Many people are afraid of flying. Psychologists say that there is even such a thing as "aerophobia". Patients with this diagnosis experience real horror at the mere thought of taking off. The strongest negative emotions are caused by getting into air pockets and turbulence. Such moments are unpleasant even for those who have no fear of flying. However, the pilots claim that in fact this is a completely common natural phenomenon that can be explained in scientific language, and it will not bring any trouble to the passengers of the airliner. Today we decided to tell you what an air pit really is, and whether it is worth to be afraid of.

Explanation of the term

It is quite difficult for an ordinary person to understand what an air pocket really is. Everyone understands that there is no highway or road surface in the sky, and therefore there can be no holes. For example, when it comes to driving a car, it is absolutely clear to anyone that an obstacle or a hole may arise on the road, which an experienced driver can ditch. But what if you fell into an air hole? Is it possible to pass it? And how dangerous is it? We will answer all these questions in the following sections of the article. But let's understand this difficult topic gradually.

Scientists have long figured out that air flows are not uniform. They have different directions, temperatures and even densities. All this affects airliners following certain routes. In the case when the plane encounters currents of lower temperature on the way, a complete illusion of a short-term fall is created. Then we usually say that the ship fell into an air hole. However, in reality, this is just an illusion that can be easily explained with the help of modern science.

Downstream and upstream

To understand how air pockets are formed, it is necessary to gain a complete understanding of the movement of air currents. According to the laws of physics, heated air always rises up, and cooled air goes down. Warm currents are called ascending, they always strive upward. And cold air is considered to be descending, and like a funnel it pulls down everything that comes in its way.

It is because of the movement of these streams that air pockets so unloved by passengers are formed during flight. They make travelers experience very unpleasant sensations that many cannot forget for a long time.

The principle of the formation of air pockets

Despite the fact that the modern aircraft industry has long equipped its new liners with an abundance of technological innovations designed to make the flight comfortable and safe, so far no one has managed to relieve passengers of the unpleasant sensations caused by descending air masses. So, the plane fell into an air hole. What happens to him at this moment?

Even while flying in good weather conditions, the airliner can run into cold air. Since it is descending, it begins to significantly slow down the rate of climb of the aircraft. It is noteworthy that in a straight line it goes with the same indicators, but it loses a little height. This usually lasts only a few moments.

The airliner then encounters the updraft, which begins to push it upward. This allows the aircraft to return to its previous altitude and continue its normal flight.

The sensations of passengers

For those who have never fallen into air pockets, it is quite difficult to understand how aircraft passengers feel. Usually people complain that they experience stomach cramps, nausea coming up to the throat, and even weightlessness lasting a fraction of a second. All this is accompanied by the illusion of falling, which is perceived as realistic as possible. The totality of sensations leads to uncontrollable fear, it is he who further does not allow most people to calmly endure flights and causes aerophobia.

Should you panic?

Unfortunately, none of the most highly professional pilots will be able to bypass the air pit. It is impossible to fly around it, and even the make and class of the aircraft will not be able to save passengers from unpleasant impressions.

The pilots claim that the moment it enters the downdraft, the plane temporarily loses control. But you should not panic because of this, this situation lasts no more than a few seconds and, apart from unpleasant sensations, does not threaten travelers.

However, you need to know that the airliner is under severe pressure in the air pocket. At this point, the plane gets into "bumpiness" or turbulence, which, in turn, adds discomfort to frightened passengers.

Turbulence at a glance

This phenomenon gives travelers a lot of inconvenience, but in fact it is not dangerous and cannot lead to a crash of the airliner. It is believed that the loads on an aircraft during turbulence are no higher than on a car traveling on uneven roads.

A turbulence zone occurs when air currents of different speeds meet. At this moment, vortex waves are formed, which cause "bumpiness". It is noteworthy that turbulence occurs regularly on some routes. For example, when flying over mountains, the plane always shakes. Such zones are quite long, and the "bumpiness" can last from several minutes to half an hour.

Causes of turbulence

We have already talked about the most common reason for the appearance of "bumpiness", but, in addition to this, other factors can cause it. For example, an airplane flying in front often creates turbulence, which in turn creates a turbulence zone.

Not far from the surface of the earth, the air warms up unevenly, therefore, vortex flows are created, which cause turbulence.

It is noteworthy that pilots compare flying in the clouds to highway traffic with holes and bumps. Therefore, in cloudy weather, passengers most often experience all the "delights" of a flight in a shaking plane.

Dangers of turbulence

Most passengers in all seriousness believe that turbulence can compromise the tightness of the cabin and lead to a crash. But in fact, this is the safest thing possible. The history of air travel does not know a case when falling into a "bumpiness" would lead to fatal consequences.

