I was cruising at 36,000 feet last week when ATC cleared another aircraft at 37,000 directly above us.

That’s 1,000 feet between two planes flying at 500+ mph.

Sound insane? It’s actually one of the safest things happening in the sky right now.

It’s called RVSM. Above 29,000 feet, we only need 1,000 feet of vertical separation. Not miles. Not even half a mile. A thousand feet.

And here’s why no pilot loses sleep over it: modern autopilots hold altitude within a few feet. Not “roughly.” A few feet. The precision is almost absurd.

This system doubled the number of available flight levels. Less congestion. Smoother routes. Less fuel burned. Everybody wins.

Still nervous about 1,000 feet? Think about this — on a two-lane highway, oncoming traffic passes you at a combined 120 mph with about 6 feet of separation.

I’ll take 1,000 feet any day. ✈️

Ever looked out the window and spotted another plane nearby? Tell me what you saw — I’ll explain exactly what was going on. 👇