Ask The Expert slug
Monsoons are IN FULL FLOW . Are the skies going to turn dangerously turbulent ? Not really . Turbulence occurs when there is a sudden change of wind direction and wind speed in the airspace where the aircraft is flying . This can happen in absolutely clear skies as well . The phenomenon is called CAT ( Clear Air Turbulence ). In fact , most cases of severe air turbulence have been associated with CAT . During monsoons , turbulence does increase when flying through certain type of clouds . Pilots usually avoid flying through such clouds by taking diversions to the left or right as the width of these clouds is not much . Even if the aircraft enters these clouds , the turbulence can be graded as moderate and a bit uncomfortable but by no means dangerous .
What if lightning strikes a plane ? Modern day aeroplanes are heavily protected against lightning strikes in their design itself . Moreover , pilots are trained to avoid areas where lightning occurs with the help of onboard weather radars . In the unlikely event of an actual lightning strike , only superficial damage on the aircraft surface , specially the nose area , can be expected . The passengers can expect to hear a loud bang and see lightning but the aircraft is fully flyable .
Are certain sectors more prone to turbulence than others ? For instance , flying over mountains or sea ? At high altitudes where the aeroplanes normally cruise , the effect of terrain below has no significance . However , when coming in to land or during takeoff , with mountains around you can expect more than normal turbulence because terrain has a significant effect on the wind pattern .
Is daytime flying less turbulent and safer than night ? Actually it is the opposite . Night flying is much smoother than day flying due to pure meteorological reasons .
Ever had a scary experience related to turbulence in the sky ? Tell us about it ! Fortunately , I personally haven ’ t experienced any scary situation due to turbulence but have heard ( during our regular training classes ) of passengers getting hurt in severe turbulence . But as long as you have your seat belts on and loose articles packed the chances of any injury are negligible .
Your tips for nervous fliers … Flying through turbulence is an unavoidable part of air travel and there is never a need to be scared of it . Keep your seat belt ‘ on ’ when instructed . In fact , even when the seat belt sign is off , keep them loosely fastened to cater for small turbulent air pockets for which there may not be enough time for the captain to caution you .
Enjoy the monsoons from 35000 fT !
travelsecretsmag . com Monsoon issue May-June 2016 2016 Travel Secrets 17