Comments on: Fighting Turbulence

By: Grey Mayer

Grey Mayer — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:13:45 +0000

I recently flew on AA 2824 from DFW to VPS and we hit the worst turbulence I have ever encountered and I fly quite a bit for work. Right before we hit the turbulence there was an alarm sound throughout the cabin – and it persisted through the entire roller coaster ride. Everything in my lap (and everyone elses) went flying. At one point we could hear the captains calling the towers but it sounded like a squawk box and the alarm noise would interrupt it to where we couldn’t hear what they were saying. The stewardess was horrible – she ran to the front of the plane, buckled up and screamed for everyone to tighten our seatbelts. She never did get back up again. The whole experience was awful, and I’m not convinced that knowing about the turbulence ahead of time is going to make me feel much better. After this flight, I had a trip that I booked on Delta and we hit moderate turbulence, and I can tell you that the stewardess must have had much better training because she was very calm and it helped keep the rest of us calm. (Oh, and American’s planes seem ancient as well!)

By: Tom in Raleigh

Tom in Raleigh — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:44:55 +0000

I like to know what’s coming–then when the turbulence happens, I am ready for it. I think “oh, we must be at position x, where they were expecting turbulence for the next 100 miles or so”

I like flying United airlines because they let you listen in on Air Traffic Control–you can listen to the pilots really working to try to find better air. I recently flew from ORD to RDU and the pilots kept asking for and getting permission to go up and down.

Like the other comment said, though, the pilot has to turn it on….Most of the time they will. On one flight when they didn’t, we were landing at SEA and the pilot rejected the landing, which led to an interesting tour of Puget Sound. I figured it was a runway incursion, which it was. I was bummed I didn’t get to hear that on ATC!

I’ve never noticed a difference between airlines as far as ride. I do know that on one DL flight the pilot was very careful on a rejected approach to ATL, and we went to August, GA to refuel and try again, rather than chance a second one with low fuel. Some bumpy rides, but great PA announcements from the Capt.

By: Airbus A380 Causes Major Wake Turbulence Problem - Turbulence Forecast Blog

Airbus A380 Causes Major Wake Turbulence Problem - Turbulence Forecast Blog — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:26:25 +0000

[...] Post at CrankyFlier.com for more [...]

By: Hunter

Hunter — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:18:14 +0000

Turbulenceforecast.com is a great website. I have fun just seeing how accurate the trip forecasts can be. He tends to be pretty general with them, so they are usually accurate. I’ve also noticed he downplays any threat of significant turbulence, so as not to make a nervous flier more nervous.

He also tells nervous fliers to choose NW for the smoothest ride. I tell nervous fliers to use UA because they offer Channel 9, and you can listen to exactly what’s going on, including reports from other aircraft and ATC. That is…if the pilot turns it on.