Aircraft designers always put a certain margin of safety into the aircraft body, which will withstand both turbulence and thunderstorms quite calmly. Of course, such a phenomenon causes anxiety, unpleasant emotions and even panic among passengers. But in fact, you just need to calmly wait out this moment, not succumbing to your own fear.

How to behave during the flight: a few simple rules

If you are very afraid of flying, and the thought of air pockets and turbulence makes you feel terrified, then try to follow a number of simple rules that will greatly facilitate your condition:

• do not drink alcohol during the flight, it will only aggravate unpleasant emotions;
• try to drink water with lemon, it will relieve nausea when it gets into air pockets;
• before the trip, set yourself up in a positive way, otherwise you will all the time suffer from premonitions and negative emotions;
• be sure to fasten your seat belts, during the passage of the turbulence zone, passengers may be injured;
• if you are very much afraid of flying, then choose larger aircraft models that are less sensitive to various kinds of shaking.

We hope that after reading our article, your fear of flying will become less acute, and your next air trip will be easy and enjoyable.

Trips

What is an air pit? Flight by plane

20 january 2016

From the ground, it may seem that the clouds are clumps of cotton wool. But only children can believe in this. In reality, clouds are formed by the accumulation of millions of water droplets. Sometimes even the seemingly most harmless cloudiness raises doubts among pilots.

Previously, flying on an airplane was completely subject to the captain's intuition, luck and experience. Today, flight safety has reached a higher level thanks to the development of the aviation industry. However, not a single pilot, even the most experienced, can insure an aircraft from falling into thunderclouds, where, as a rule, lightning, hail and an air hole await him. What is this phenomenon and is it worth to be afraid of?

What is turbulence?

Pilots refer to this phenomenon as "bumpiness." Some say it is an air pit. The plane sways from side to side, and sometimes it seems that it seems to bounce and flap its wings.

Surprisingly, turbulence can occur not only when the plane enters the cloudy zone. There is such a thing as clear air turbulence. But if the weather is calm, pressure and humidity are normal, then the temperature is evenly distributed in the air. These are ideal conditions for a safe flight. And if there are clouds in the sky, then this is already an indicator that there are temperature drops. Upward and downward air flows have different pressures. When the plane enters such zones, it starts to shake. Especially an air pit, or rather getting into it, is felt during a flight over mountains, oceans or the sea. But you should not be very afraid of this phenomenon, since modern aircraft were originally designed with all these points in mind.

What is the danger of turbulence?

"Bumpiness" is not a pleasant phenomenon, but it is absolutely safe for an airplane. Almost all pilots are convinced of this. But nevertheless, getting into the zones of turbulence, they immediately strive to leave them. As a rule, there is no accidental entry into the "bumpiness" zone. Pilots prepare in advance for possible difficulties in flight. Therefore, they always have a couple of additional detour routes in stock.

You should be aware that this phenomenon cannot cause any harm to the aircraft. It will not break, fall apart, or explode. But passengers in such an environment have a hard time. Those who, for one reason or another, have not fastened their seat belts can be especially affected. In this case, you can even seriously injure yourself.

Truth or myth?

Most passengers believe that getting into the turbulence zone is completely dependent on the skill of the pilot. But, unfortunately, neither the skills, nor the experience, nor the qualifications of the latter can influence this in any way. The degree of shaking is influenced exclusively by atmospheric conditions, as well as by the weight of the aircraft itself. Heavy vehicles are more immune to this phenomenon. More precisely, the shaking in them is not felt so much.

Passengers should be aware that the crew of the aircraft always acts according to the standard. Sometimes a decision is made to force the plane to land. However, this does not mean at all that the ship is out of order. According to safety rules, the crew has the right to land the plane due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Rules of conduct on the plane

Since turbulence is a natural phenomenon during flight, and air pockets are also common during flight, it is best to know how to act correctly so as not to get injured. In some cases, it is impossible to influence the situation, but it is still possible to minimize the risks of serious injury.

1. Do not leave the seat when entering a turbulence zone.
2. The luggage on the top bins must be well secured.
3. It is strictly forbidden to unfasten the seat belts while shaking.
4. All instructions from personnel should be followed.

Air funnel - what is it?

Sometimes turbulence occurs when the plane enters an area of ​​reduced pressure. Why are such phenomena dangerous?

Of course, the concept of "air hole" is abstract. Why? There can be no holes in the air. But nevertheless, the plane suddenly begins to fall down from the sudden changes in pressure. However, it only feels like that. In fact, the plane falls into a descending air stream, which pulls it down with its force. In this case, the lifting speed decreases. Then the reverse process takes place. The aircraft is caught in an updraft, which pushes it upward. The feeling of everything that happens is extremely unpleasant. However, it is almost impossible to avoid such a phenomenon, since nature cannot be controlled. The only thing that people can do is to increase the strength of the structure, carefully check the fasteners and mechanisms so that the aircraft can adequately cope with a difficult situation.

