Many nervous flyers will be scared of turbulence. But, truth be told, turbulence is nothing to worry about. In fact, turbulence is a mere annoyance to us flight attendants as it always seems to start when we are trying to drink coffee or fill out paperwork!
What is Turbulence?
Flight attendants call turbulence ‘bumpy air’ as this seems the most simple explanation. If you compare flying to being on a boat, you’ll find many similarities. The water can be calm, and you get a smooth ride. But, if the wind becomes stronger the water will be moved around and the boat will move around with it.
When it comes to flying, it’s very much the same. Clear Air Turbulence normally occurs when we cross over a weather front (known as a jetstream). If you watch the weather forecast, you’ll see many weather fronts on the map.
As the weather front moves forward it ‘stirs up’ the air. So, in simple terms, the turbulence you feel is just a change in direction of the air we are flying through.
We may also experience turbulence over mountainous areas. As weather fronts pass over mountain terrain it can cause the air to act as a flowing river does when obstacles (such as a big rock) are in it’s path. This can cause turbulence. Common areas in Europe for this type of turbulence are the Alps, and some areas in Spain.
The most common cause of turbulence at lower altitudes during sunlight is called Convective Turbulence. As the sun warms the ground, hot air rises, which causes the air to become bumpy. This type of turbulence is normally felt during take-off and landing (usually more so during landing, as the approach requires you to stay at this altitude for longer). Landing in hot areas, such as Spain, in the summer can be quite bumpy – but it’s not dangerous. In fact, be happy that it’s nice and hot outside, and you are going to be lying on the beach very soon!!
The most important thing you need to know, is that turbulence is not dangerous. We do suggest that you always keep your seatbelt fastened when seated though.
Those of you that are scared of turbulence, are concerned that it can cause damage to the aircraft. This will NEVER happen. The aircraft is designed to withstand much more than we will EVER encounter. The pilots will – usually – not even take the plane off the autopilot, as the aircraft is perfectly capable of handling itself during turbulence.
The aircraft is NOT going to drop out of the sky. There are no such things as air pockets that an aircraft can fall into. There is always air to support us. Our natural fear instinct is designed to feel the sensation of falling downwards. With every ‘down bump’, there is an ‘up bump’ to compensate for it. Similar to driving a car over a bump, it doesn’t take a very big bump to move us around quite a bit. In truth, the altimeter (the instrument that registers our altitude) will hardly even register turbulence – we really don’t move around as much as it sometimes feels we are.
A useful exercise for those of you with a flying fear is to pay attention to ‘up bumps’ as this will enable you to see that the plane is not just going downwards.
There will be much more to come on the subject of turbulence in future weeks – as it’s many people’s fear. Rest assured though, turbulence is not a danger to the aircraft, and will never cause the aircraft to fall out of the sky.
The following articles are related to the one you have just read
- How Does Hot Weather Cause Turbulence? As the summer is pretty much upon us now, it is a good time to discuss a certain form of turbulence that will be common...
- Turbulence Turbulence is a dreaded experience for many fearful flyers, and is the source of the majority of anxiety amongst airline passengers. I’ll be honest with...
- Fear of Flying: An Email About Turbulence I receive many emails from readers regarding the fear of flying. Many of them follow the same theme though, and this one that I received...
- First-Time Flyer: What to Expect Of course, many of you will have a mild fear of flying, or flying anxiety due to the fact you have never flown before. This...
- Dealing With Turbulence Anxiety When there is anxiety about the uncertain outcome of some event, we naturally seek some means of control, so that the matter works out to...
This site you’ve put together is fantastic. I’m trying to get over a fear of flying, and I believe your site is going a long way to helping with that!
What I believe are helping me:
- The facts of the situation being presented (e.g. the limits of turbulence, etc.)
- Assurances that turbulence will never harm anything
- The exploration of the loss of control, which I agree is probably a huge part of the fear — it’s even occurred to me before now!
