What causes turbulence?
Aug 13th, 2004, 01:29 AM
#21
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Jennie - goodness, I never heard about that... well there you are, turbulance can be dangerous, but seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
I don't know if this will help you to know or not, but I watched a documentary on air safety earlier in the year and it highlighted that you are at most danger in a plane on the ground and not the air - more accidents happen when planes are taxi-ing than once air bourne!
I don't know if this will help you to know or not, but I watched a documentary on air safety earlier in the year and it highlighted that you are at most danger in a plane on the ground and not the air - more accidents happen when planes are taxi-ing than once air bourne!
Aug 13th, 2004, 12:32 PM
#24
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JennieH-
I also have this fear of flying..anyone who makes fun (carlos) can just bugger-off this post!
I found this site
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/fearfly.htm
It seems pretty good and I think you might enjoy it. I have only flown to Mexico and back (from Canada). I was a wreck, but I am going to London for my honeymoon, so I am going to just suck it up and deal..with legal drugs of course!!! hope this site helps!
I also have this fear of flying..anyone who makes fun (carlos) can just bugger-off this post!
I found this site
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/fearfly.htm
It seems pretty good and I think you might enjoy it. I have only flown to Mexico and back (from Canada). I was a wreck, but I am going to London for my honeymoon, so I am going to just suck it up and deal..with legal drugs of course!!! hope this site helps!
Aug 13th, 2004, 01:17 PM
#27
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JennieH:
Check out the website www.fearofflying.com. It really helped me to understand and come to grips with turbulence. I used to be white-knuckled most of the way across the Atlantic if there were even slight bumps. Now it takes a really serious bout of turbulence to unnerve me.
I also listen a lot these days to the audio channel that enables you to hear the pilots talking to one another and to the control towers. When you listen in on them, it's reassuring, at least to me. Flying home from Paris yesterday, we hit a patch of turbulence coming past NYC, and you could hear the control tower suggesting a route around a particularly severe storm center. So we ended up heading west for awhile, then heading south to DC again. It was calming to know that everyone in charge was trying to make the route the safest and smoothest for the passengers. In fact, the torrential rains we encountered on the roads driving home from the airport were far more treacherous than any turbulence.
A couple of glasses of wine does wonders, too
Check out the website www.fearofflying.com. It really helped me to understand and come to grips with turbulence. I used to be white-knuckled most of the way across the Atlantic if there were even slight bumps. Now it takes a really serious bout of turbulence to unnerve me.
I also listen a lot these days to the audio channel that enables you to hear the pilots talking to one another and to the control towers. When you listen in on them, it's reassuring, at least to me. Flying home from Paris yesterday, we hit a patch of turbulence coming past NYC, and you could hear the control tower suggesting a route around a particularly severe storm center. So we ended up heading west for awhile, then heading south to DC again. It was calming to know that everyone in charge was trying to make the route the safest and smoothest for the passengers. In fact, the torrential rains we encountered on the roads driving home from the airport were far more treacherous than any turbulence.
A couple of glasses of wine does wonders, too
Aug 13th, 2004, 04:09 PM
#28
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JennieH,
Xanax or Ativan is made specifically to calm your nerves. I think Ambien simply makes you sleep, so if you are a nervous flyer, I would suggest the two meds I just described. I have a fear of flying, but the discovery of Xanax has made the experience of traveling via plane so much better . . . for me and my husband! I just flew back from Minneapolis last Monday with a girlfriend and we hit some turbulence and I was fine. My friend, who flies a lot more than me, was actually nervous! I considered that a small victory for me, although I know the Xanax helped!
Just explain your fear to your doctor. He or she will give you a script for around 10-15 pills. I like the .5 mg size. I never take that many on one flight, though. Usually 1 mg each way calms me for the entire flight. I just like to have extras for other flights that may come up.
Believe me, your fears are NOT irrational, they are real. I totally understand! Also, the www.fearofflying.com website is great. They have a neat message board with other fearful flyers that can be really supportive if you are really nervous before a flight.
Good luck!
Xanax or Ativan is made specifically to calm your nerves. I think Ambien simply makes you sleep, so if you are a nervous flyer, I would suggest the two meds I just described. I have a fear of flying, but the discovery of Xanax has made the experience of traveling via plane so much better . . . for me and my husband! I just flew back from Minneapolis last Monday with a girlfriend and we hit some turbulence and I was fine. My friend, who flies a lot more than me, was actually nervous! I considered that a small victory for me, although I know the Xanax helped!
