FMC Max cruise altitude.
Had a route check ride with a long time airline captain in his late forties and an old check pilot on the jump seat. It was a transoceanic flight at FL 350 as we encounter some high clouds giving rise to some light to moderate chops. The skipper checked the route forecasts for any turbulence and tropopause, etc and checking the FMC/QRH ( it was his check flight as well ), the maximum FMC cruising altituse was FL375. Checking the weather radar, there wasn't any CBs and the route legs was a straight great circle route, he then requested for FL370.
The check airman on the jumpseat questioned the decision to climb to FL370 as he reckoned that it was too close to maximum and there was turbulence. The skipper maintained that the aircraft's ( a B777-300 ) in this instance was limited by max cruise thrust available and not by manoeuvre margin. He has no qualms about climbing to the maximum altitude as he has already check on the QRH ISA deviation, manoeuvre margins and max. cruise limits. He was comfortable with the climb thrust available to ride out any speed shortfalls. The check airman was not impressed and went on and on with the subject of " unsafe " operations and even showed us a performance book on buffet onset and manoeuvre margins.
It turn out that the flight at FL370 was smooth and uneventful; however checker was still not happy. Skipper maintained that he had checked ISA deviation the tropopause level and in his judgement there was no cause for fear that the aircraft could not maintain speed.
Skipper, though relatively younger was an airline veteran with lots of long haul experience. Check airman rose from bush flying, GA, and only got his break into the airline relatively late but mighty proud of his " checking and aircraft handling " prowess. At debriefing after flight, a big argument ensued with each guy maintaining that each was right.
Poor rookie me, after analysis my gut feeling was the skipper was right but the checker held the trump card. What do you professional out there think?