Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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You don’t think much about the speed of sound in your piston aircraft—but in jets flying at the flight levels, Mach number becomes the critical limitation. In this video, we break down:
✈️ Why true airspeed and indicated airspeed stop telling the full story at altitude
✈️ How the speed of sound changes with temperature and altitude
✈️ What “critical Mach” means and why it matters for airliners
✈️ The phenomenon of coffin corner—when stall speed and Mach limits squeeze together
✈️ How Airbus flight deck displays show stall protection and maximum Mach
By the end, you’ll see exactly why jet pilots reference Mach instead of knots, and how coffin corner shapes airline operations.
Check out Commercial Ground School at flight-insight.com/commercial
You don’t think much about the speed of sound in your piston aircraft—but in jets flying at the flight levels, Mach number becomes the critical limitation. In this video, we break down:
✈️ Why true airspeed and indicated airspeed stop telling the full story at altitude
✈️ How the speed of sound changes with temperature and altitude
✈️ What “critical Mach” means and why it matters for airliners
✈️ The phenomenon of coffin corner—when stall speed and Mach limits squeeze together
✈️ How Airbus flight deck displays show stall protection and maximum Mach
By the end, you’ll see exactly why jet pilots reference Mach instead of knots, and how coffin corner shapes airline operations.