Just explain your fear to your doctor. He or she will give you a script for around 10-15 pills. I like the .5 mg size. I never take that many on one flight, though. Usually 1 mg each way calms me for the entire flight. I just like to have extras for other flights that may come up.
Believe me, your fears are NOT irrational, they are real. I totally understand! Also, the www.fearofflying.com website is great. They have a neat message board with other fearful flyers that can be really supportive if you are really nervous before a flight.
Good luck!
Dec 12th, 2004, 05:18 PM
#29
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I am a fearful flyer, I write my fears down at the airport, everytime I hit turbulance I say pothole & I also take a valium.
BUSINESS TRAVEL; Fear of Flying? Think Again. It's Gotten Safer. http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/trave...52C1A9629C8B63
BUSINESS TRAVEL; Fear of Flying? Think Again. It's Gotten Safer. http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/trave...52C1A9629C8B63
Dec 12th, 2004, 08:48 PM
#30
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I listen to the captain's description of the flight ahead soon after takeoff. On my November flight from London to Chicago, I got nervous when the captain warned that we'd hit turbulence over Greenland. He described it not in the usual captain-speak of a "little bumpy air" or "we may have a *little* turbulence but we'll try and find you some smoother air" but "there will be turbulence." He sure wasn't kidding. For almost an hour the plane (a 777) really rocked and rolled. No one was allowed out of their seats for any reason and the FAs were all strapped in. Reminded me of what an "E ticket" used to mean--the wild rides at Disney World!
On the flight back, we left Chicago while it was snowing and that made takeoff a little rough, but it was nothing compared to the Greenland ride on the way over.
On the flight back, we left Chicago while it was snowing and that made takeoff a little rough, but it was nothing compared to the Greenland ride on the way over.
Dec 13th, 2004, 05:51 AM
#31
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BTilke,
I felt sill asking about turbulence over Greenland but I guess it is true.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34532066
I felt sill asking about turbulence over Greenland but I guess it is true.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34532066
Dec 13th, 2004, 07:49 AM
#33
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Turbulence is a non-uniform flow of air. Think of it as little "parcels of atmosphere" that are mostly moving in the same direction at the same speed, but are not perfectly coordinated. The more "uncoordinated" the parcels are, the greater the turbulence.
In the case of aircraft, there are four types of turbulence - convective, terrain-induced, shear-induced, and wake vortex.
Convective turbluence is associated with rising and falling air, or in other words, updrafts and downdrafts. If the atmospheric has an appreciable moisture content, these vertical air motions are often associated with the development of thunderstorms. Pilots will generally fly around, rather than through or over, thunderstorms.
Terrain-induced turbulence, also called mechanical turbulence, is caused by the interaction of wind with topography. Rough terrain disrupts uniform wind flow and generates turbulence. One specific type of terrain-induced turbulence is called mountain wave turbulence. This is most common where there is a sudden discontinuity in topography, such as the Front Range of Colorado or the Inside Passage of Alaska. Cold mountain air spills down toward the lower terrain at very high velocities. In Colorado these are called Chinook winds, in SE Alaska they are called Taku winds. These winds can be extremely turbulent and are often the cause of the rough departures that people experience when flying out of Denver toward the west.
Shear-induced turbulence is caused by a sudden change in wind velocity or direction. In itself, wind shear is only dangerous when the aircraft is near the surface. Under the right conditions, microburst-type wind shear can literally cause an aircraft to drop to the ground. Where two wind velocity regimes are in contact, the uniformity of flow is often disrupted resulting in turbulence. Wind shear-induced turbulence is almost always the source of high-altitude bumpiness. Crossing into the jet stream is often a turbulence experience because you are going from one flow regime into another.
Wake vortex turbulence occurs when one aircraft follows another too closely. The first aircraft disrupts the uniform flow of air and the second aircraft must deal with the consequences. The threat of wake vortex turbulence is a key factor in determining the maximum rate that planes can take off and land on a given runway.
The most dangerous aspect of turbluence is that aircraft often drop suddenly when it is encountered. This is because lift is diminished when the flow across the wind is not uniform. A 100 ft drop at 35,000 ft is obviously less dangerous than a 100 ft drop at 50 ft. The aircraft is at greatest risk from any type of turbulence when it is near the ground.
