Airplane turbulence - how to cope?

Parent Cafe
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<p>You might have heard of the movie, “127 Hours”, three years ago when it came out. It starred James Franco (as Aron Ralson), who was a mountaineer trapped by a boulder in the wilderness. I couldn’t watch the movie, but my son said it was great. After five days of being stuck in the boulder, preparing to die, he has a premonition of his little blonde three year old son, and that’s when he decides to cut off his arm, in order to live.</p>

<p>His little blonde son is three years old right now.</p>

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<p>busdriver, can you go with me on my next flight, hold my hand, and whisper sweet nothings about how this is no big deal?</p>

<p>barrons, I once experienced scared flight attendants. Not good.</p>

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<p>I’ve come to the conclusion that some people (like me) just don’t have a good constitution for flying. I’ve flown a fair amount, but I’m never not scared, mainly of turbulence, despite reading a lot on the science of flight and turbulence (and how turbulence is not really a danger by itself). It annoys me as a psychologist trainee and a behaviorist, because exposure should theoretically make me less nervous and flying and… nope. A few years ago I took probably 6 or so round trip flights in four weeks for grad school interviews–high of frequency exposure over a concentrated period of time, a pretty awesome exposure exercise… and one that did nothing to make me like flying any more.</p>

<p>Two things I’ve found helpful:
-Looking up the turbulence forecast for the flight route before boarding, especially if you’re in a plane with onscreen maps of your flight progress. Although these can change fairly rapidly, it can give you an idea of when to expect turbulence.</p>

<p>-Sitting with my head down (kind of brace position-esque, actually) really reduce the feeling of turbulence for some reason.</p>

<p>I’ve never personally noticed turbulence issues flying in and out of Denver, actually, and I’ve done it a fair bit. I’ve never had a smooth IAH to SLC/SLC to IAH flight, though.</p>

<p>I remember on one flight we were descending in heavy wake turbulence and the flight attendant and the passenger behind us were discussing the plane crush on Lost. I could have thought of many better topics. ;)</p>

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<p>We flew into fort Myers last week and had one of those “out to sea” landings. We’ve been flying there for years and I don’t ever remember it being quite like that before, but my mom said they always do that. You could see sea gulls and the men driving the boats. It was a little unnerving, but cool!</p>

<p>I don’t like when we have to circle and circle to land, but for a different reason. We all came back from Florida once with ear infections we didnt know we had, and for some reason I don’t remember anymore we couldn’t land when we got to Detroit and circled for an hour. My moms ear drum ruptured, we were all in agony! Ever since then I swear my ears hurt in anticipation of landing even if there is no reason for it. For our circley Ft Myers landing, I’d just been to a Bon jovi concert the night before and I admit my ears didnt do so well… Don’t fly the night after a rock concert.</p>

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<p>My home airport is National, so I spend every landing praying we don’t hit a bridge or the water. Or the Washington Monument. I really don’t want to stand on the wing of the plane with Sully waiting for the coast guard to come get me.</p>

<p>I hate takeoff! I hate that pressed against the seat feeling. And since I’m not allowed to use electronics I can’t watch a movie, read a book, listen to music - anything to get me through those first few minutes when i just know a bird is stuck in the engine or something awful is going to take the plane down. Once I’m up I’m fine, though i don’t like turbulence I know that no planes just fall out of the sky. While I fly a lot with my husband and squeeze his hand, complete strangers aren’t always open to a little hand holding. </p>

<p>Landing I always pray that the landing gear comes down and we don’t overshoot the runway. They stuff you in planes now like sardines so I try to upgrade when possible for more room, not to mention, I don’t even think most people could get in the crash position with how tight some of these rows are now.</p>

<p>I bet that didn’t make you feel better at all. Since a lot of my travel is business I can’t really drink fast enough to help with takeoff or show up drunk or drugged on the other end.</p>

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<p>I think understanding the mechanics of flying helps. It isn’t magic holding the plane in the air and turbulence is just buffeting while flying.</p>

<p>I suggest looking stuff up until you’re conversant but the basic idea is simple (in extremely condensed form):</p>

