Turbulence

[ARGON1980]

I want to ask all crew and pax, what was your worst experience of turbulence....
I know this must sound strange but i actually enjoy turbulence... Does anyone else enjoy it???

[atmosphere]

I remember taking off, out of Sierra Leone, Pretty crap weather. el capitano released us, and we got the trollies out for the first service, I was in the back galley one side of the cart, a collegue the other side, when it hit!......

I took off, hit the roof, hit the R4 door, then got crused by the cart, then was pinned to the floor by the force of the aircraft going up so fast, scary times, It makes me laugh to think back because when it first hit, the look of fear on my collegues face was tooooo good, hahaha, still makes me chuckle :}

[DJTibby]

lol i actually like turbulance too, as long as it isn't too severe. Kind of like a themepark ride! hehe.

[Virginia]

I love watching all the pax scream in terror! And as you walk through the cabin they look at you as though you can save them!

[ACL1011]

SLF here. I have never experienced severe turbulance, thank heavens. Worst experience was on an Air Canada L1011 coming into Calgary in a thunderstorm in the early 80s. We were the second last flight before they closed the airport. Was with my dad and it was like a roller coaster without knowing what was coming next. My father, who flew several times a month for business, was calm, so I was too. Years later talked with dad and he said it was the second scariest aviation experience he had (the first was an aborted takeoff).

[apaddyinuk]

Well I once got knocked unconscious by an unsecure atlas box in a galley coming back from CMB once. And that was not even severe turbulence,,,I learnt a lesson that day!!!

But yeah, I love turbulence too however I did lift off the floor once and that was a bit scary for about a minute. But to be honest....can anyone think of a crash that was a direct result of turbulence???

[Final 3 Greens]

Well I once got knocked unconscious by an unsecure atlas box in a galley coming back from CMB once. And that was not even severe turbulence,,,I learnt a lesson that day!!!
But yeah, I love turbulence too however I did lift off the floor once and that was a bit scary for about a minute. But to be honest....can anyone think of a crash that was a direct result of turbulence???

Try this one http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/boac911/photo.shtml

And another http://www.pilotfriend.com/disasters/crash/braniff250.htm

There have been quite a few over the years.

[VFE]

Not airliner related this one but as an instructor you get to witness some strange reactions from passengers...

Funniest reaction I've had was on take-off during a trial lesson with the customer's girlfriend in the back of the aircraft spectating. As we took off it became very obvious that perhaps staying on the ground would've been a better move because the thing was bopping all over the bloomin' sky in gusts of wind. :eek:

As I battled with the controls and tried my best to give a running commentary on the take off without my voice wobbling in the motion of the aircraft, the girl in the back started laughing hysterically and uncontrollably whilst her boyfriend grabbed my knee... :ooh:

VFE.

[Middle Seat]

The worst I had (I'm SLF, not CC) was on a DC-9 into ORF (Norfolk Virginia). Cabin crew were ordered to their seats after the beverage service. We hit a pocket and dropped (it felt like 100 feet, but it was probably less). I remember seeing the women across the aisle holding their cups of red wine, and the wine staying in one place when we dropped, and then falling back into the cup. Don't know how much splattered. I was disappointed that nobody screamed. Maybe it was because we all had our stomachs in our throats.

[flybywire]

3 years ago, flying to MLE on my first 767 flight. Skipper said he had received a report of "moderate" turbulence from a Swiss aircraft a few hundred miles in front of us. We were flying over the Adriatic sea, near the coast of Albania at that time. So he put the seat belt sign on just in case and said he'll get back at the passengers with more info later. No special instructions for us so we kept doing our service (we were preparing for dinner, the 1st service of the flight).

After about 10 minutes I had to go to the loo (yes, even cabin crew have physiological needs!). I was in the process of washing my hands in the loo between doors 3 when the worst turbulence of my life started. I hit my head on the mirror and got a huge bruise:ouch:, but the worst part was I couldn't get out. I was grateful that the toilet was one of those with a vacuum pump!

