Airplane Turbulence

For those of us who don't look forward to flying, airplane turbulence is an extremely scary thing. It is unpredictable, nerve wrecking, and extremely unpleasant.

Many people say that air turbulence is not dangerous at all. They say that it is simply caused by air pressure and weather and they point to the fact that planes don't crash as a result of turbulence. However, for those scared to fly or those living with a phobia of flying, turbulence can be evil. Remember, the person is already scared to be 30,000 feet above sea level and then to be on a shaking plane on top of it is terrifying.

A little talked about danger of turbulence comes from actual injuries on a plane. Turbulence can cause people who are walking around to fall down, and it also can cause things from the overhead luggage to fall on top of people. During extreme turbulence, people can actually be thrown from their seat. This can be extremely dangerous as people have hit their heads on the area above them as a result of being thrown from turbulence. Not to mention, turbulence can be extremely unsettling on the stomach which is why "barf bags" are in front of every seat.

Perhaps what makes turbulence most frightening is the randomness and unpredictability of it. Often, the pilot will be able to predict turbulence and inform the passengers of it. This is done through communications with other planes on the same route ahead as the respective flight. Also, traveling over extreme weather or a storm often results in turbulence. However, unexpected turbulence can happen at any time. And sometimes the unexpected turbulence is the harshest and most vicious type of turbulence.

There is no cure for turbulence, for many it is simply a necessary evil of air travel. But even for those that fly often, turbulence can be an extremely awful experience. Maybe one day there will be an airline who avoids turbulence at all costs, however it would make for a much longer fight as the pilot would have to do a lot of zig-zagging.

It is interesting to note that trains shake as much if not more than airplanes. Often as the train goes over different tracks or travels through a windy area the train will sway, bump, and not feel stable. However, you rarely if ever hear about people scared of train travel. The reason for this of course is that those who don't like to fly have the fear that at any minute - the airplane could fall out of the sky.