What to do if the plane hits an air hole?

For starters, don't panic. This phenomenon is widespread; not a single flight over the mountains or the Pacific Ocean can do without it. However, passengers must prepare for it internally. You should not drink alcoholic beverages before or during the flight. If possible, you should stop taking medications. You don't need to read anything during the flight. It is best to drink lemon water to relieve nausea. The plane will not suffer much if it enters the air hole, since according to all the rules, only fully repaired aircraft are allowed to fly. In the world, only a few cases of plane crashes are known due to an aircraft falling into a funnel, but they are still there. In this case, it is better to overcome the air pockets with prayer. Disasters can sometimes be avoided, according to eyewitnesses. But the pilot can not always cope with the control, and real trouble happens.

How to minimize risks while flying?

Since getting into an air pocket is to some extent related to weather conditions, it is best to study how you can minimize the risk of uncomfortable conditions before flying in an airplane.

1. The best time to fly is early in the day. Generally, wind, storm, thunderstorm, or hail is unlikely in the morning.
2. If possible, you should choose flights without stopovers.
3. It is necessary to study the weather forecast in those places through which the plane will fly.
4. Find out the hotel numbers in the cities through which the plane will fly. If you suddenly have an emergency landing, you can quickly book a room at the nearest hotel.
5. Large aircraft are less dangerous. Even with strong shaking, it is quite comfortable to be inside them. Therefore, before the flight, you should study what types of aircraft are offered by certain airlines.
6. You should choose flights that often fly the desired route. In this case, a favorable outcome is more likely if something goes wrong.

Getting on a plane, a person begins to be afraid. We are used to living on earth - a hard, stable surface... One has only to tear us away from her a little - and that's it, fear envelopes until the fingers tingle and the wetness of the hands. We are afraid of everything - so that the engine does not fail, so that nothing happens to the plane ... And then there is this turbulence and air pockets. Words are frightening only because of their vagueness. Let's try to figure it out?

If you go to the Internet forums dedicated to this issue - “Should we be afraid of turbulence and / or air pockets?”, Then again, we will not see anything concrete. There is no clear definition. Rather, it is given by the dictionary, but it is rather difficult to perceive by ear: “ Turbulence is a phenomenon that occurs with an increase in the speed of gas flow and spontaneously generated waves". In short, the air begins to vibrate, the plane entering this stream begins to shake along with it. But this definition is of a very simple form. As experienced air travelers write, "this is a bumpiness, where it shakes a lot and you get nervous a lot." As for the nerves, it will be said a little further, for now it is worth deciding - what is then an air hole?

Air pockets are commonly referred to as pressure drops. As it is written in the dictionary, "this is a term for the supposed pits in which there is a sudden fall of the plane downward, independent of the control of the plane." In fact, this is not the plane crashing down. He just got caught in a downdraft, which caused him to reduce his vertical rate of rise, say, to 15 m / s, instead of 20 m / s. The descending air flow is followed by an ascending air flow, and everything is repeated in the reverse order. The plane seems to "dive" back and forth, causing quite unpleasant sensations in the stomach and making one think of who knows what. However, you cannot argue with nature, without overcoming such flows anywhere. Therefore, now manufacturers and mechanics are simply increasing the strength of the structure and fastenings, checking the mechanisms more so that the plane can get out of this difficult situation safe and sound.

It seems that everything is clear - what is turbulence, what are air pockets ... But an unpleasant sensation somewhere in the solar plexus region still remains, you just have to think about the upcoming flight? You just need to understand the reason for this very fear and try to eliminate it yourself:

If it arose as a result of past flights, when you felt sick and dizzy, it means that you do not have a hardy vestibular apparatus. Nothing can be done about it, such is the organism. Here you can only advise not to drink alcohol during the flight, try not to read anything (since working with a source close to your eyes, you may feel nausea) and drink a liquid containing lemon juice - mineral water, tea. Sour has long helped to endure nausea and prevent it from ending in an inappropriate way.

If you are afraid that the plane will simply not be able to withstand such a load, then you only need self-conviction and faith in the best. The equipment is constantly undergoing all kinds of checks, mechanics inspect the aircraft for faults. By government standards, air transport will simply not be allowed to travel if the slightest inaccuracy is found.

