Turbulence on plane

[diddldonna]

I have never had a smooth flight due to turbulance on planes. Traveling home we left in a thunderstorm and landed at Gatwick in one so it was a bit rough but nothing too scarey, nothing like the worst ever flight from Spain to Gatwick it was for the whole journey rough and alot of people sick.

On the other hand my In-laws travel 2 or 3 times a year and have never experienced it, so what am i doing wrong?

Donna

 

[patdavies]

Whilst admitting that I am writing from the position that turbulence doesn't worry me (except the spilt gin & tonic ). I am the only one that sees the irony in spending hundreds of pounds on a holiday that involves roller coaster rides and then worrying about a small amount of vertical movement of the aircraft on the way there/back?

 

[cazzie]

I am the only one that sees the irony in spending hundreds of pounds on a holiday that involves roller coaster rides and then worrying about a small amount of vertical movement of the aircraft on the way there/back?

Aaah but I won't ride roller coaster either. and the few water coasters I will ride are not 30,000 feet in the air.

 

[shellbell]

Aaah but I won't ride roller coaster either. and the few water coasters I will ride are not 30,000 feet in the air.

I don't ride the coasters either, Spash Mountain is as exciting as i get Plus when i'm up there and the plane hits turblance i can't help but think that 35,000 feet is a very long way to fall I'm a terrible flyer

Michelle

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Whilst admitting that I am writing from the position that turbulence doesn't worry me (except the spilt gin & tonic ). I am the only one that sees the irony in spending hundreds of pounds on a holiday that involves roller coaster rides and then worrying about a small amount of vertical movement of the aircraft on the way there/back?

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Trying to be practical, do you know how many planes have broken up or crashed from 30,000 ft up?

Actually none at all. In fact the m,ost famous case was a BA 747 which flying over a volcanoe all its engines failed due to ingestation of vocanic dust. Should have been a disaster, but nope, engines were started and everyone arrived home safe.

When was the last time a UK registered aircraft (or US for that matter) crashed on the transatlantic route? (I ignore terrorist bomings in that)

How many people died last week in car crashes in the UK at sea level?

How many people have died in train crashes in the past five years?

How many people have died in their homes due to various accidents?

Do you see how safe transatlantic flights are

 

[VSL]

Even if the engines did fail it wouldn't be the worst case scenario. All a plane needs is speed and wings to fly (or glide, as the case may be). The captain would still be able to make a landing without the engines.

Also, I think that transatlantic planes are all programmed to be able to land in multiple US airports.

 

[Amyrlin]

The thing with roller coasters is that it is not real fear, it is simualted fear, we know that it is temprary and will end soon and that logically we are not in danger it is only our instincts that take over temporarily. With the aircraft turbualce out imaginations can really run away with us and it is not only our intincs that feel the fear. Plus many of us watch lost!

 

[CHRIS F]

On our first trips to Florida [first 4 trips] we had bad turbulance on every return journey my wife thought we were fated as she is scared of flying, it took the fifth return leg before we had a smooth flight although now she takes the valium for flying she sat through 2 hours worth of turbulance and did not remember it at the end of the flight. We had one experiance on BA in 1995 where for 6 hours we were dropping, pitching side to side and shaking I said I would never fly again well at least until our next wdw trip.

Once a pilot on the days pre 9/11 when they walked around the cabin stopped and assured VAL that no plane would ever experiance turbulance that they have been tested and designed for!

Just to make you all smile last week I took a flight from Madras to kuala Lumpa where we were stuck on the tarmac for 30 minutes in 120 heat with no a/c then, on the take off run we get a whooping sound accompanied by "this is an emergency, breath normally" repeated non stop all through take off into turbulance and then we banked sharply. The captain apologised about 10 minutes later and said there was a malfunction on take off but he has now ignited all the engines on the 747, what???? And tomorrow the same same airline is bringing me back to London on a 14 hour flight.

