Why do pilots avoid clouds?

Numerous accidents have occurred in the vicinity of thunderstorms due to the density of clouds. It is often said that the turbulence can be extreme enough inside a cumulonimbus to tear an aircraft into pieces, and even strong enough to hold a skydiver.



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Mammatus clouds Airline pilots will normally take action to avoid any cumulonimbus clouds, but particularly those bearing mammatus formations, as these indicate especially severe turbulence within the cumulonimbus.

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Moreover, the turbulence inside a cloud can become extreme and break apart an aircraft. Thus, it is extremely dangerous to fly inside such a system.

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Private pilots are forbidden from intentionally flying into clouds without an instrument certificate and on an IFR plan. Others may deviate around those “clouds” which display heavy precipitation on their radar but, otherwise, pilots fly their airplanes through clouds all the time.

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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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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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This shaking is caused by turbulence. While this might make some uneasy, there is nothing to worry about as modern airplanes are designed to withstand all types of turbulence.

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Turbulence might occur during your flight in rainy weather due to the presence of different air masses mixing together and causing disturbances aloft. Warm and cold air masses interacting with each other can result in turbulent conditions high in the sky, making your flight potentially more uncomfortable.

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“The aircraft is designed to take the stress and strain of turbulence. For example, it's like designing a car with good enough suspension to drive over a rough surface road with potholes.” In short, pilots are not worried about turbulence - avoiding it is for convenience and comfort rather than safety.

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I've known pilots who are scared of flying. In the industry, they are known as seagulls because you have to throw rocks at them to get them to fly and, even then, they squawk the entire time. One mate of mine who wasn't keen on flying said he coped by always taking a taxi to the airport.

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At night pilots will turn their gaze from outside to inside and use the artificial horizon. The artificial horizon is normally a simply globe split into two hemispheres. Using this instrument, the pilot can determine whether the aircraft is in a climb, a dive, or rolling.

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Airplanes are designed to withstand rough conditions and it is rare for aircraft to incur structural damage because of turbulence. But turbulence can toss passengers and crew members around, potentially causing grave injuries.

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Routes with the most turbulence
  • New York to London. One of the most popular routes which experience turbulence is flying from New York to London (and also London to New York). ...
  • Seoul to Dallas. ...
  • Flying into certain airports near the equator. ...
  • Flying into Reno, Nevada. ...
  • London to South Africa.


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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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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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Night flying restrictions or night-time curfews, including night flight bans, are any regulations or legislation imposed by a governing body to limit the ground-perceived exposure to aircraft noise pollution during the night hours, when the majority of residents are trying to sleep.

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Shortly after takeoff you may feel a sinking sensation, that happens when the flaps are retracted, allowing the plane to accelerate. You may also hear the engines throttle back, sometimes ATC asks us to level off because traffic is above us.

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Pilots are capable of identifying areas of potential turbulence by using their knowledge of meteorology and weather patterns. One of the simplest ways we avoid turbulence is by avoiding areas with thunderstorms. Convective activity is associated with unstable air, as well as strong updrafts and downdrafts.

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Yes, planes can fly in rain. Nowadays, airplanes are designed to fly in most weather conditions, even heavy rain. Even small planes can comfortably fly in heavy rain. Rain only becomes a threat when associated with other weather conditions, such as snow, thunderstorms, or ice.

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