<p>Look at the wing of a plane. The top is curved. Like a bird’s wing. As the plane goes faster on the ground, air passes below the wing and above the wing (or you could say the wing cuts through the air, so some goes below and some above). Look at the shape again. The air that goes over the curved part has farther to go. That’s pretty much all there is to it. As the plane goes faster, the air flowing over the top has farther to go. That is what generates the lift which flies the plane: the pressure above the wing is lower than the pressure under it and when that pressure exceeds the weight of the plane (and drag and other complicated stuff), then it rises off the ground. This is an application of the Bernoulli Principle, which you test each time you put a finger over the end of a hose to shoot it further: the speed of the water flow increases and that decreases the pressure. On a plane, the curved wing means the air needs to cover more ground in the same time, which means it moves faster, which reduces pressure above the wing. And the rest is displacement like from Archimedes: stuff floats because it displaces more water than it weighs and stuff flies because it has more lift than weight. Lift in this case is essentially the same as displacement. Do you question why boats float? Or that they’ll continue to float when they hit bumps?</p>

<p>So turbulence is bumps in the air, really the same as bumps in the pavement. The plane is flying not because the air is smooth but because the airspeed is so high the plane generates a lot more lift than it weighs. Another way of thinking about this is to understand the plane is essentially being held down, not up, once it is up; they adjust the flaps and speed to keep the plane from rising (unless the air gets really thin, which isn’t an issue for regular planes). </p>

<p>In other words, the bumps don’t affect the lift that flies the plane. And the plane itself is so over-engineered for strength that it can fly on 1 engine, can lose big parts, etc. and still fly. And what is a bump? It’s very often just a small shift in pressure, meaning higher or lower pressure, so the plane moves up or down slightly or jiggles as the lift varies. It feels like a big jolt because it’s a big plane and that big thing translates motion to the small you inside so a 10 foot lurch feels like 100 feet to you. But that’s all it is: just bumps in the invisible road. </p>

<p>BTW, when I was tiny, I was used in a medical paper because I got airsick in a blizzard that rocked the heck - according to my dad - out of a DC-3. It was then believed airsickness was in your mind. I was one of the examples, a sleeping infant who suddenly vomited, to show it was a physical response.</p>

<p>Also btw, this simple mechanical setup also explains why each sport gives certain kinds of bodies an advantage. A pitcher’s arm extends so when he/she delivers the ball, it makes an arc. A short pitcher’s arm makes a smaller arc than a tall pitcher’s arm. Say they both move their arms at the same speed. That means the hand of a tall pitcher covers more distance in the same time, which can only be done if it is moving faster, and that means a tall pitcher throws harder with less arm speed and thus less effort. The tall pitcher’s hand is moving faster because it has to cover more distance in the same time. This kind of analysis is done for every sport and every position. Rowers are tall because their longer reach means they pull more water each stroke and the boats hold up the bodies so the extra weight isn’t a big penalty. Short cyclists do well in hill stages because they weigh less and shorter legs go through a shorter pedal stroke, which is easier than a long stroke under hill pressure. But on flats and smaller hills, length of stroke helps the taller riders. These are the same idea as the curved wing translated: as I said above, the curved wing means the air needs to cover more ground in the same time, which means it moves faster, which reduces pressure.</p>

<p>Sorry if this is pedantic for no reason.</p>

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<p>eyemamom, I don’t even notice that “against the seat feeling”, though you really do if you fly an airplane with afterburners. More like slammed against the seat. A bird in the engine is no big deal, chances are the engine would just chew it up and you’d barely notice, if it was a small one. Worst case, it makes the engine fail, and unless you’re in a single engine Cessna, you have another engine. Engine failure procedures are practiced all the time. Very rare to take a whole flock of birds, like Sully’s airplane.</p>

<p>On landing, if the gear doesn’t come down, there are alternate procedures to get it down, and if they overshoot the runway, then just go around and do it again. I can’t speak for carriers in other countries (I’d feel just as safe in Europe), but the safety of air carriers in the US is very high.</p>

