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Speed bumps in the sky – turbulence explained
Turbulence is one of the most talked about elements of flying among passengers . But for cabin crew and pilots , it ’ s simply part of the job and certainly not something to fear ( provided you ’ re buckled up ).
That said , it can be uncomfortable . And it ’ s a leading cause of spilt drinks in-flight . So , a lot of effort goes into minimising the amount of turbulence we encounter .
Here are some facts about turbulence and how we manage it .
What causes turbulence There are three main causes of turbulence :
• The most common is a sudden change in the wind direction and speed . ( These combined forces are called ‘ windshear ’ and the impact on flying is called ‘ clear air turbulence ’). Aircraft can encounter a lot of sudden wind changes as they climb through the atmosphere to reach their cruising altitude ( where the air is usually much smoother ). That ’ s why the seat belt sign typically stays on for several minutes after take-off – the Captain is waiting to reach smoother air higher up .
• Turbulence is also caused by a sudden change in air temperature , which often happens when flying through thick ( so fluffy !) clouds .
• The third cause is wake turbulence . Large jet aircraft ( like the A380 or B747 ) disturb the air as they fly through it at close to the speed of sound – a bit like large ships creating a wash behind them as they churn through the ocean . For this reason , air traffic controllers deliberately leave plenty of distance between large aircraft in particular . Wake turbulence does happen , but it ’ s very uncommon .
Reducing turbulence There are a few ways we work to reduce turbulence , in the interests of giving you a more comfortable flight .
• Weather reports – as part of their pre-flight briefing , pilots receive a map from our Integrated Operations Centre on their iPad showing the weather along their planned route . This includes an indication of likely turbulence ( measured as ‘ shear rate ’) on a scale of 0 to 15 . The pilots will use this information to plot the smoothest path they can . Most of the time , numbers are between 3 and 6 . Anything over 10 you ’ d probably tell your friends about . But the aircraft can deal with all of it . Otherwise , we wouldn ’ t be flying .
• Other aircraft – aircraft flying on the same route often radio each other about any rough spots of unexpected turbulence they ’ ve encountered , and what altitude they ’ ve gone to ( up or down ) to find smoother air . Air Traffic Controllers join in as well , helping to share information between aircraft .
• Radar on board – radar equipment in the nose of the aircraft scans ahead to show storms , allowing pilots to plan a course around them . This is particularly important on long haul flights , where weather conditions on the route will change over the 10 + hour journey you ’ re on .
Nothing to fear Aircraft are designed to deal with turbulence many times more severe than anything you would realistically encounter . For instance , you might notice the wings flex up and down when it gets bumpy but they are designed to bend much , much further . And you might hear some of the cabin fittings creak , but the structural integrity of the aircraft is engineered for all sorts of turbulence . The biggest risk from turbulence is being tossed around – so whenever you ’ re seated , we recommend having your seatbelt done up .
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Source : www . qantasnewsroom . com . au / roo-tales Published on 31 March 2017