Flying scaredy cat has embarrassing question!

[snowbunny]

Trust your pilots - they know what the weather is likely to be before you ever leave the ground in the first place.

I'm not the OP but yes, I do trust the captain. If I didn't, I wouldn't be up in that tin can.

However for me turbulence is not an intellectual exercise, it's emotional.
I know it's not inherently dangerous (with a few notable exceptions, that's why they tell you to stay buckled) - but I still like my dramamine.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Trust your pilots - they know what the weather is likely to be before you ever leave the ground in the first place. If there is severe weather in the Orlando area that will likely impact the landings there, most of those flights will be held at their departure point until things clear. That is one of the reasons your flight can be delayed for "weather" even when the sun is brightly shining where you are standing.

This is not just up to the airlines to decide. One of the reasons why there are more ground delays before takeoff these days is that new rules were passed by the FAA that prevent airlines from taking off if they are unlikely to be able to land in their destination. In other words, if they can't get you there safely, they're not going to be allowed to die trying!

Remember that the people in charge of getting you where you're going are professionals. They're not the ground crew, the gate agents or the TSA. Your flight crew and your cabin crew are trained to get you where you are going safely. That is their number one priority. They are NOT going to place themselves, you and a plane filled with others in an unsafe situation. Really. I promise.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am the proud wife of an aviation consultant!

Great post!

I used to volunteer on the site I posted earlier and the single most helpful piece of advice that I can give anyone is this - meet the pilot. Nothing seems to put a nervous mind at ease better than meeting the person "driving the bus". Pilots fly because they love to fly - their enthusiasm for flying is contagious. They can reassure you about the weather or any other quick question you may have (for longer in depth questions please do your research before you fly online or with books!). Get to the gate early and politely let the gate agent know that you are a nervous flyer and ask if you could meet the pilot for a quick second before the flight. IF the pilot has time (and most of the time they at least have time for a quick hello) then they will be happy to oblige.

If anyone wants to learn more about flying and overcoming their fear then I would recommend the websites mentioned earlier by myself and Barb:
www.takingflight.us/forums and www.fearofflyinghelp.com (this is Capt Stacey Chance's website and he as a great FREE online fear of flying course!). You can also find YouTube clips of Capt Stacey Chance about flying. Check them out!

There is also a fantastic book by Capt Ray Stark called "This is Your Captain Speaking" that is available on Amazon for about $12. Very easy to read and understand.

Happy flying!

 

[Flyin2MCO]

Do they land flights during thunderstorms? We're flying in on Southwest on Saturday around 5:30 pm and I know from being a Disney August vacationer that thunderstorms are frequent during the Florida afternoons. I hate flying to begin with and know that if I have to land in a thunderstorm I probably won't make it (and I really don't want to miss my Disney vacation because of coronary arrest)!!!

I assume you're on flight 1604 from Philly...that one usually hugs the SE coast and then cuts in to MCO from the east...looks like the usual slight to medium chance of t-storms for this Saturday, but as others have noted, your pilots will do everything possible to work with ATC to avoid and move around any storms...

I wouldn't worry too much about it...the worst turbulence is actually in the winter time with the stronger jet stream...at this time of the year you are more likely to have a smoother flight or, if there is weather, go around any bumps. I'd be more concerned about driving to/from the airports...that's a lot more dangerous!!

Anyway, have a great time on your trip, and enjoy your flights.