If the desire to fly somewhere disappeared after reading (listening) scary stories about how people “flew from Egypt / Turkey / China and got into such a thunderstorm…”, reassure yourself that these are just emotions. It is common for everyone to somewhat exaggerate the importance / significance of the events that have occurred.... And the mentality of the Russian person is such that he always needs to be told how bad everything was. Even if this is not true. Agree that very often in response to the question: "How are you?", The interlocutor begins to complain about life and describe everything in the darkest colors. Look, he has not a life, but just a continuous Shakespearean tragedy. It doesn't matter that he has a new car, and he is dressed with a needle ... So here too - very often the same air pockets and thunderstorms experienced in flight are perceived by a participant in these events as a universal catastrophe. I would like to write how hard and difficult it was, to feel like a “hero”. So the number of gloomy messages and gloomy forecasts regarding the flight is constantly growing.

We hope that we were able to sow a shadow of mistrust in fears about turbulence / air pockets, explained clearly what these phenomena were and were able to help allay some of our own fears. Enjoy your flight and remember: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!

In this article, we'll look at why an airplane can get bumpy and how turbulence differs from air pockets.

Turbulence and hitting an airplane in an air hole are not the most pleasant moments of the flight, but they are remembered for a long time. When it enters the air hole, the plane drops sharply several meters down. At this point, passengers can experience free flight, just like astronauts. Only it does not last long, usually does not exceed a second. The feeling of hitting an airplane in an air hole can be compared to the fact that when you were walking, taking the next step, you did not notice that the surface of the earth was lower.

Illustration for the description of the air pit comparison

This is due to the difference in density and air velocity. The plane, flying the border between fast and slow flow, runs the risk of falling into an air hole (see the picture below).

Airplane hitting an air hole

Turbulence is an irregular flow of air, the same "bumpiness". Messy - because they often change their direction of flow and this may be due to several factors:

• Change in atmospheric pressure
• Different temperatures of the air masses encountered
• Jet air flow
• Over the mountains, the air is pushed to the height from the mountains (see picture)

Turbulence formation

If you get into turbulence, I advise you not to panic and follow all the instructions of the Aircraft Commander and flight attendants. The situation is certainly not pleasant, but you should not be afraid of it. I wish you a pleasant flight!

19.02.2018, 12:56

Moving around on the ground, most people feel calm and confident. Having noticed a hole on the road, you can estimate its size, depth, predict the danger it poses, and take the necessary precautions. In the air, the situation is different, people are anxious. Air pockets during flight seem to be the most frightening, since uncertainty and lack of control over the situation are the main factors of fear. What is this phenomenon of air pockets, where do they come from, their features and how deep you can sink into them, we will tell you in more detail. Turbulence

Passengers are intimidated when the plane suddenly starts tossing and shaking - a physical phenomenon called turbulence. It is absolutely harmless. There are different types of turbulence. Slight shaking may be felt when the aircraft passes through some types of clouds. These are the air pockets. These phenomena are absolutely harmless. Accumulations of thunderclouds can subject the liner to more severe stress. However, such areas are easily identified by the locator. The pilot will not fly into an area with thunderclouds, he will try to go around them. Before each flight, the pilot must pass a briefing and learn the weather report. Also, other aircraft talk on the radio about the turbulence zones, as the pilots call air pockets and turbulence among themselves, and the crew makes adjustments to the route.

How does the professionalism of the crew affect the comfort of the flight?

The jolt and its strength are independent of the skill, experience or qualifications of the pilot. The ship is piloted by autopilot for most of the flight. The size and speed of the aircraft can affect the amount of turbulence. Thus, passengers on large airliners experience less turbulence and air pockets.

Should you be afraid of air pockets, turbulence zones?

The influence of turbulence and air pockets must be taken into account when designing aircraft. The aircraft is designed to cope successfully with this kind of stress. Therefore, despite the unpleasant sensations, the described phenomena are not dangerous for people on board.

Precautionary measures

Turbulence and air pockets in an aircraft are not hazardous. Despite the turbulence and loss of height, all technical systems of the vessel will operate normally. However, during shaking, people can lose balance, fall, be injured. This is the main threat posed by holes in the air. Therefore, it is very important to observe safety precautions and obey the commands of the crew. Be sure to follow the instructions "Return to your seat", "Fasten your seat belts." Stay in place during bumpiness. These simple precautions will help you avoid problems.

When the plane hits the air hole, it seems to the passenger that the plane is falling. In fact, this is a deception of one's own body; in reality, the plane shifts by less than a meter. The feeling of deep failure arises due to the fact that the vestibular apparatus of a person is not adapted for flying and cannot respond correctly. Also, because of the speed, all movements are felt especially strongly, for example, the crossing of a speed bump is felt differently at a speed of 10 and 80 km / h. That is, the size of the obstacle does not change, the speed changes, and it changes sensations.

Summing up

As you prepare to fly, remember that modern airplanes are safe transportation. Their design takes into account all possible external loads. Therefore, you should not be afraid of shaking. Air pockets, turbulent currents are natural widespread phenomena that do not pose the slightest threat to the liner and the health of passengers.