Why are pilots not afraid of turbulence?

Airplanes are built very sturdily. In fact, there's a lot of countermeasures built into the engineering of an airplane much like a car has different things to make a smooth ride on a bumpy road, airplanes have so many parts to it that's built into the aircraft to be able to deal with and safely handle the turbulence.



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Sometimes it's unavoidable to fly through light and moderate turbulence, but rest assured your pilots are working to find smooth air. If they encounter severe or extreme turbulence not forecasted, pilots will quickly climb or descend to a safe and smooth altitude.”

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While extreme turbulence can indeed be uncomfortable and jarring, the actual risk of damage to the aircraft is incredibly low. Planes are designed to flex and absorb the energy from turbulence. This resilience keeps them safe, even during periods of intense turbulence.

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Severe turbulence can cause a plane to drop so suddenly that pilots temporarily lose control. But, again, that's not enough to crash the plane. That's not to say it's never happened. In 1966, human error and turbulence combined to bring a plane down over Mount Fuji.

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Sometimes it's unavoidable to fly through light and moderate turbulence, but rest assured your pilots are working to find smooth air. If they encounter severe or extreme turbulence not forecasted, pilots will quickly climb or descend to a safe and smooth altitude.”

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A poll taken on A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge, the largest network of airline staff on social media, revealed that most airline crew not only like turbulence, but they also enjoy it! That's a comforting thought to think about the next time you're worried when your plane starts shaking. '

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For nervous flyers, turbulence can be frightening, especially when it's severe. Some might even think that these strong forces would be enough to break the aircraft. In reality, airplanes, especially large airliners, are built with enough strength to withstand almost all naturally occurring turbulence.

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From a practical point, no, a modern airliner will not lose a wing due to turbulence. Modern airlines are very tough and designed to withstand extreme turbulence. In theory, it might be possible. But to my knowledge, it has not happened to any jet airliner.

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When an aircraft experiences turbulence, the plane can drop or change altitude suddenly. This is why pilots always caution passengers to buckle up and stay seated when they are experiencing flight turbulence. The sudden movements put passengers at risk.

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Usually the pilots will leave the autopilot engaged. In small airplanes with limited autopilots, it is better to fly manually, but with more sophisticated airplanes the autopilot is a valid option in turbulence. Severe turbulence is actually very rare.

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DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado and the Rocky Mountains are among the worst areas for turbulence in the United States. It's a problem that injures dozens of passengers and crew members nationwide every year.

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Should you be scared of turbulence? The short answer is no, and rest assured that the pilots know how uncomfortable turbulence can make passengers feel. And know that no aircraft has ever crashed because of turbulence. Turbulence has not caused an airplane to crash, Biddle said.

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Winter has strong winds and blizzards, and summer's hot heat can create unstable air, thunderstorms, and tropical storms. That means flying during the holidays often means more turbulence than other times of the year. So if possible, avoid flying between December and February or June and August for a smoother flight.

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Using weather radar
Most commercial aircraft now pack weather radar – from the Airbus A321 to the Boeing 777. Weather radar can pick up weather systems sufficiently ahead to warn of precipitation and turbulence, allowing the fast-moving aircraft to divert in time to equally protect the humans and the aircraft.

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Routes with the Most Turbulence
  • New York to London.
  • Seoul to Dallas.
  • Flying into certain airports near the equator. There are certain airports which are located close to the equator which means frequent thunderstorms, especially in certain seasons. ...
  • Flying into Reno, Nevada. ...
  • London to South Africa.


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Turbulence Forecast is a great website that shows you both domestic and international turbulence PIREPs (or Pilot Reports) and potential nuisance areas based on weather, etc. PIREPs are going to be the most accurate in my opinion as they are reported in real time by aircraft flying through that specific area.

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A rough estimate of the probability of an airplane going down due to an emergency is about 1 in 11 million, meaning it would take us quite a few lifetimes before actually experiencing a plane crash. That's a whopping 0.00001% chance that something will go terribly wrong on your flight.

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Severe turbulence causes large and abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude and, usually, large variations in indicated airspeed. The airplane may momentarily be out of control. Occupants of the airplane will be forced violently against their seat belts.

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While pilots can't actually see turbulence, they often know what is coming up, thanks to reports from other planes, weather reports, and radar equipment. However, clear air turbulence (severe turbulence occurring in cloudless areas) can sometimes catch pilots off guard.

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There are multiple reasons a plane can break up in mid-air, according to Landsberg, including over stress, turbulence, aircraft fatigue and corrosion.

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Airplanes have a built-in stability, they will not tip over. This means that they will seek a natural state of straight and level flight. If you point the nose of the airplane up or down and let go of the controls, it will work its way back to level flight. This same leveling occurs when banking (turning) an airplane.

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They don't really fall, but can certainly descend and climb very rapidly, and without warning. In severe or extreme turbulence, altitude losses and gains of 1000 feet can happen, but are usually much less.

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