A380 & Turbulence
 

Is it me, or does my flight in an A380 just seem that much 'smoother' during turbulence, despite sitting in similar areas on different ac? As pax, having flown on the LHR-JNB a number of times, the A380 flight just seems that bit smoother, for want of a better word, than some of the other a/c i have been on.

Is this because of any particular design, or because it's just a big beast, or is it my imagination?

Just a week before my return flight to LHR in Jan, luckily for me, BA restarted their A380 flights on the LHR-JNB=LHR route.

I think it is in part due to the size of the machiine. A friend of mine who worked in the travel trade (made redundant in 2020) said that people actively asked to travel on the 380 as it was quieter and more comfortable. On our next to JNB, I wanted the 380 both ways but the return has to be 777. That said, it will be one of those with refit and new Club Suites! I shall continue to seek out the 380 on long haul. The upper deck is much quieter, in all classes, I'm told.

Yes, I was hoping my 777 down to JNB in Dec would have had he refit, but it wasn't. The A380 is quiet, yes, and noticeably so.

The A380 has a load alleviation system dampening turbulences. Try to look at the trailing edge of the wing in flight and you see the flaps moving indepently to counter gusts like fingers of a piano player.
Having said that the 777 has a similar system and newer aircraft like 787 and A350 have it as well. The A380 is much quieter inside compared to the 777.

PAXboy
Like you, and whisper it quietly on here, it is far better than the Boeing products to me. Be that as a flying experience and passenger comfort.. Most of my 380 time is with EK and Singapore with odd LH, never flown BA A/C but suspect the flying experience in all classes is the same. A friend incidentally took a 380 into London as pilot on Friday with no issues apart from a wait over south coast.

Cheers
Mr Mac

Yes, the 380 is without question the most comfortable and quiet beast I've flown on.
I love the T7 too though, even with the famous figure of eight wobble felt in the rearmost part of the cabin.
The difference became obvious on a few trips to Vietnam - first leg from London to Dubai on A380, second leg to Saigon, T7. The returns were a treat though, knowing that you had the smooth comfort of the 380 for the last leg home. Ugly sod it might be, but I'm on the inside enjoying the ride, not outside looking at it.

Subjectively the A350 is just as quiet but the A380 gives a smoother ride. And both are incomparably better than the 777. The A330/340 sits between them. Can’t comment on the 787, haven’t been on one.

The smoothness of the flight is a combination of the simple physics of inertia - it is a big beast after all which is coupled with the active gust allieviation system to give an exceptionally minimal disruption to its flight path and reductions in the unwanted accelerations felt by the passengers as a result. Whilst the A350 also shares the alleviation system and the T7 and 787 also have the benfit of being more modern base designs and aerodynamic noise analysis in comparison to 1950/1960 legacy base designs like the 737 & 747 that most of us are used to.

I've had the benefit through work of flying on all of these types in varying classes for many years up until Covid bit, and I have to say that my order of preference for long haul will always be A380, A350. 787, 757, A310/330, T7, 767 until a new or better aircraft becomes available.

In a simple sailor's view, the principle is reasonably analogous to the increased degree of stability enjoyed by larger ships compared with smaller ones.

Jack

First on 380 about seven years ago and have sought it out ever since. I hope that LHR third runway won't be built, as it should mean that BA will hold on to theirs for longer - as well as others operating to EGLL!

Work and family airline employee Non rev travel I have been lucky enough to fly most everything from Comet 4 and 'coalburning' 707/DC8s and improvment s in Cabin environments are sometimes diffuclut to notuice. Those early jets were pretty noisy but the generous seat pitch meant they were pretty comfortable. VC 10 was best of that era because it was quiet. Of the early widebodies the Tristar was nicest (unless it was charter config ) and the 744 was good too . But to get to the point the 380 wins hands down for quiet spacious cabin and a smooth ride . To be fair the A340 was quite nice because the small engines didnt intrude. Not a T7 fan because i dont like its sort of strange wallowing along in the cruise and engines that seemed to continually 'hunt ' up and down with what appeared to be endless minor thrust changes which those monstrous fans amplify. In fairness its a great aircraft in terms of safety and performance .
Wasnt impressed witht he 787 , BAs stingy cramped busines sclass might have affected that assessment , prefer the 330-300 .

Sadly however , and these is bit of a common thread here, really nic pax experience aircraft dont do so well economically VC10, Tristar, 380.

Shorthaul , A321 is a nice ride although the NEO makes some odd noises (though seems to have done away with the famous dog in the hold sound). MD80s if in SAS business class config through the 90s , lots and lots of trips and all very comfortable and quiet . On the other hand if it was down the back in a US version not nice at all.

A subjective thing I know but to my mind the 380 is in a different league and I think many nervous flyers would be happy . As has been said the gust alleviation and sheer mass help with turbulence . Top deck is incredibly quiet in the cruise and no roring engines on take off or reverse . I really hope BA and EK keep a decent number in service . Perhaps they will survive just because of passenger preference rather like the VC10 ,although very uneconomic compared to the fan engined 707s/DC8s, it made up for it with higher load factors from pax who appreciated the superior comfort

My partner's younger daughter is nervous and flew WT+ upper deck with us to JNB on 380 two years ago. She was amazed at how much she slept.

A few years back I was on the upper deck of a BA A380. Chap across the isle from me was asleep and I could hear him gently snoring during the take off roll.

Agree, I take the JNB flight with the A380 as much as I can.

That said, I am flying Virgin at the end of May, as their A350 is on the LHR-JNB leg, and as I haven't flown on that ac type before, I am quite looking forward to it.

We were on the 380 in late March (our usual LHR-JNB run) we were upstairs in Club and it was great. Came back on the 777, fortunately one of the refurbished ones. The ride was fine but - the cabin refurbish has no effect on the noise levels! I'd forgotten how noisy the T7 is.

Nothing beats it. The 350 is very comfortable inside and quiet, but not quite as stable as the 380. 330 was fine IMO too

Another vote for the A350 here, I flew JNB-LHR-JNB last month, by Virgin in Premium, a very nice experience!
I flew in a Lufthansa A380 FFM -JNB-FFM downstairs in Economy back in 2012..a very quiet aeroplane, but the seats were as hard as rock!

I love your comment about SAS, MD 80s. In my previous life.. I spent many many nights, arriving in Stockholm. We would then position home back to AMS the next evening on SAS in Business Class. I loved it every time. Great memories.

"Is it me, or does my flight in an A380 just seem that much 'smoother' during turbulence,"

yes and it's a lot quieter than a B777 as well - undoubtedly the best passenger experience around (tho I quite like the 787)

I flew the LHR JNB route on the A350. Very nice too. Fortunately got notification the other week that the return leg has changed from the 787 (not keen for 11+ hr flights) to the A350. (Virgin)