Turbulence In This Weather

Prudie | 09:37 Sat 15th Feb 2014 | Travel

14 Answers

As a very nervous flyer who still does it I've been wondering if any of you have been on flights in this wind, particularly cross Atlantic or domestic? As I've been watching the ferocious gusts hit the trees in my garden I've thought blimey I'd die of terror if I was in a plane.

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boxtops

Not in this wind, but I have been in very scary buffets crossing the Bay of Biscay on the way back from Spain in the past.

jomifl

As I understand it ( clanad needed here) the turbulence (gustiness) at ground level is mainly caused by friction with the ground and convection causing faster or slower moving air masses to change places. At higher altitudes turbulence is caused by rising or falling air masses, usually in or near cumulus type clouds. Pilots normally fly around these if they are aware of them.

Peter Pedant

yeah I think you can fly around them (above or below them)

jno

the jet stream is so called because it's the height at which jets fly. But generally the flow seems to be steadier at that level, without buildings and trees for the winds to bounce off.

I have been in very scary buffets

I've had breakfast in cheap hotels myself, boxy.

boxtops

LOL jno :-)

Prudie

Question Author

Yes I know to some extent they can fly round it and above it. I did fly across the jet stream round Xmas when we had the first of these storms and it was a very unpleasant hour or so, even the cabin crew were made to sit down. That doesn't help with landing or take-off though, the airports in the South must be sending off some hairy trips.

Peter Pedant

No prudie it is safe

think how many people have been injured by flying pebbles on chesil beach this week
and how many planes havent arrived... going to the south coast is much more dangerous....

jomifl

PP, you see if flying pebbles are dangerous, how much more so a much larger flyng aeroplane? :o)

Prudie

Question Author

But I live on the South Coast about 15 miles from Chesil Beach! Actually there are some stone steps that have been exposed in the pebbles at Chesil that haven't been seen for decades.

Old_Jim

On a plane flying at 300mph relative to the surrounding air, 80mph winds don't make a lot of difference. The problems arise on take-off and landing when the plane suddenly lurches to one side as the wheels leave or touch the runway. There's a bit of turbulence if you fly through the eye of the storm, but air traffic control generally route planes to fly in large circles round the outside.

According to the London Weather Centre, this is the last storm heading our way. After this it will just be our usual miserable February weather. I hope they're right - I'm flying off to Rome next week.