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Old 7th Dec 2009, 13:52
  #60 (permalink)  
timgill
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Dorset
Age: 71
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I think turbulence is pretty well top of my list of things to worry about when flying. So what I do is this. I recall (how could I forget?) the worst turbulence I've ever been in, which was on a flight from Barcelona to London on a Whisperjet in July a few years ago. Thunderstorms over the Pyrenees, seat belt lights on, cabin crew to seats, and that was only the beginning...

That episode was worth a score of 10, and anything I've experienced since I've marked against that score. I've had an 8 and a couple of sevens, but nothing remotely approaching the Spanish affair - even an hour-long bumpy ride over Afghanistan on the way back from India didn't even come close in terms of intensity.

So whenever we start to bump, even just a bit, I start making a mental score. Most times I never even get to 5, and that's quite bumpy enough!

Another thing I've tried is when I'm on a fast-moving train. Going to the toilet and imagining you're on a plane, and thinking how scared you'd be if the plane was moving around like that, is quite a revelation. True, trains usually only move from side to side rather than up and down as well, but it's not a dissimlar experience.
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