<p>I know it probably doesn’t help much, but you should know that the people flying your aircraft can do quite a bit to control things. If something abnormal happens, there are procedures in place (and plenty of checklists) that address almost every possible thing. They practice for common emergencies, that rarely ever happen. One thing that helps, is distracting yourself by talking to the person next to you, if they’re amenable. Then before you know it, it’s over! I’ve had a stranger ask if they could hold my hand, so I’d be happy to hold hands with you or LasMa any time.</p>

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<p>I dont think that anyone enjoys turbulence. Sometimes I just let myself go with it and enjoy the motion. Sometimes im holding on for dear life.</p>

<p>Over the Atlantic I try to sleep and that helps. It’s always bumpy flying over the Rockies so I come to expect it.</p>

<p>If its a long flight, I take a sleeping pill. For short flights, i listen to something relaxing. Either the new age channel, smooth jazz, or classical.</p>

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<p>Actually, I’m usually pretty engaged while flying–either watching a movie I enjoy, reading a book, trying to get ready for an event I’m flying to, trying to read materials from an event I attended, or something. I don’t notice much of the flight, other than when I have something spilled on me, which has rarely ever happened (it was spilled by a flight attendant who belligerently said, “It’s only WATER!” and huffed off). </p>

<p>I am busy making sure that I get enough O2 to breathe on the plane with my portable oxygen concentrator and that the batteries don’t need to be swapped out sooner to be bothered with any degree of turbulence. I’ve noticed that STUFF doesn’t bother me as much, since I was diagnosed with a severe chronic condition–it does really change one’s perspective.</p>

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<p>Birds in engines are a problem on take-off, which is why they keep flocks of birds away from active areas. The issue is an engine losing power before the plane has sufficient lift. Airports have to maintain a regular anti-bird policy as part of their operations. There are rules. </p>

<p>A story about lift. My dad was in the Air Force and had stories of being in these little military planes that could take off at very low speed, meaning basically big wings for the weight of the plane. He said he was in planes that would turn into a strong wind and take off at little more than taxiing speed. And because they had such lift, they could fly at really slow speeds. He knew a pilot who liked flying low over golf course greens when players were putting. </p>

<p>Fear of flying is a real, treatable condition. But fear of turbulence is not fear of flying; it’s more a misunderstanding of what turbulence is and how little it matters for flight.</p>

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<p>Used to take a Xanax, but now find that my iPad and several variants of Angry Birds works even better!</p>

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<p>The best cure for turbulence is flying on a 747 :). I must have crossed the Atlantic 7 or 8 times on Air Elbonia, TWA, and the like back then and turbulence was never an issue. The plane, as big as it was, plowed right thru.</p>

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<p>^^Yes, as far as turbulence, generally bigger is better. I used to fly the C-5, which we considered larger than the 747, and that airplane just floated through anything. Good thing, because sometimes we were carrying 100K lbs worth of Class 1 explosives, which made you not want to be jolted around too much.</p>

<p>Now the most important thing is to not spill one’s coffee. Gotta have that coffee!</p>

<p>Gosh HImom, you sure have a lot more to think about that most people, when you’re flying. No wonder a couple of bumps and water doesn’t bother you.</p>

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<p>busdriver - thanks for the offer to hold my hand, but I want you with both hands on the wheel and your eyes focused on whatever all those gadgets actually tell you. </p>

<p>Is it just me or do some pilots look REALLY young nowadays?</p>

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<p>I became very afraid of flying after an incident of turbulence over Aspen. After that it was a nightmare every time I had to fly. Finally I can now say that I feel much better due to a few things I do:

  • eat very light before and take a salty snack with you. It will keep your stomach from feeling sick.
  • get noise cancellation headphones- airplane noises makes me very nervous and aware. It is also easier to relax when the noise if the plane is reduced. Get good ones like Bose.
  • Learn everything about turbulence effects on a plane. That helped me a lot.
  • Learn how to do imaging relaxation techniques for when you feel really nervous.
  • think that all the odds are in your favor. You have about the same chance of dying in a plane crash than winning the lotto. I have never won the lotto yet.
  • Distract yourself with a movie, preferably a comedy while on the plane.
    Good luck</p>