Smooth Flying
While air travel is one of the safest forms of transport there is one thing that still spooks passengers – turbulence. Technically referred to as clear-air turbulence (CAT), this phenomenon occurs when large layers of air move against each other horizontally at different speeds. When an aircraft encounters this turbulence the airflow over the wings is altered and this leads to a change in lift which gives passengers the feeling that they are experiencing a ‘hole in the air’. While some turbulence can be just a minor hiccup more severe cases can cause injury to passengers and crew and the fact that it is almost impossible to detect makes it even more dangerous. But now a laser system that can alert pilots to areas of turbulence is in the works and could make air travel even safer. Developed by team from the German Aerospace Centre, the Demonstration of LIDAR based Clear Air Turbulence detection project (DELICAT) emits short-wave ultraviolet laser pulses to analyse the air in an aircraft’s flight path. The pulses are reflected by the air molecules and the back-scatter shows fluctuation in the density of the atmosphere. Pilots can then see whether there are any signs of turbulence in the region they are about to enter and can try to avoid or warn the passengers and crew. Recent studies have shown that the chance of aircrafts hitting turbulence will rise 40 to 170 per cent by 2050 meaning this system could soon become a fixed addition to commercial flights ensuring you reach your destination without any drama.