in a high fuel burn
rate per distance traveled. The absolute ceiling varies with the air
temperature and, overall, the aircraft weight.