Turbulence

TURBULENCE INTENSITY....What am I feeling?

The 4 Types of Turbulence - By Capt. Stuart Walker

How much does the plane fall In Turbulence?

WARNING: For passengers who experience a fear of turbulence, you may have a desire to seek out reassurances from sites like Turbli or Turbulence Forecast. We DO NOT recommend doing so. Pilots use real-time information in a dynamic setting to make decisions. The consumer sites are notoriously innacurate and do not account for route changes or altitude changes that happen in real time. Further, dispatch paperwork (Route Planning) is often not completed until 2 hours prior to departure.

TURBULENCE INTENSITY....What am I feeling?

In reporting turbulence, it is usually classed as light, moderate, severe or extreme. The degree is determined by the nature of the initiating agency and by the degree of stability of the air.

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Light turbulence momentarily causes slight changes in altitude and/or attitude or a slight bumpiness.

Occupants of the airplane may feel a slight strain against their seat belts.

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Moderate turbulence is similar to light turbulence but somewhat more intense. There is, however, no loss of control of the airplane.

Occupants will feel a definite strain against their seat belts and unsecured objects will be dislodged.

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Severe turbulence causes large and abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude and, usually, large variations in indicated airspeed. The airplane may momentarily be out of control.

Occupants of the airplane will be forced violently against their seat belts.

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Extreme turbulence, the airplane is tossed violently about and is impossible to control. It may cause structural damage.

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NOTE: Chop is a type of turbulence that causes rapid and somewhat rhythmic bumpiness. This is the most common form of turbulence.

Suggestion: From the App Store, Download Turbulence Meter to take along with you. It will let you monitor what type of turbulence you are feeling and relieve some anxiety.

The 4 Types of Turbulence - By Capt. Stuart Walker

Learn about the 4 different types of turbulence and how pilots deal with It.

But I am afraid that the turbulence will damage the plane.....

How much does the plane fall In Turbulence?

Turbulence isn't dangerous. It just feels like it is.
Turbulence triggers the release of stress hormones, which build up and cause physical sensations associated with danger.
Feelings associated with danger can lead us to believe we are in danger, even when we are not.

READ MORE IN PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.....

THE JELLO THEORY

You have probaby heard about The Jello Theory to describe turbulence. There is a lot of truth to this, and its a great visual to picture your plane.

Here is a related article that may be helpful.

Turbulence car.mov

Lets watch this video from Ryanair where a pilot put a container of water on the dashboard of his car, driving down a normal road. He also put a container of water on the dashboard of his 737 in Turbulence. Lets compare the two!

Lets take a look at how aircraft are tested when they are built.....and then tested!

Aircraft designers calculate the maximum stress they anticipate a wing will ever experience in flight, then make it able to withstand 50% more as a safety margin.

Take a look at the Airbus A350 Ultimate Stress Test ▶

After the Ultimate Stress Test, they just go ahead and break the wings. In this picture, Boeing Is doing just that! The 787 wings can flex 26.5 FEET before they break.

NO amount of turbulence will make the wings flex that much.

Wake Turbulence

All aircraft generate wake vortices,
also known as wake turbulence, which continue to be evident far behind the generating aircraft. Another aircraft crossing this wake may feel a sharp and brief turbulence which can be strong under some circumstances. Let’s review the specific characteristics of wake vortices’ and how pilots should react
in case of an encounter to ensure the safety of the flight. (Airbus Safety first #21 January 2016 - 1/10)