Those who travel often usually become used to turbulence and think nothing of it. For first time travellers, however, turbulence can be very stressful and scary. If you are looking to learn more about turbulence, you have come to the right place. Even for frequent flyers, turbulence can often be a source of anxiety. During turbulence, your airplane ride will become rather bumpy. Sometimes, it is minimal and you will feel little. There are times, however, it can become quite strong, instilling fear in some of the airplanes passengers. Before we discuss whether or not this fear is legitimate, let us first discuss what causes turbulence.

Turbulence occurs when there is a change of air pressure. When two masses of air of different temperatures meet, they cause a change in air pressure, due to the fact that high pressure air is flowing into low pressure air. This change in air pressure causes a wind, known to aviators as streams. It is these streams of air that cause turbulence to occur. There are four types of turbulence, each classified by their type and strength. The first type that flyers may experience is low level. This type occurs at flight takeoff when the plane experiences low levels of wind. Although some people may become somewhat alarmed during low level turbulence, it is generally fairly light and is not usually a cause of anxiety.

The second type is turbulence which occurs in and near thunderstorms. As the name states, this turbulence is experienced when the plane is travelling within convective clouds and thunderstorms. This type is likely to cause anxiety with some passengers as it can often be quite intense. Clear air turbulence can also be quite stressful for passengers. This turbulence usually occurs around fast moving rivers. Pilots are often highly educated about this type of turbulence because it can often add time to the flight. The final type of turbulence is Mountain wave turbulence. This turbulence occurs when air moves over a mountain ridge and can also cause severe turbulence, creating anxiety for some passengers.

So, turbulence can range from mild to severe, but do we need to worry about it? The answer is no. Although the experience of turbulence may be uncomfortable, it is completely safe and normal. Pilots are highly educated about turbulence so, even during the roughest of times, you can be assured that you are safe. Turbulence, although completely safe, can be very stressful for some. To ensure compete safety during periods of turbulence, remain seated, buckle your seat belt, and follow any additional directions given by your pilot.

Airplane turbulence is mainly caused by abnormal air movement. The phenomenon known as windshear is the result of air masses with different pressure crashing into each other, creating air waves. As cold air in the atmosphere descends rapidly, warm air spreads and rises until little below the cold air, which then tumbles. As the cold air hits the ground it splashes and spreads out producing surface winds. All these air movements can cause an aircraft to bounce when caught in between. Experienced pilots know how to control an airplane under these circumstances, although landing and take-off require more attention.

Jetstreams are another reason causing air turbulence. The diversity in wind speed and direction at certain parts of the atmosphere can make an aircraft fly in instability. This phenomenon occurs in heights greater than 12 km over the surface of the earth, where high pressure air masses collide with lower pressure air masses ones. At the meeting point, there is a pressure change and the wind that forms results in a stream because as the earth spins it causes the wind to be concentrated in a steam between the two air masses (known as the Coriolis force).

Probably the worst type of airplane turbulence is the one caused by thunderstorms. When flying inside thunderstorms, strong upward or downward currents of air disrupt the normal airplane movement creating high turmoil. Even below thunderstorms, there are strong colliding winds, which combined with heavy rain and lightning can cause intense turbulence that may cause the plane to crash. Turbulence can also be experienced around the edge of a thunderstorm. For that reason, pilots are informed in advance for any upcoming thunderstorm in order to protect passengers from any similar situation.

All in all, air travel is a magnificent experience and airplane turbulence should not be a reason to sustain from it. What you should remember is that airplane turbulence may be rather distressing and upsetting, but it is not hazardous. Nowadays, technology has provided airlines with the ability to predict such phenomena, making air travel a safe and exciting experience.