- The weight of your experience behind your words
Before reading this site, I believe many people like me just hear about accidents on the news, and translate that information into “It can happen!” This little nugget of information/disinformation sits in our brain and comes out whenever our fear kicks in (e.g. during turbulence!).
So, THANKS!
Hi Sean,
Thanks for your comments. I’m genuinely pleased that I’ve helped in some way. I’ve always been honest here, and will continue to be so.
Feel free to ask any questions – at any time….
Thanks for all your comments about fear of flying. My fear is somewhat deep seated following a dramatic flight some years ago which left me and my family traumatised. However, we do still fly but it seems to take more courage every time! What I would like to know is why following an air disaster the accident is reported as being down to “bad weather”? I hear what you are saying about turbulence and would really like to believe it.
Hi Janie – apologies for the delay in replying.
Firstly, well done for continuing to fly. Facing your fear really is the best medicine!
Turbulence is not dangerous I PROMISE you. I love turbulence, and I certainly wouldn’t be saying that if I thought I was in any danger. In fact, I wouldn’t even go to work!!!
I have a huge problem with the way media report on air accidents. They NEVER get it factually correct. Journalists write articles to a deadline, and it seems they never seem to fully research an incident before reporting it.
With any accident there is obviously always a cause. But it’s NEVER just one. Saying an accident is down to ‘bad weather’ is a sure sign of an article that has not been researched at all!
Personally I’d describe such incidents as a ‘freak of nature’. It’s usually a chain of unforseen events that result in any accident. NOTHING is 100% safe. People get killed by lightning, trees, and by falling out of the bath (etc etc!). Aviation accidents are in the same category. It is the safest form of travel – by a big margin.
Please do not take any notice of media reports on these rare incidents. The media exists on fear – and the report is certain to be full of half-truths and misleading rubbish. Next time there is an incident, talk to me instead and listen to fact rather than fiction!
How many airliners crashed today worldwide? 0, cars? probably thousands!!
Thanks for this useful website. But what about the Air France flight leaving Brasil? Wasn’t that due to severe turbulence?
FH,
Thanks for your question. Nobody yet knows what happened to Air France Flight 447. This is a quote taken from the preliminary report on the incident;
However, the report does suggest that some of the ‘storms’ in the area where AF447 disappeared may have cause some severe turbulence. The media have taken it upon themselves to report that this turbulence caused the disaster. But, how can the media know this, when official investigators (who are highly trained in dealing with aviation incidents) DO NOT know the reason?! Journalists DO NOT know about aviation, and rarely bother to research thoroughly before writing on the subject.
Do not take notice of ANY articles in the media suggesting that turbulence caused the ditching of AF447.
There are many theories surrounding this incident, but none are proven. We only have a very limited number of facts – and sadly, this may be all we have due to the fact the ‘black boxes’ have not yet been recovered, and may not be in the future.
Turbulence is NOT dangerous, and does not bring down an aircraft. There has to be other contributing factors/causes – and as yet, these are unknown.
Read my initial thoughts on the incident by clicking here. For those who would like to read the preliminary report on the ongoing investigation, all 128 pages can be found by clicking here.
Hello, i just read some of your articles based on the fear of flying. I must say it has been quite a help understand the mechanics of a plane. I myself am flying from my mothers house in Spain to Bristol in england on the 30th of this month and I’m still quite nervous. I’m 18, and it was my first flight over on my own, and the turbulence was quite bad, and now I’m afriad to go home!
My fear runs in my family through my mother, father and even my sister. I was wondering if you have any key elements to focus on whilst i take my flight next week. I would really appreciate your help!
Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
I’m glad the site has helped in some way. The best advice I can offer you is to pay very close attention to the Flight Attendants for the duration of the flight. Do they look worried?
A lot of fearful flyers tell themselves that the crew are hiding something from them – but, trust me, we are not! Turbulence is nothing to be afraid of, and the crew know that. We are not paid well enough to endanger our lives unnecessarily – so if we thought we were in danger, we’d never go to work!
