Density Altitude Lift Payload 
AeroSavvy
AUGUST 20, 2021
I spent a few months researching aircraft performance and high altitude airport flying techniques. Density Altitude Piston engines, wings, and propellers lose efficiency as they climb to less dense air at higher altitudes. As altitude increases, air molecules spread out, resulting in less power and lift.
Plane and Pilot
JULY 2, 2024
And the finest example of a Cirrus SR22 is not going to want to lift a full load out of a backcountry strip on a warm afternoon with a density altitude reading five digits. We may be the best pilot ever born, but we can’t force a tired Skyhawk to climb above its genuine absolute ceiling, undefined by any performance chart.
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