Turbulence - Seats Over Wing, Front Or Back?

[Prudie]

I'm a very nervous flier, turbulence being my big terror. I'd be interested to know what your thoughts are on where to sit on a plane to minimise the effects? I've heard say over the wing but have also seen this contradicted. I always pick a seat in the back row if I can (tail sections reputedly safest and eliminates some damn kid kicking the back of my seat) however I've also heard this to be the bumpiest place to sit.

[237SJ]

Turbulence if worse the further towards the rear of the aircraft. If it`s a wide bodied aircraft, you might feel it more in window seats but there isn`t huge difference.

[ChillDoubt]

I'm a very nervous flier, turbulence being my big terror. I'd be interested to know what your thoughts are on where to sit on a plane to minimise the effects?
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Unless you can swap places with the co-pilot I'd say it's pretty much impossible to negate the effects!

[jno]

over the wing, according to pilot tips in the Telegraph yesterday (for some reason it's not in the online version, but it was in print); like the middle of a seesaw.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10280316/Airline-pilot-secrets.html

[Tilly2]

Prudie, where are you flying to? How long will the flight be?

[Prudie]

Negate obviously not but there is a lot of discussion about different parts of the plane feeling it less than others.

[Tilly2]

Given that Business Class and Executive First are at the front of the plane, I should say that this is where there is less turbulence.

[Prudie]

Hi Tilly, I came back from Menorca on Friday. As usual I spent half the flight with my fingers in my ears downing G&T and trying to control myself. It was bumpy but not enough for the seat belt sign. All around me the other passengers were relaxing away! I was in the back row, as I'd chosen, but wondered if I'd picked elsewhere I might have felt it less (logic might tell me the tail is thinner so wobbles more).

[237SJ]

You will always, always feel it down the back more. On a large aircraft like a 747, it can be just a wobble on the upperdeck (at the front) but completely different down the back. 757s used to wobble up and down. You could stand at the back and see the flight deck door going up and down.

[Tilly2]

Next time, fly Business Class.

[Prudie]

LOl Tilly, I haven't flown on a plane that had any class in the last 20 years!

[marje]

I like it when it's a bit turbulent, it makes me sleepy.

[Tilly2]

Of course, I always fly Business or Executive First, Prudie. Doesn't everyone? :-)

[theshedman]

I usually try to get a seat about 6 to 8 rows from the front. That way the turbulence seems to be less, the food trolleys go past very early on into the flight so it's easy to get up and use the toilet if needed with no having to squeeze past things.

[mikey4444]

Three large gins usually does it for me.

[ck1]

Just keep an eye on the cabin crew, if they're still walking around doing drinks focus on them and you wont notice the turbulence so much. When they run around telling everyone to get their seatbelts on you will want to neck your G&T and hold tight. If your scared of flying any amount of turbulence will freak you out so you wont know whether it would be and different in any other part of the plane, it never lasts long so distracting yourself is probably the best remedy

[KARL]

Aircraft bodies are tubes that are designed to flex. The tubes are supported at the wings and it is when the support by the air to the wings varies that turbulence leads to a bumpy ride. Like any longish and slender tube, rod, length of wood, etc. held and shaken at somewhere near the centre, the ends can be seen to visibly wobble relative to the centre. That is why theoretically there is less movement at the wings of an aircraft. However, if you look at modern bus and truck driver seats, they appear to bounce wildly but in fact the intention is to dampen the extremes of movement - arguably, that sort of effect occurs at the two ends of an aircraft's body and you can see the movement relative to the centre section, as someone has pointed out - just like when you watch the bus driver's seat. The best advice you have received is to achieve a reduced state of apprehension. Most people do not register unevenness in the air unless it is rather pronounced and your description reads as if perhaps you spend the whole of each flight trying to detect "turbulence". This is not conducive to enjoyment of travel and must be very debilitating. Anything you can do to reduce or eliminate getting into that state of mind is advisable and worth while. I would recommend anything other than intoxication, but if that is the only option for you then try to choose the least toxic means available. It may be worth your looking into some of the better courses available for those afraid of flying.