The lights on take off at night is for safety reasons the only reason I know is that on one flight one of my freinds kept pestering this american stewardess before take off about this as we were sat next to them at the back [due to a few to many beers for him he thought he was gods gift ]ie why why why non stop about the cabin lights on take off etc eventually she snapped and explained to him very bluntly why he was silent for the whole of the flight after that lol

 

[Andrew Bichard]

The lights on take off at night is for safety reasons

When planes take off or land after dark over a highway, cabin lights are often turned off and shades pulled down so as not to distract passing motorists.

Andrew

 

[UKDEB]

On every Virgin flight for as long as I can remember, they always say that your window blind must be in the open position for take-off and landing. On the outbound transatlantic (travelling West during daylight), it's up to you what you do with it after take-off. On the return (night-time) flight, they come around asking you to close your blinds after dinner and then turn off the cabin lights. A cabin crew member once told me this creates an environment for sleep and discourages people from bothering them. About 1 1/2 hours before landing, they switch the lights on serve breakfast. At some point they make an announcement reminding you that that your screen, tray and footrest must be stowed, your seatback in the upright position, and your window blind open for landing.

 

[CHRIS F]

Andrew

The funniest thing was to shut my friend up they told him that the cabin lights were dimmed at night on take off in case they crashed so his eyes were already adjusted to darkness. Great one line put down!!

 

[patdavies]

When planes take off or land after dark over a highway, cabin lights are often turned off and shades pulled down so as not to distract passing motorists.

Andrew

Absolute nonsense. The window blinds must be OPEN

On every Virgin flight for as long as I can remember, they always say that your window blind must be in the open position for take-off and landing. On the outbound transatlantic (travelling West during daylight), it's up to you what you do with it after take-off. On the return (night-time) flight, they come around asking you to close your blinds after dinner and then turn off the cabin lights. A cabin crew member once told me this creates an environment for sleep and discourages people from bothering them. About 1 1/2 hours before landing, they switch the lights on serve breakfast. At some point they make an announcement reminding you that that your screen, tray and footrest must be stowed, your seatback in the upright position, and your window blind open for landing.

The least safe parts of flying are takeoff and landing. It is a legal (CAA) requirement that window blinds be open and cabin lights on for these events. The reason is so that in any emergency a) you can see where you are going - not every emergency has light failure/smoke filled cabin and b) you can ascertain the outside conditions before evacuation. It is not a good idea to deploy a slide on a side of the aircraft with an engine fire! It is also a CAA requirement that an emergency evacuation should take no longer than 90 seconds to get everybody off the aircraft.

 

[CHRIS F]

Absolute nonsense. The window blinds must be OPEN



The least safe parts of flying are takeoff and landing. It is a legal (CAA) requirement that window blinds be open and cabin lights on for these events. The reason is so that in any emergency a) you can see where you are going - not every emergency has light failure/smoke filled cabin and b) you can ascertain the outside conditions before evacuation. It is not a good idea to deploy a slide on a side of the aircraft with an engine fire! It is also a CAA requirement that an emergency evacuation should take no longer than 90 seconds to get everybody off the aircraft.

Just interested no importance really but don't you mean cabin lights have to be off as I have never taken off or landed at night with the cabin lights on?

 

[UKDEB]

Just interested no importance really but don't you mean cabin lights have to be off as I have never taken off or landed at night with the cabin lights on?

I think they dim the cabin lights for take-off rather than turn them off altogether.

 

[CHRIS F]

You are right, dimmed is the termonology lol.

It is ok I am just totally bored at work I have nothing better to do except complain to disney about no AP discounts for me in October and discuss aircraft lighting on take off and landing lol

 

[UKDEB]

You are right, dimmed is the termonology lol.

It is ok I am just totally bored at work I have nothing better to do except complain to disney about no AP discounts for me in October and discuss aircraft lighting on take off and landing lol

Oh well, you're one up on me - I've got nothing to do except discuss airport lighting! I've got a spare anorak if anyone needs it...