I always advise fearful flyers to tell the crew they are scared – especially if travelling alone. That way, they will make sure you are ok throughout your flight and explain anything that you do not understand.
Obviously I am not a psychologist, so I tend to recommend either the SOAR Course or The TakeOff Today Program for more qualified help.
Please do keep in mind that the crew all have loved ones, and we do not go to work in fear. We all feel safe, or we would not do the job we do. Keep watching the crew, and tell them you have a fear of flying.
I hope that helps in some way……What airline are you flying with?
Thank you so much for such an informative website. It’s great to have someone give you “straight” answers to a lot of the common questions regarding turbulence. I’m flying back to the UK from Buenos Aires in a few days and, while I’ve always broken out into a cold sweat during flights, after having read reports about the Air France flight in June and the ITCZ, the mere thought of having to fly through that zone makes me quite light-headed! I’ll certainly be keeping a firm eye on the flight attendents over the Brazilian coast!
Thanks AB,
I’m glad the site has helped in some way. Just a quick note regarding the ITCZ….. THOUSANDS of aircraft have flown that same route without any incident. In fact aircraft flew through that zone shortly before and after the disappearance of Flight AF447 and encountered no difficulties.
Whatever happened to the Air France aircraft was a freak accident, and does not mean that this particular zone poses any danger to aircraft flying through it. If this was the case…… it would soon be a ‘no-fly’ zone, and that’s guaranteed!
Hope you enjoyed your flight. Feel free to ask any questions.
Hey, thanks for putting this site together…it helped me a lot.
I’m flying in a few weeks with my family…and whenever I think about it, it’s like my imagination starts up and I think of myself in the plane going through terrible turbulence.
The last time I was on a plane, there was horrible turbulence that seemed to go on during the whole flight. And for me, I was more worried about the ‘up bumps’ than the ‘down bumps’. The plane would just lurch upwards and shake.
The pilot said that it would subside, and eventually, it did. But I was still worried that it would happen again.
I wasn’t afraid of flying that much before that incident. And now, turbulence is one of my major fears of flying. Also, the whole ‘plane falling out of the sky’ thing scares me as well. The idea of the engine going off or something like that scares me a lot as well. Can you give me some more advice? Thanks!
Turbulence is the biggest fear for many nervous passengers, but it really isn’t dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, it can be uncomfortable, but the aircraft is designed to withstand much more than it will encounter…..
Contrary to popular belief, planes never just fall out of the sky, and if one engine fails the aircraft is perfectly capable of flying perfectly fine. If – and it’s almost impossible – both engines fail, the aircraft can glide safely to the ground.
Obviously, accidents do happen, just as they do whilst driving. Nobody is ever 100% safe, but you are as close as you can be whilst in a commercial airliner with a team of highly trained professionals looking after you every step of the way.
Next time you encounter turbulence, imagine yourself on a boat. The movements you feel are simply the waves on the ocean. Air acts in a almost identical manner to water, but you fear flying more as air is invisible whilst water isn’t.
Check out the SOAR Fear of Flying Course for expert guaranteed help.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your website. It is very helpful.
I have family that lives across the country, and I have been flying at least once a year since I was a baby, with the exception of about five years when I was in college. When I started flying again, the first few times I was fine, and then I started noticing a growing anxiety. At first I was able to ignore it, but it got worse and worse. Then, a flight I was on last June hit some unexpected turbulence, and my fear shot through the roof. In retrospect, I don’t think the turbulence was very bad–I was sitting next to a frequent flyer who comforted me and told me that this was nothing–and it probably only lasted about ten minutes or so. But now I spend a significant part of every single day dwelling on the fact that I will have to fly sometime again. All I have to do is see an airplane in the sky (and I live near an airport, in flight paths) or even hear the word airplance, and I have a panic attack that can last an hour. This happens several times a day, every day, and is ruining my life. I had to fly again in November, and I tried taking anti-anxiety medication: it made no difference whatsoever. I was completely terrified the whole time.