At high altitude turbulence is rarely threatening to the aircraft, but it can be deadly for occupants. A sudden violent drop in altitude can slam passengers and flight crew into the cabin ceiling. People have suffered broken necks, some have died. This is why you should always wear your lap belt when you are seated.
Turbulence avoidance techniques and technology are improving each year. I work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and my division is involved with several types of turbluence warning systems, most involve radar-based detection. We have also done experiments with lidars. Hopefully, within a decade or so, turbulence avoidance will be as routine as turbulence encounters are today.
Hope this helps.
In the case of aircraft, there are four types of turbulence - convective, terrain-induced, shear-induced, and wake vortex.
Convective turbluence is associated with rising and falling air, or in other words, updrafts and downdrafts. If the atmospheric has an appreciable moisture content, these vertical air motions are often associated with the development of thunderstorms. Pilots will generally fly around, rather than through or over, thunderstorms.
Terrain-induced turbulence, also called mechanical turbulence, is caused by the interaction of wind with topography. Rough terrain disrupts uniform wind flow and generates turbulence. One specific type of terrain-induced turbulence is called mountain wave turbulence. This is most common where there is a sudden discontinuity in topography, such as the Front Range of Colorado or the Inside Passage of Alaska. Cold mountain air spills down toward the lower terrain at very high velocities. In Colorado these are called Chinook winds, in SE Alaska they are called Taku winds. These winds can be extremely turbulent and are often the cause of the rough departures that people experience when flying out of Denver toward the west.
Shear-induced turbulence is caused by a sudden change in wind velocity or direction. In itself, wind shear is only dangerous when the aircraft is near the surface. Under the right conditions, microburst-type wind shear can literally cause an aircraft to drop to the ground. Where two wind velocity regimes are in contact, the uniformity of flow is often disrupted resulting in turbulence. Wind shear-induced turbulence is almost always the source of high-altitude bumpiness. Crossing into the jet stream is often a turbulence experience because you are going from one flow regime into another.
Wake vortex turbulence occurs when one aircraft follows another too closely. The first aircraft disrupts the uniform flow of air and the second aircraft must deal with the consequences. The threat of wake vortex turbulence is a key factor in determining the maximum rate that planes can take off and land on a given runway.
The most dangerous aspect of turbluence is that aircraft often drop suddenly when it is encountered. This is because lift is diminished when the flow across the wind is not uniform. A 100 ft drop at 35,000 ft is obviously less dangerous than a 100 ft drop at 50 ft. The aircraft is at greatest risk from any type of turbulence when it is near the ground.
At high altitude turbulence is rarely threatening to the aircraft, but it can be deadly for occupants. A sudden violent drop in altitude can slam passengers and flight crew into the cabin ceiling. People have suffered broken necks, some have died. This is why you should always wear your lap belt when you are seated.
Turbulence avoidance techniques and technology are improving each year. I work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and my division is involved with several types of turbluence warning systems, most involve radar-based detection. We have also done experiments with lidars. Hopefully, within a decade or so, turbulence avoidance will be as routine as turbulence encounters are today.
Hope this helps.
Dec 13th, 2004, 10:14 AM
#35
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Now that we have the scientific explanation in hand, my old instructor's comments come to mind.
When asked about "air pockets" (the ancient and inaccurate description for turbulence), he would say, with a grin, "Only the laundry will know."
Later, as heavier jets came along, we learned about a phenomenon that could kill with invisible swiftness: wake turbulence.
These wakes are the swirling tornados of air that follow in the wake of heavy jets. They tend to sink and roll across the ground at busy airports. Very dangerous. Completely invisible. And to be avoided by watchful waiting and taking your time lest you get caught up in one and find yourself a statistic.
When asked about "air pockets" (the ancient and inaccurate description for turbulence), he would say, with a grin, "Only the laundry will know."
Later, as heavier jets came along, we learned about a phenomenon that could kill with invisible swiftness: wake turbulence.
These wakes are the swirling tornados of air that follow in the wake of heavy jets. They tend to sink and roll across the ground at busy airports. Very dangerous. Completely invisible. And to be avoided by watchful waiting and taking your time lest you get caught up in one and find yourself a statistic.
