Avoid lightning! This is the seat where you feel the most turbulence in an airplane

Review expert: Zhao Liangyu, Associate Professor, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing Institute of Technology
On July 10, 2023, flight CA1524 from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Beijing Capital Airport encountered a short period of severe turbulence in the air. Many netizens said on social platforms that the plane experienced multiple turbulences at the time and fell rapidly in a short period of time. The strong feeling of weightlessness made them very uneasy.

Source: A social platform

Among them, popular science blogger Xing Lida said that when the plane encountered turbulence, "the stewardess and passengers were thrown to the top of the plane." Fortunately, no more serious accidents occurred, and the plane finally arrived in Beijing safely. The injured passengers and flight attendants were sent to the hospital for treatment in time.

Source: Weibo screenshot/Xing Lida

As a fast and convenient means of transportation, airplanes have gradually become the first choice for many people to travel long distances, for tourism, or for business trips. Turbulence is also a common emergency during flight. Severe turbulence may cause damage to some items and luggage, and even cause some substantial harm to passengers. Do you find it strange that there are no potholes in the sky, so why does the plane still turbulent during flight?

Why do airplanes experience turbulence?

Aircraft turbulence in the air can be mainly attributed to the following main factors:

>> Atmospheric conditions : At high altitudes, unpredictable air currents and turbulence are the main reasons that affect the stable flight of aircraft. In the atmosphere, there are air currents of different speeds and directions. When air currents of different temperatures and speeds interweave with each other, unstable mutual motion will occur, which forms turbulence. When an aircraft passes through these unstable air currents or turbulence, it is very likely to cause turbulence.

Source: Wikipedia/Bill Larkins

> > >> Weather conditions : Weather conditions, such as thunderstorms and cloud formations, can also have a significant impact on aircraft flight. Storms and thunderstorms are both weather conditions accompanied by strong air currents, which can cause violent up and down air convection, thus forming turbulence, affecting the stability of aircraft flight. In addition, factors such as mountains, waters, high-altitude jets, and changes in the temperature of airflow around the aircraft can also cause turbulence, and the aircraft may also be affected by the terrain or the interaction between the ground and the air, causing turbulence. The weather radar on the aircraft is designed to detect the weather conditions ahead and prevent severe turbulence caused by more severe conditions.

Source: ATSB, flightsafetyaustralia

>> The aircraft itself : The design and performance characteristics of the aircraft can also affect the degree of turbulence. For example, a smaller fuselage and wings are more sensitive to changes in airflow, making the aircraft more susceptible to turbulence. In addition, factors such as the aircraft's speed, altitude, and the location of its center of gravity can affect its stability and ability to withstand turbulence.

It is worth noting that due to climate change and many other factors, the frequency of clear-air turbulence is increasing, and the airflow movement caused by this is an important factor affecting aircraft stability. Some scholars published a research paper on clear-air turbulence in Geophysical Research Letters. They made detailed statistics on atmospheric data from 1979 to 2020 and analyzed the frequency and development trend of clear-air turbulence.

Source: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The data and statistical results in the paper show that the number of severe clear-air turbulence over the United States has increased by 41% since 1979, and from a long-term development trend, the frequency of clear-air turbulence will continue to increase. At the same time, as a passage point for many international air routes, severe flight turbulence over the North Atlantic has increased by 55%, and moderate clear-air turbulence has increased by 37%.

In addition to the increase in the frequency of turbulence as the frequency of clear air turbulence increases, the average duration of aircraft turbulence has also increased significantly: the duration of severe turbulence over the Atlantic Ocean has increased from 17.7 hours to 27.4 hours per year, and the duration of moderate turbulence has increased from 70 hours to 96.1 hours, and there is a trend of continued increase.

The increase in clear-air turbulence is closely related to global warming. The turbulence caused by turbulence not only threatens the personal safety of passengers, but also causes serious economic losses. It is estimated that about 5,500 aircraft in the United States encounter severe turbulence during flight each year, and about 65,000 aircraft encounter moderate turbulence. The air accidents caused by this cause about $200 to $500 million in losses to the US aviation industry and injuries to passengers and flight attendants.

Different colors correspond to different degrees of turbulence. Source: IntuVue RDR-4000 Pilot's Guide. In order to avoid some serious flight turbulence, pilots usually use instruments and weather forecasts to monitor and predict the possibility and severity of turbulence, so as to take corresponding measures in time to keep the aircraft stable and ensure the safety of passengers. The corresponding aircraft detours will also consume more fuel, all of which means increased costs.

Which part of the plane experiences the most turbulence?

Generally speaking, the seats closest to the wings of the aircraft will feel the most obvious turbulence. This is because the wings are the main components of the aircraft that generate lift, and are also the parts of the aircraft that are most directly affected by airflow and clear air turbulence. Therefore, the turbulence felt by seats close to the wings will be more intense.

Source丨Editor

It is important to note that the intensity and perception of turbulence may vary depending on factors such as flight conditions, air flow and aircraft type. In addition, seat positions may vary depending on aircraft layout. Therefore, turbulence may be felt in other seat positions on a particular flight.

Source: pixabay

To be on the safe side, everyone should follow the crew's instructions and fasten their seat belts when flying in the future. But also be aware that although general aircraft turbulence is very common, turbulence severe enough to cause passenger injuries and aircraft damage is not common, so don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!