step climb

verb

To periodically climb to higher and higher altitudes during cruise flight, as the aircraft becomes lighter from fuel burnoff, to take advantage of the reduced drag at higher altitudes; like cruise-climbing, but with the aircraft climbing in discrete steps instead of continuously.

“The step climb from FL340 through FL360 and FL380 to FL400 will reduce our fuel burn compared to if we cruised at FL340 for the whole flight.”

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Meanings

verbstep climb (third-person singular simple present step climbs, present participle step climbing, simple past and past participle step climbed)

present singular third person step climbs · participle present step climbing · participle past step climbed · past step climbed · alternative step-climb

  1. intransitiveusuallyaeronauticsTo periodically climb to higher and higher altitudes during cruise flight, as the aircraft becomes lighter from fuel burnoff, to take advantage of the reduced drag at higher altitudes; like cruise-climbing, but with the aircraft climbing in discrete steps instead of continuously.

    The flight plan called for step climbing from an initial cruising altitude of FL330 to the final altitude of FL350 halfway through the flight.

nounstep climb (plural step climbs)

plural step climbs · alternative step-climb

  1. aeronauticsAn instance of step climbing.

    The step climb from FL340 through FL360 and FL380 to FL400 will reduce our fuel burn compared to if we cruised at FL340 for the whole flight.

Cite this entry
APA

step climb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20climb

MLA

“step climb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20climb. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “step climb,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step%20climb.

Source: step climb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.