Flight Envelope

The Flight Envelope is a graphical or conceptual representation of the boundaries within which an aircraft can safely fly. It defines the limits of speed, altitude, load factor (G-force), angle of attack, and configuration that the aircraft is certified to handle.

• Speed limits: Minimum (stall) to maximum (VMO/MMO)
• Altitude limit: Service ceiling (where climb rate drops to 100 ft/min)
• Load factor limits: +2.5g to -1.0g for transport category (FAR 25)
• V-n diagram: The classic flight envelope plot showing speed vs. load factor
• Flight envelope protection (FBW aircraft like A320) prevents the pilot from exceeding these limits
• Upset recovery training teaches pilots to recover when approaching or exceeding the envelope