Turbelence!!!

[PotNoodle]

Perhaps I may just get banned for putting folk off their future trips to the USA, but has anybody suffered dodgy flights over the Atlantic?

My last and only trip to Orlando took just over 15 hours - honest!!!

My parents, sister and I flew from Gatwick to Manchester first which took 45 minutes, but whilst there the flight was delayed for almost two hours because of a stressed passenger who had to be escourted off the plane by paramedics.

Then, it was revealed that we would be flying over Scotland and via the southern coast of Greenland and then via Newfoundland and down along the East coast over New York because winds were going to likely reach between 90mph - 145mph.

That's why the trip lasted so bloody long!!! - Unlikely ever to happen again and despite all that, we still suffered with turbelence.

 

[carolfoy]

I find that turbulance only happens when you've got a scalding hot cup of coffee in front of you - answer: I never drink coffee on the planes now!
also, via greenland, newfoundland etc, I thought that was the way they went anyway? to keep as close to land as possible?

 

[kkymmy]

yeh we went that way....it can take a lot longer depending on whether you're flying with the wind or away from it, but yeh, i remember skirting down the coast of the USA for a good three hours or more!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

As far as I know they always fly via Newfoundland and then down the east coast.

 

[gavvy]

I LOVE turbelence, makes the flight more exciting, and helps rock me to sleep!

 

[AndRu]

Nope - they don't. On one of the last two trips we flew over Ireland and the next land we encountered was the Floridian coast. I asked one of the stewardesses about it and she admitted that she prefered the "near land" route to flying over the sea for so long. As for turbulence, it's one of those thing that happens on flights.

 

[Kevin Stringer]

We've experienced turbulence from time to time, but the only time it was really bad was when we landed in Orlando in a thunder storm. The plane was going up and down more often than my arm in a pub.
Doesn't quite compare to your 15 hour trip though Pottie!

Kev

 

[JohnnySharp2]

From Manchester we fly over Ireland and then the next land we see is Newfoundland, we go down the east coast passing New York, the captain has mentioned that we can see New York from the window. You can also see the outline of Cape Cod if its clear.

 

[Goofyish]

Coming back last December we got some wicked turbulence - just as we were having coffee after the meal

It was so funny - I couldn't put the full cups on our tray because the coffee was splashing everywhere, so I tried to hold the full cup and use my arm as suspension while trying to get the cup to my lips to drink some coffee. Eventually I managed to drink just enough boiling hot coffee so it wasn't splashing out of the cup

Looking around everyone was having the same problem. All the trays were awash with tea and coffee

And then to add insult to injury the stewardess came up the Aisle asking if anyone wanted more coffee!

 

[Manatee]

Hot coffee you lucky lucky ! I always end up with luke warm coffee, as for a fifeteen hour flight, bet there wasnt much fuel left in the tanks.

 

[wendy_uk]

Turburlance urgh, I really dislike flying and I only do it because I have too, ie no trip to orlando without a plane trip. I was fine with flying until one flight home from cyprus and we hit an airpocket and the plane just fell downwards, ok it was nothing far, but to me I thought my end had come.

 

[Shane]

Weve never really got anything bad except our first trip where we suddenly dropped a high number of feet and alot of drinks / food went up in the air, including a drink down my dads shirt =P

 

[angel659]

Hi

I have experienced bad tublulence twice now.

The first time was in 1992 and I was 12. We were flying with Delta from MCO to Atlanta. The plane went through numerous air pockets and obviously the plane fell a few feet. I remember laughing as my dad, my mum, aunt, uncle were saying ooohh and wow it was like a orchestra with all the other passengers screaming etc... The reason for this was because Hurricane Andrew was expected to hit Florida in 2 days so we basically were flying into tropical storms.

The next time was when it was my honeymoon in June 2000. We flew to Mexico and whilst flying over Bermuda we again hit several pockets and this time I was not laughing. I was convinced the plane would crash. All I could hear was the galley trolleys banging, the lights flickering, TV lost its picture and the screen was flashing black and white. Lots of passengers screaming and shouting. It was awful. What made it worse I had a dream before we left and we experienced turbulence and the plane was going crash. We also left our 6 month old daughter with the inlaws whilst we had our honeymoon and I was convinced we wouldnt see her again. I thought it would be Kama telling me I should not of gone. I hated every minute of the flight and holiday and could not wait to come home even though we had an awful flight.

 

[TinkTatoo]

From Manchester we fly over Ireland and then the next land we see is Newfoundland......

Give us a wave as you pass over

Our route from Dublin is slightly more northerly - we go close to Iceland and Greenland before dropping down to Newark

 

[UKDEB]

The plane was going up and down more often than my arm in a pub

OMG! I would be too traumatised to ever risk flying again!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

The prefered route is nearly always as above, but once on Virgin we went acroos the atlantic far lower, to the Azores, Bermuda and into Florida, this was just after 9/11 in October that year, we did it in record time, not sure if it was the winds or keeping us away from the East coast but it worked that time.

 

[Claire L]

Quite often routes close to land are choosen for the following reason -

ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) is an acronym for an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rule permitting twin-engined commercial air transports to fly routes that, at some points, are farther than a distance of 60 minutes flying time from an emergency or diversion airport. This definition allows twin-engined airliners—like Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777 and Airbus A300, A310, A320 series, A330—to fly long distance routes (especially over water, desert or remote polar areas) that were previously off-limits to twin-engined aircraft. ETOPS is sometimes read (humorously) as Engines Turning or Passengers Swim. ETOPS may be replaced by a newer system, referred to as LROPS (Long Range Operational Performance Standards), which will affect all aircraft, not merely those with a twin-engine configuration.

Claire

 

[Rain]

Just make sure you are not on my flight! I have never experienced a smooth flight over the Atlantic yet and I hate Turbulence! Last trip home we flew upper class and we could not even lie down as we felt so sick!


Oh for a smooth flight! Any of you smoothies care to let me fly with you!

 

[CHRIS F]

On all our trips back from Orlando until 2003 [5 trips]we experianced turbulance one one occasion with BA we were strapped in for six hours, I still remember it up and down, sideways, dropping we just thought it was the norm.
Since we started using USA carriers not had any!!

I have flown hundreds of flights with work and I reckon 95% of the time no turbulance, but luck of the draw.

I have a theory and I am sure it is totally inaccuarate but I have been on some amarican carrier flights were we started to have turbulance and they announced they were looking for a different flight plan to avoid it, but with the UK companies they just go for it regardless as it costs money to alter the route, it could be just coincidence but only had turbulance wit BA and Virgin oh nearly forgot Air 2000 out of at least 100 flights accross the atlantic.

Now I know I am sad counting flights and having stupid theories lol

 

[jjk]

I have never had a smooth flight yet always seem to be flying into some storm,
or taking off at the begining of a hurraicaine with people screaming and pilots telling you you are still sat on the runway because they are unsure of which way to go I am hoping for our first uneventful flight this year but I have started taking kalms just incase