Re:Planned GPS outages in southern California
by tinix on Wednesday June 08, 2016 @01:33AM
(#11860238)
The idea for FL290-FL410 is more to have a designated "highway" of sorts, where all craft are flying within the same system. There is no requirement for auto-pilot above FL410, for example... There are plenty of jets that can easily get that high, it's more about aerodynamics and engineering than pilot skill.
Not in RVSM airspace above FL290 (29,000 ft). In RVSM [0] airspace its required to have a functioning autopilot coupled to an altimeter of a certified accuracy (+- 65 feet)
Most pilots couldn't fly the required accuracy, that high up, for any length of time, with manual hand-flying. Even in a FBW airliner, it would be hard.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_vertical_separation_mi...