Turbulence while flying??
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edinburgh
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Turbulence while flying??
I have to admit it " I'm a bit of a control freak ". So when I'm a flying passenger, I feel really uneasy when we hit turbulence. I know the drivers up front know what their doing etc, but I still get unerved by it. When I'm at the controls ( I'm a ppl ) Its no problem, bring it on. The worst is when your flying in the dark, and you can't see a thing. Any advice?
Big_Mooney I sympathise with you. I’d been flying without fear for many years when on an oceanic flight from Montreal to Lisbon I experienced almost six hours of relentless turbulence. It was light to moderate but because I was in the last row of a B707 it was twice as bad (got the full effect of rudder and elevator deflections and corrections). I got bruised banging into the armrests! It was the most uncomfortable ride I’d ever had. Following that flight I too developed a fear for turbulence, especially at night with no ground reference. This fear lasted many years. Yes, a drink or two did help but not always sufficiently enough as I didn’t really like drinking too much alcohol on longhauls because of dehydration. Today I’m cured. I wish I could offer you a magic formula but, it was just down to perseverance and simply coming to terms with my fears. I convinced myself that a/c are able to ride it; that most pilots will do their very best to avoid it; that hundreds of aeroplanes experience and survive quite severe stuff each and every day (in many parts of the world turbulence is par for the course) etc., etc. I filled my mind full of positive thoughts and eventually over a period of time my fear dissipated. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t cr*p myself today flying through a Cb but I’m OK with the regular light to moderate stuff.
Paxing All Over The World
One of the great leaps forward (to coin a phrase!) is weather radar. Carriers know that pax do not enjoy being bounced around and I have not experienced bad turbulence in many years.
In any flight, you are always going to get some bumping on the ascent and descent, so in short haul it will be more noticeable as the elapsed time between is so much shorter.
On a long haul, you will intersect differing air streams at high altitudes, known as Jet Streams. Usually the transition from one to the next will cause a bit of bumping for ten minutes or so.
I know that, on my regular trips to South Africa, that we will get some turbulence as we cross the equator as there is always storm activity. Nowadays though, it is more normal to feel the a/c make a turn and then see the storm centre away on the beam. A little later, you can feel the a/c turn back on to the original track.
As to damage? I think that the occasions when pure turbulence has brought a passenger aircraft down must be very, very few. The machines are designed for it and the flight crew know that if we always get bumped around - we might blame them and so choose another carrier next time.
All of that said, I do know that fears do not read rational explanations! If you have a long haul and very worried, consider a light sleeping pill. Either a homeopathic one from the chemist or on prescription.
In any flight, you are always going to get some bumping on the ascent and descent, so in short haul it will be more noticeable as the elapsed time between is so much shorter.
On a long haul, you will intersect differing air streams at high altitudes, known as Jet Streams. Usually the transition from one to the next will cause a bit of bumping for ten minutes or so.
I know that, on my regular trips to South Africa, that we will get some turbulence as we cross the equator as there is always storm activity. Nowadays though, it is more normal to feel the a/c make a turn and then see the storm centre away on the beam. A little later, you can feel the a/c turn back on to the original track.
As to damage? I think that the occasions when pure turbulence has brought a passenger aircraft down must be very, very few. The machines are designed for it and the flight crew know that if we always get bumped around - we might blame them and so choose another carrier next time.
All of that said, I do know that fears do not read rational explanations! If you have a long haul and very worried, consider a light sleeping pill. Either a homeopathic one from the chemist or on prescription.
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Big Mooney. FYI we're pilots, not drivers !!
Paxboy. On shorthaul we often fly in and through jet streams. Most turbulence other than that is either from a strong surface wind = bumpy arrivals and departures, thunderstorm activity which = horrendous turbulence or a temperature inversion which gives a bit of a bump when climbing or descending through it.
Personally I don't mind a bit of turbulence until it's enough to make it hard to drink my tea. i.e spilling it all down my shirt and over the stowage for the O2 mask.
Happy landings
Paxboy. On shorthaul we often fly in and through jet streams. Most turbulence other than that is either from a strong surface wind = bumpy arrivals and departures, thunderstorm activity which = horrendous turbulence or a temperature inversion which gives a bit of a bump when climbing or descending through it.
Personally I don't mind a bit of turbulence until it's enough to make it hard to drink my tea. i.e spilling it all down my shirt and over the stowage for the O2 mask.
Happy landings
Paxing All Over The World
White Knight - thanks for the info. So if the pilot emerges with tea stains down his shirt - it was a rough flight or did something else disturb him? 
Your comment about not being able to drink your tea reminds me of a comment about turbulence that I heard from a pilot on a flight deck visit many moons ago.
"Because we are sitting at the front, we bounce around more than you folks. So - if it's getting VERY bouncy for us, then we know it's getting a BIT bouncy for you!"
This may be helpful to Big_Mooney.
Your comment about not being able to drink your tea reminds me of a comment about turbulence that I heard from a pilot on a flight deck visit many moons ago.
"Because we are sitting at the front, we bounce around more than you folks. So - if it's getting VERY bouncy for us, then we know it's getting a BIT bouncy for you!"
This may be helpful to Big_Mooney.
