Hot and high
Hot and high refer to two different things that can make it hard for airplanes to take off and fly properly.
First, let's talk about "hot." When it's hot outside, the air gets thinner. Thinner air makes it harder for airplanes to get enough lift to take off and stay in the air. Think of it like jumping on a trampoline. If the trampoline is really bouncy, it's easy to jump high. But if the trampoline is old and worn out, you might not be able to jump as high because it's not bouncy anymore. The same thing happens with air. When it's hot, the air is like an old trampoline that isn't bouncy, which makes it harder for airplanes to get enough lift.
Now, let's talk about "high." When airplanes fly at a very high altitude, there is less air pressure pushing against the wings. This means the airplane has to fly faster to stay in the air. It's like riding a skateboard. When you're going downhill, you can go really fast without even pushing because gravity is helping you. But when you're trying to skateboard uphill, you have to push really hard to make progress because gravity is fighting against you. The same thing happens with airplanes. When they're flying high, they have to work harder to stay in the air because there is less air pressure pushing them up.
So when we say "hot and high," we mean a situation where it's both hot outside and the airplane is flying at a high altitude. This combination makes it even harder for airplanes to fly properly because there is less air pressure and the air is thinner, which can make it harder for them to get enough lift to take off and stay in the air. Airplanes have to be designed and operated in a special way to handle these conditions, so they don't crash or have other problems.
First, let's talk about "hot." When it's hot outside, the air gets thinner. Thinner air makes it harder for airplanes to get enough lift to take off and stay in the air. Think of it like jumping on a trampoline. If the trampoline is really bouncy, it's easy to jump high. But if the trampoline is old and worn out, you might not be able to jump as high because it's not bouncy anymore. The same thing happens with air. When it's hot, the air is like an old trampoline that isn't bouncy, which makes it harder for airplanes to get enough lift.
Now, let's talk about "high." When airplanes fly at a very high altitude, there is less air pressure pushing against the wings. This means the airplane has to fly faster to stay in the air. It's like riding a skateboard. When you're going downhill, you can go really fast without even pushing because gravity is helping you. But when you're trying to skateboard uphill, you have to push really hard to make progress because gravity is fighting against you. The same thing happens with airplanes. When they're flying high, they have to work harder to stay in the air because there is less air pressure pushing them up.
So when we say "hot and high," we mean a situation where it's both hot outside and the airplane is flying at a high altitude. This combination makes it even harder for airplanes to fly properly because there is less air pressure and the air is thinner, which can make it harder for them to get enough lift to take off and stay in the air. Airplanes have to be designed and operated in a special way to handle these conditions, so they don't crash or have other problems.