Taking Control of Turbulence

Fearful flyers are not the only ones bothered by turbulence.  Most passengers will tell you they hate turbulence, so pilots do their best to give their passengers a smooth ride.

This article will educate the fearful flyer about the tools and resources that the pilots have in the flight deck that allow them to provide the smoothest  flight possible.

To the fearful flyer, turbulence can be terrifying.  You are riding along in the cabin of an airliner, just trying to keep yourself together, and then, often without warning, the airplane begins to buck and shake and pitch in a wild, unpredictable manner. Suddenly you are joined in terror by most of your fellow passengers, who have now with a few big jolts joined the ranks of fearful flyers.  Is there any comfort in numbers?  Probably not in this case, as everyone’s fear belongs to themselves…

Turbulence Avoidance

Pilots actually have access to quite a bit of information regarding turbulence.  On our FAA-required flight release, we have a code that indicates areas of turbulence along our planned route of flight.  Often, our dispatcher will advise us of altitudes and geographic areas that are turbulent.  We get these advisories while in flight, and we can make a change in our cruising altitude or route to avoid the turbulence and stay in smooth air.  We also report encounters with turbulence to our dispatch office, so that other flights can be routed along routes and altitudes know to be smooth and free of turbulence.

Turbulence Prediction

Looking out of the flight deck windows, pilots can predict, in many cases, what the ride will be like.  We know for certain that a thunderstorm is going to be extremely turbulent, so we always avoid thunderstorms.  Those big, puffy white clouds are going to be turbulent, especially if they have dark gray bottoms and have a tall, vertical structure.

Since most clouds are going to provide some kind of turbulence, we simply make an effort to avoid flying through them.  Clouds tend to dissipate after sundown, so nighttime flights are often smoother.  Still, if we are flying at night in a cloud layer, and it is turbulent, we will seek the smooth air that will most likely be found in the clear air.

Monitoring Turbulence

Our air traffic control system allows pilots to constantly monitor the areas of turbulence.  The air traffic controllers will normally give pilots information about the smoothness and quality of the ride.  They let us know what other pilots are reporting to them.  Too, we constantly listen to the other air traffic and gather information about the rides that they are encountering.  Air traffic control will often let an individual airplane turn off course to climb or descend safely to a smooth altitude.  After we are have found that “smooth ride,” we then proceed comfortably toward our destination.  If a smooth ride cannot be found, then the pilots will slow the airplane down, so that the rough air will effect the airplane less and ease the effects of the turbulence on the passengers.

During a turbulent flight, the fearful flyer sits in their seat, uncomfortable and possibly even terrified.  Keep in mind that the flight crew is not enjoying the turbulence either, especially the flight attendants, who are often walking up and down the aisle, serving beverages and meals.  A turbulent flight makes our long work days much more fatiguing and difficult, so pilots never fail to do their best to provide the smoothest flight possible for the comfort of everyone on board.

Remember, pilots want the same ride as you do:  Smooth, safe and comfortable.

Written and submitted for the fearful flyer by Captain John, who has been flying since 1983 and has logged 20,000 hours in the cockpit.

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