Commercial airliners typically cruise between 33,000 and 39,000 feet, primarily to achieve greater fuel efficiency. Private jets, on the other hand, tend to fly even higher, between 39,000 and 45,000 ...
The author's flying career progressed from a used Beechcraft Musketeer to progressively faster and more sophisticated aircraft, culminating in a turbine-powered Piper Cheyenne and later jet aircraft.