I try to think of all the statistics showing that airplanes are the safest way to travel, and it makes no difference. I just cannot understand how an airplane could be safe. You’re going against nature. People aren’t meant to fly. Birds are. What is to stop a plane from having a catastrophic mechanical problem in mid-flight? What is to stop turbulence from breaking a plane up in the air? No human being can design a machine that can never break. Look at the Titanic.
I don’t want to never be able to travel, or visit my family. I have to fly again on Thursday, and I’m considering canceling, or driving from Minneapolis to California instead. Please give me some advice. It helps so much to hear things from a professional.
Thank you,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Firstly, you mention that it goes against nature. Birds fly, we don’t. Yes, you are right and that is why a commercial airliner is based on how a bird flies. In a plane, you are not flying…. the aircraft is. You are just a passenger on a giant bird.
The basic principles of flight have always been the same, and always will be. Lift=Weight and Thrust=Drag.
Wings provide lift to counteract the weight of the aircraft, and the engines create thrust to counteract the drag. These are the exact same principles that allow a bird to stay in the air.
You also mention the failure of anti-anxiety medication to help. No surprise there….. many studies have found it actually increases levels of anxiety.
I highly recommend that you download the SOAR course for a fear as severe as yours. It’s a guaranteed course that has helped thousands of others in similar situations overcome there fear of flying. Years of research has enabled breakthrough treatment for your fear, and…. it works! Click here for more information.
The only problem i have every had with flying is during take off and landings when you get that sinking feeling in your stomach. I dont know whether everyone else feels it like i do cause its very severe, i feel like im falling through the fall and even though ive flown alot in the past five years and know to expect it…it never fails to cause me to panic.
Its the same in lifts but not quite as severe, when you go up and then the lift comes to a halt.
Turbulance is fine by me and none of the noises frighten me, i know im very safe and in qualified hands.
So my problem is trying to find ways to stop or deal with this sinking feeling in my stomach, which to be honest incapacitates me until it stops. It puts a stain on every flight that would have otherwise been very enjoyable.
Ive tried drinking, being real tired, listening to music, reading, talking.
I dont think its any sort of negative mindset (thought i do get nervous bout flying), its just a severe physical feeling i cant ignore that causes me to panic.
Any advise how to get better at dealing with this? Or why i get this feeling?
Hey Kevin!
I’m getting ready to fly to London from DC in a few days. I know that airspace is (for the moment) open despite the volcano still erupting. But I’m still nervous about the flight, given all the dangers the media has presented about ash harming planes and what not. Any advice to ease my fears?
Thanks! Your site has helped a lot :0)
Hi Kate,
I’ve been emailed this question a few times, and have also had passengers ask me at work. Many people are slightly concerned that we have gone from complete airspace closure to flights being permitted again despite the Icelandic volcano still erupting.
UK Authorities (including the Civil Aviation Authority) have admitted that they were ‘over-cautious’ regarding the complete shutdown of UK airspace last month. But, this should not be seen as a bad thing. In truth, it was a very unusual situation for this part of the world, and rightly so, it was important to gain more knowledge to better enable a accurate assesment of the danger of vocanic ash.
Extensive research showed that volcanic ash is only dangerous if it is of a high density. Aircraft engine manufacturers, airlines, and safety authorites were all involved in this research, and all agreed that it was ok to resume flights if areas of higher density of ash were avoided.
In the UK and Europe we are still seeing delays, and a small number of cancellations due to the continuing eruption. The situation is still dynamic, and you can be rest assured that NO aircraft will be flying through ash that is above the recommended ‘safe level’.
So, in summary, yes ash is dangerous to fly through – but only if it’s high density. Extensive research has been completed and ALL airlines will be aware of where the higher density ash cloud is. The skies above us are currently safe to fly in – but if the situation changes, the authorities will not hesitate in shutting the airspace again. Your safety (and ours) is ALWAYS the number 1 priority – no exceptions.
