Do you still get jumpy when it gets bumpy?

[mark8647]

I recently started my PPL and i am loving it...however when we fly into some turbulance i sometime get a little un-nerved. Its by no means going to stop me from continuing with the training but i would like to know how you coped with it.

Do you eventually get used to it?
Please feel free to share your stories of turbulance and if any of you proffesionals still feel un-easy when it gets bad.

Many thanks

Mark8647

[RYR-738-JOCKEY]

Let me put it this way: You shouldn't be dead calm when you hit turbulence, it's natural to get abit stressed. So generally it's a good reaction, unless it's over-the-top anxious, we're talking. But there are indeed different levels of turbulence, as you will discover. The light, rocking you about. The moderate, where you should start monitoring airspeed/altitude and start correcting, and be quite alert. The severe, where you're no longer in control of the aircraft. (Can of course be just instantaneously, for a few seconds)
I've had severe difficulties with controlling my plane only once. So I reckon that would be mod/sev turbulence. Not funny.
But that taught me a lesson. It showed me where to draw the line between dangerous and just unpleasant.
If you keep away from all CB's, you should not worry about losing control when it comes to VFR-flights in Cessna's. You will not fly in those kind of altitudes, and you're not going IMC where most turbulence occur.
So, my point is, do worry abit, when you gain experience you will get less nervous, but still be cautious.
The methods we use to avoid turbulence, flying a jet, is first of all try to circum-navigate all CB's that we see on our weather radar, or even divert to an alternate as a final measure. Secondly, if we're forced to fly through it we maintain a safe speed that gives us margin to stall and overspeed.

Think about the amount of flights taking place every day. There are very few cases of planes falling out of the sky.
Some journo's keep talking about air pockets. Jumboes falling thousands of feet. It aint happening. Do water pockets exist?

[kiwi chick]

Hey there. I probably would have answered this quite differently two days ago, but in light of a recent accident and the possible causes, I will be a more open. :sad:

Cautious - be very cautious. I fly in it quite often but never EVER get complacent.

(And I'm not afraid to admit, the heart does skip the odd time)

However - I wouldn't recommend intentionally flying where you know it's going to be bumpy, until you have a few hours and some common sense and experience under your belt. :=

Others may disagree.

Good luck with your flying, and enjoy :ok:

Kiwi Chick