What are the optimal cruise FL for CL650? How to determine?

[Gábor]

So far I am traveling on FL400/FL410.

But do not know if this is always right.

Thanks.

[Gábor]

Usually just 2 crew, around 3.5 t of fuel...

[Cameron]

The optimal cruise is based on varying factors day in and day out. Headwinds, tailwinds, route, etc. There is no magic answer for this question. It's all about your flight planning!

[Gábor]

5 minutes ago, Cameron said:

The optimal cruise is based on varying factors day in and day out. Headwinds, tailwinds, route, etc. There is no magic answer for this question. It's all about your flight planning!

Can I rely on the FL suggestion by Simbrief? Usually is always around FL370

Edited January 9, 2022 by Gábor

[Cameron]

I would assume that Simbrief is probably smart enough to run those calculations, yes.

[Graeme_77]

Ops Reference manual has some clues too. In the documentation folder.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Graeme_77

[mraviator]

Stick with Simbrief. I've done some comparison with ForeFlight performance calculations and they are very close between one another (and ForeFlight is based on the full Bombardier performance datasets). In general, the higher the better, unless unfavorable winds work against you (lower fuel flow and better KTAS up higher). If you're pushing max range, you might not be able to cruise at the highest flight level initially and will need to level off prior, and then step-climb up higher when lighter. Basically if you're struggling to get to your desired altitude, you're likely hot/heavy. Cruise lower for an hour then step up 2000 ft. 

[amyinorbit]

Simbrief is pretty hit and miss (and “miss” more than often) when it comes to cruise levels. As Graeme mentioned, these numbers are all in the Ops Reference document that comes with the plane — use it