Kevin
I am leaving tomorrow for Atlanta from Philadelphia. (About a 2 hour flight ) and i am super nervous!!! I take medicine before but nothing seems to help. I just get so nervous and I lock up after every little bump or move. The weather says that it might storm in Philly tomorrow which makes me VERY nervous. Also I am taking an E190 plane .
Any Advice?
Hi Sandra,
Hope I’m not too late with the reply. I was flying last night (UK time) and have only just got the chance to respond.
Medicine is unlikely to work, and some studies have even shown it to increase anxiety – something you definitely don’t want.
What you have to keep remembering is that planes are supposed to move around. Just as a boat moves on the surface of the water, a plane must move in air. As I’ve mentioned, air acts in a very similar way to water, but – of course – it’s invisible which leads to a fear amongst many airline passengers.
Just keep the thought in your mind that there is air surroinding the entire aircraft, and this is what is holding it up. That air will never cease to exist, or lapse – or you’d see birds randomly dropping from the sky all day!
Turbulence is caused by different air pressures, and weather fronts. It is 100% natural, and completely safe. Storms can cause increased turbulence, but pilots will always avoid them if they are too violent as they always try to make your ride as comfortable as possible.
If storms are particularly violent, a flight will simply be delayed or re-routed to avoid flying near it. Never forget how many highly trained professionals there are looking after you. No other form of transport can offer you such safety.
With regards to the E190 plane, it’s a perfectly safe aircraft to be on with a proven safety record. All aircraft owned and operated by reputable airlines in the developed world are safe – and that’s a fact.
Enjoy your flight
Firstly let me congratulate you on a truly informative website. The comments i’ve read are very matter-of-fact and have helped reassure me in my fear of air turbulence.
My fear is a strange one that has developed over the years. At first (in my naivity) I loved flying, but the more I thought about turbulence and air movement the more scared I got on subsequent flights. This has led to me being a very poor flyer. I literally grip the seat I’m in and cannot normally indulge in conversations on a flight as I am too busy ‘concentrating’ on whether the plane is moving about in turbulence or not. I have looked at the practicalities of turbulence and the more I read the more stupid I feel for reacting this way when on a flight. However, since visiting this website, your words and advice seem to be imprinted onto my psyche which has enabled me to relax and enjoy flights for the first time in years.
Again once again congratulations on your site and a huge thankyou for enabling me to enjoy flying once more.
Simon
Hi Kevin!
I have a big fear of flying, which led me to finding this website. I am planning on taking a big trip to Australia next year (I live in Florida). This information coming from someone who is obviously well-versed in flying is very comforting, so thank you.
Jen
As an ESL teacher in South Korea, I’ve flown many times from Raleigh,NC to Incheon, South Korea and back. It seems that my anxiety grows with each flight. I know a lot of it has to do with being in the air for so long. The last flight I took from ICN to RDU in April was turbulent for almost the entire trip. And the initial flight from ICN to Narita on April 4th was the worst and scariest turbulence I have ever experienced. I’ll be flying back from RDU to ICN in January and I’m afraid of turbulence due to cold fronts. My question is, is it more dangerous to fly during winter months? I know you’ve stated many times that turbulence isn’t dangerous, but it sure can be uncomfortable. Is there a season or month that you would suggest flying during to experience less turbulence?
No, it is no more dangerous flying in winter than in summer. Winter tends to be more challenging on an operational front as snow and ice can interfere with schedules, but danger is not increased.
Yes, I agreee, turbulence can be uncomfortable (I was having to hold on very tight on a flight last week, and my feet left the floor several times!), but not dangerous. As long as you have your seatbelt on, there is nothing to concern you. It will not cause damage to the aircraft.
Turbulence is pretty much the same all year round. Convective turbulence is more common in summer due to the temperature, but weather fronts and jet streams to cause turbulence regardless of the time of year.
Hope that helps.