I finally managed to get out but it was so bad I couldn't walk or even crawl to the jumpseat at door 3 left. The only thing I could do was to squat and hang on to the bulkhead curtain hoping that it would be strong enough to support me!! The cabin crew at the back had food flying everywhere; as soon as he could the first officer made a pa to take our seats immediately (I thought it was a joke!:E) by which time we were all sitting wherever we found space, some crew sitting on each other's laps secured by the belt.

When after about 10 minutes the situation got better (it was a LONG 10 minutes) the cabin was a mess. a third of the 300+ passengers had been sick or were feeling ill, some with panic attacks, the food was all over the rear and front galley, and a few of us had bruises in many places (we counted them the following day on the beach :E)

When things returned to normal the captain informed us crew that we had dropped almost 3,000ft at one point, and that he had to descent from 36,000 to 15,000 feet to find some "clearer" air. The plane though had behaved very well, despite a drop of almost 3,000ft the autopilot had not disconnected.

Now, for somebody who started flying because she was terrified of turbulence I felt soooooo proud of myself as I was calm and could reassure the pax around me, however I wished tele-transportation had been invented already during that week in the maldives!!!

I have had many other occasions of moderate turbulence since then (approaches in GOA and LGW-DUB flights are the worst) but none as bad as that thank god!!! :ok:

[apaddyinuk]

Try this one http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/boac911/photo.shtml

And another http://www.pilotfriend.com/disasters/crash/braniff250.htm

There have been quite a few over the years.

I stand corrected! :ok:

[lexxity]

As SLF the worst turbulence I've ever experienced was coming back from CMB (can we see a trend here? :p ) Aircraft throwing itself every which way. Pax screaming, throwing up and lots of crossing going on.

The crew spent a good few hours strapped in.

When we arrived back at LHR people actually kissed the ground! It really was bad.

[sebby]

Well i fly around NZ all day... its all in a days work for me. Ive seen more green faces than I have loaded meal carts...

Worst would be seeing a baby fall into the aisle because mum unbelted her after i had told her to put the bub in the belt. I think she learnt somehting that day.. and the bruise on the babies head would be a reminder for weeks to come. :ugh:

Are babies exempt from turbulance? I think not....

I do enjoy a few bumps myself but going up and down in it over a four sector day can be a little exhausting!

[GalleyChick]

I can relate to you Sebby. I flew one day from Sydney to Wellington and experienced my worst turbulance to date. i didn't mind it but every passenger was screaming. I was strapped in to the crew jumpseat facing the passengers and could see the absolute terror in their faces. Poor things and they were looking at me as if we were going to die. So I put my arms up in the air and went "whooooo, whooo" with each drop as if I was on a roller coaster ride. I got a few laughs out of that, especially from the children. I think passengers see if we're not worried then they calm down a bit.

[apaddyinuk]

After going through a rather bumpy bit on the way to Orlando (MCO) a few years ago I remember the captain coming on the PA to apologise about the bumps and said "And if you didnt enjoy that then I suggest you give Rocken Roller Coaster a miss when you get the Disney World"!!!!

Made me giggle!

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

i love turbulence.. as somone put it.. i love the look on passengers faces when they are all screaming like they are going to die and its a quite routine 'chop' and nothing worth worrying about.
I have had quite bad turbulence over central australia over the desert... i swear the wings were making metal grating noises. that was the only time i was kinda freaked.. because the noise was loud and we were tipping sideways. i was at the time doing tea and coffee.. the coffee pot rolled off towards the window somewhere (i was wedged in an empty row laying on the floor). i know the aircraft bends and expands and contracts.. but the noises coming from the fuselage were far worse than the extreeme roller coaster action we had going.
the kind where you have to wedge yourself under the seat bars to stop your body being lifted off the floor is kinda fun ;)
other times i have hit the roof.. been pinned to the floor and had a cart land on top of me (or me land under the cart i cant remember)
usually turbulence if its in the galley involves crew sprawled everywhere if there are no available seats.. and lots of hysterical giggling.

i also recommend not drinking tea or hot beverages in turbulence.. tea up the nose is not good.. use a straw.

[flytheplanemay]

I love turbulance. Especially when we get to sit in our jumpseats for a long period of time. Would love it if it was so bumpy we got out of doing a service... lol!

