Turbulence in the air?

Question

Turbulence in the air?

Answer 1

there are at least 2 perfect answers here already, but a couple that characterize turbulence inaccurately as dangerous. just to add another view/definition, turbulence is weather-you are flying through the air, and as such the air that is holding you up you can feel-if there is rougher weather, you feel it more.

on with the rebuttal: no airliner has broken up due to turbulance. incidents that have occured would have been in cheap, poorly built planes, and the cause would have been the plane-not the turbulance. they regularly fly planes into tornado's on purpose to study them. in fact, usually lockheeds, who also build airliners. and boeing has an even better reputation for strentgh. boeing does strentgh test by physically breaking wings off: and it takes much more force than any wind or air can do.

as for the loss of control: this is referring to smaller, lighter planes getting caught in the wash left by larger airliners, or planes running into mountains from turbulance. but no pilot is going to fly a passenger plane close enough to a mountain to even be close to a risk, and also there are laws stating how close planes can follow each other according to size. i don't think they even have statistics on it, but it would be far, far, less than the statistics of crashing in a plane (i'm sure you know how about those statistics). i bet it might be at the bottom of all incidents, if at all.

last thought for comfort: there is nothing to crash into in the air, and the planes will NEVER break apart, and the air that holds you up will never, ever, go away. it may seem magical, but it is science. you can not fall out of the sky. and in the event something did happen, being up in the air, the pilot has a lot of time and warning to compensate-again, the air is not going away and there is nothing to crash into.

Answer 2

I will assume that because of your fear of flying you don't leave the state too often. I will also assume that living in Alaska, unless you are in one of the major cities, that the road conditions are not the best. Think of air turbulence as pot holes, just in the air. As you drive down the road you feel all of the variations in the road, speed bumps, pot holes, ruts, etc. Same thing happens when you fly. There are pockets of air that are less dense, or have different pressures effecting the aerodynamics of the wings. Mild turbulence is nothing to fear, in fact is part of normal flight. On the other hand, extreme turbulence like those found in thunderstorms can be devastating. If you drove your car through a pot hole that was 4 foot around, 6 inches deep, what is going to happen to your car? The same thing applies to aircraft, but rest assured that those potholes in the sky are able to be seen by the pilots, air traffic control, and others monitoring our skies and just like you won't drive your car through the pot hole that is going to destroy your car, the pilot is not going to fly into turbulence that is going to crash the airplane.

Answer 3

Pilots must demonstrate, verbally and physically, their ability to anticipate factors they will encounter in flight and manage aircraft in a wide variety of conditions, including turbulence. This is especially true for Commercial and ATP (Air Transport Pilot) rated pilots because they have to demonstrate the ability/qualification to fly for compensation. Aircraft are much stronger devices than most people realize. In addition, there are numerous sources of information available to pilots (Doppler radars, FAA weather briefings, PIREPs (pilot reports) to name just a few ) to inform them where turbulence exists and find alternative routes/altitudes to avoid it. While turbulence may be unsettling, you need to remember that both the aircraft and the pilot(s) are more than capable of getting you to your desitnation safely.

Answer 4

You should not be afraid of flying due to turbulence. You are correct, however, to be aware of it and concerned. Previous responders provide good info for you to be aware of, but there are additional types of turbulence such as 'wake-turbulence', turbulence which is generated by large, heavy aircraft, while they create lift. Pilots flying for the airlines are all aware of and trained in flying the aircraft, anticipating all types of turbulence. Still, turbulence can occur at any time, such as CAT or Clear Air Turbulence. For that reason, fly safely and comfortably, knowing that your pilot is trained and aware (or they wouldn't be in the front seats, flying you around), but ALWAYS keep your seat belt FASTENED when not moving to the lavatory, or a short walk down the aisle-way, knowing that restraint will reduce possible injury to yourself or those around you, should an extreme (rare) turbulence event be encountered.

Answer 5

Clear air turbulence can be very dangerous...it ranges in severity from a "speed bump" bounce to very rare instances where aircraft have broken apart in flight...passengers caught unbelted have been injured and sometimes killed due to being tossed about in the cabin in severe or extreme turbulence...It is impossible to see, but pilots will try to avoid areas they have been made aware of in their weather briefings prior to flight...You should keep your seat belt fastened as much as possible in your first few flights, particularly if you fall asleep during the flight, then use your own discretion as you gain experience once the captain has turned off the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign...



Hopefully, knowledge of the facts will lessen your fear somewhat by providing a plan to protect yourself when you do fly...I'd also recommend flying with a friend the first time you travel by air, if at all possible...

Answer 6

Turbulence is rated from light chop on the low end to extreme on the upper end. Most of what you feel on a flight never exceeds the moderate level. Severe and extreme turbulence are normally associated with thunderstorm activity and mountain wave activity. Pilots are trained to avoid both of these phenomena like the plague. Aircraft are built tough and can withstand most turbulence, however if the pilot strays to close to a thunderstorm or flys to close to the mountains on windy days, all bets are off. It is extremely rare for an aircraft crash from anything less than severe turbulence so although it may be a little uncomfortable at times, you are perfectly safe.

Answer 7

You should not be worried at all the bulk head, or the place wear the wings are attached, is extremely stable and can take tremendous forces.

Turbulence is just a pocket of air that is less stable or dense, and the aircraft is moving normally over 300mph so the aircraft is only in this pocket for a few seconds.



-Andrew G

Answer 8

Turbulence is a normal occurrence and is simply a result of air movement. Without addressing all the causes of turbulence, the most frequent are the result of the jet stream, hot air rising or the movement of wind over mountain tops. Generally turbulence is not dangerous to flight at all unless the turbulence becomes severe. Thunderstorms generate turbulence and wind shear when close to the ground. Turbulence within a thunderstorm is always considered serious and thus, pilots fly around, not through, thunderstorms. Every aircraft has speeds predetermined for maneuvering (maneuvering speeds) through turbulence so as not to cause any structural damage to the airframe. An aircraft is built to withstand weight loads and forces many, many times greater than what it will ever be subjected to in normal operating conditions. So, don't worry about turbulence. Granted turbulence is uncomfortable and often disquieting, but generally not dangerous.

Answer 9

can be nothing, to severly dangerous (mainly flying within 10 miles of a thunderstorm or in severe cases, a hurricane etc).



different aircraft have different limits for turbulence. larger passenger aircraft can tolerate turbulence that some small planes cant. but dont fear about it....pilots plan ahead for the weather they think they are going to experience, and know what the turbulence will be like in each zone, and avoid anything dangerous. there is nothing to worry about :)



in light cases, the aircraft will buffet, and the wings may rock. (think of being on a boat with some moderate waves) in very sever cases (remember, they are extremely unlikely to fly through these conditions) then the aircraft can bounc so much, that the force put onto the wings may make them snap. dont be scared though, i honestly havent heard of a case where a pilot was stupid enough to do this. you wil mainly get turbulence at lower levels, when different layers of air at differnt temperatures, and different winds buffet the plane. at high altitude, air remains fairly constant so there should be little or no turbulence.



honestly, its one of those feelings everybody gets more scared about, and thinks its more serious than it actually is. :)

Answer 10

I will back up my fellow pilots. Turbulence can be unnerving but if you look at it as driving over an unimproved road it might make it easier. The other would be that planes are much stronger than you would think. If you are flying in Alaska you will fly in many that look like kites with a prop, don't worry!!! The planes are safe and the pilots are top notch