Turbulence: Understanding the Bumps in The Sky

Turbulence in aviation refers to the irregular, sometimes violent air movement that can cause an aircraft to shake or tilt. It's a common phenomenon encountered during flights, and while it can be a discomfort, it is typically not dangerous to the aircraft or its occupants.

What causes turbulence?

First, we need to understand that there is not only one type of turbulence, different meteorological situations create different variants of turbulence:

Thermal Turbulence:  Caused by the rising and falling of warm air. When the sun heats the Earth's surface, the warm air rises, creating updrafts.  When these updrafts interact with cooler air, they create Thermal turbulence. Thermal turbulence is most likely during warm days with clear skies over land.

Mechanical Turbulence: it occurs when an airflow is disrupted by obstacles such as mountains, buildings, or even other aircrafts. As air flows over these obstacles, it becomes choppy, leading to turbulence. The more uneven the surface and/or the stronger the wind, the deeper and stronger will be the turbulent layer.

Clear Air Turbulence (CAT): Found at high altitudes, often near the jet stream. It is called "clear air" because it is not associated with visible weather phenomena like clouds or storms, making it difficult to predict and avoid.

Frontal Turbulence: Occurs near weather fronts, where two different air masses meet. The interaction between warm and cold fronts can create unstable air currents, leading to turbulence.

Wake Turbulence: Produced by the passage of an aircraft through the air. The larger the aircraft, the more significant the turbulence it leaves behind, which can affect following planes.

While turbulence can feel uncomfortable and jarring, modern aircraft are designed to withstand significant stress and structural forces. The airframes, wings, and control surfaces are built to handle the kinds of forces experienced during turbulence and, even in the most severe turbulence, your plane isn’t moving nearly as much as you think! 

The aviation industry's safety record demonstrates that turbulence rarely leads to serious incidents or accidents. Most turbulence-related injuries typically involve passengers or crew members who were not seated or securely fastened at the time.

Nowadays pilots use advance aircraft technology to predict and avoid area of rough air, but this is not always possible. That's why it is important that you always follow the instructions of the cabin crew, move along the cabin only when it is safe to do so, and keep your seatbelt fastened at all time when seated!

Next time you are soaring through the skies and encounter a bit of turbulence, take a deep breath and remember that it is a natural part of flying. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the journey!