I remember flying over india/singapore was always quite bumpy. Oh and sometimes going from MEL to CHC.

[sebby]

I have done a duty where we sat in our seats for the whole flight.. back in my aus flying days.. PER - KTA, it was around when a bad cyclone had hit up north. Fantastic.. hehe

[galley girl]

I smashed my ankle, tibia and fibula in six places. I had a compound fracture with the bone out of my leg and two operations. I spent two and a half years off work (nasty complications) but did return to fly again. I did have counselling which was really, really important. I was determined that it wasn't going to ruin my life. I'm now not flying but have 40% loss of my leg and some arthritis kicking in. At least I survived to tell the story. It was 1990, clear air turbulence on a 727 into Melbourne, had to shut an engine down afterwards and I was on the floor for landing. Another crew member came to hospital with me with internal injuries and another crew member broke some fingers in an effort to get a belt on. I saw a Tv show once from the States where a lot of 727's where mysteriously dropping out of the skies at times - interesting? I still love aviation it was in my blood for so many years and that will never change. That day though changed my life. Stay safe and follow your instincts.

[frequentflyer2]

The worst turbulence I ever experienced was on a BA ATP from BHD to Man on Christmas Eve 1997. There was a howling gale and lashing rain in Belfast as we boarded and the captain warned it would be 'a little bit bumpy' immediately after take off and just before landing.
The first few minutes were a bit of a roller coaster ride but it settled down once we gained altitude and the meal trays and beverages were served as normal - Then the descent began.
The plane actually seemed to be bouncing off the clouds as if they were some kind of trampoline when we started to come down and it just got worse and worse.
The gale blowing over Manchester was so loud it drowned out the noise of the engines and as the plane rose and fell only the seatbelts stopped us banging our heads on the overhead bins.
My wife felt very sick but could not actually sit forward in her seat to throw up into the little bag because of what I can only assume were g forces.
One second we were looking down the wing at the lights of Manchester and the next we were looking up it at the clouds.
The pilot came on the intercom and acknowledged we were experiencing heavy turbulence.
Periodically, for about 15 minutes he kept informing us of how far we were from the runway and encouraged us by telling us it wouldn't be much longer.
During the final minute the motion was so violent we just didn't know how he was going to get the aircraft on the ground but when it came to the bit we barely felt the wheels touch the tarmac.
As soon as we stopped the cabin crew handed out soda water to settle queasiness.
A young man sitting behind us stood up, grabbed his belongings from the overhead and literally ran off the aircraft.
As we walked out along the glass tube which leads from the terminal to the railway station we could see the lights of other aircraft on approach literally dancing around in the sky.
The storm was so violent during our train journey to my parents' home in Cleveleys there was a major delay when a shed was blown out of a garden and on to the line.
We had experienced turbulence many times before Christmas Eve 1997 and have flown through bad weather many times since. But this was definitely the worst.

[ContractFlyGal]

When I flew for RJ, turbulence frightened me. The least little bump. Then I flew for a charter carrier and on a landing in BWI hit the ceiling, put the heel of my high heels through my butt and broke my back. Ended up in hospital for months, but did eventually go back to flying.

[max_cont]

5 September 1996; Air France 747-400; near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Severe turbulence associated with a weather front seriously injured three of the 206 passengers. One of the three passengers later died of injuries caused by an in flight entertainment screen.

28 December 1997; United Airlines 747-100; over Pacific Ocean near Japan: The aircraft encountered severe turbulence during cruise about two hours after departing Japan. One of the 346 passengers was killed. None of the 23 crew members were killed but three sustained serious injuries.

I suppose some might well enjoy turbulence. But I suspect some may not fully understand the situation. I’d hate to be teaching anyone to suck eggs. I know some of you have been flying for many years. But atmospheric phenomenon can destroy or exceed the latest shiny wonder-jets design limits or performance abilities without even trying.

At high cruise levels we sit towards the outer edges of our designed operating envelope. An upset whereby the airplane departs controlled flight due to an encounter with significant turbulence could quickly become fatal.

As the two examples above demonstrate, the airplane may well survive. That’s no guarantee all the occupants will.