When is turbulence bad

For some people, turbulence leads to unhelpful worries. What if there is something wrong with the plane? That sort of thinking is only going to make people feel worse and make flying even more uncomfortable. One trick you can try is challenging those thoughts. How many times have you flown in the past?

Did anything bad happen? How many times have family and friends flown without incident? You can find more on challenging negative thinking at here. Phone: Toll-free phone: Fax: E-mail: info cmha. British Columbia Division. Sure, it's terrifying stuff—but don't cancel your next flight just yet. We spoke to a number of pilots and aviation experts to get the facts about turbulence-related injuries and what's really happening when your plane is tossing violently.

Spoiler alert: It doesn't mean the plane's about to crash. Turbulence is relatively common and usually harmless, but that doesn't stop it from being any less uncomfortable mid-air, and mid-moment. There are varying degrees and types of turbulence caused by any number of factors: think upward and downward currents from thunderclouds, thermal currents, or clear air turbulence from rapidly changing wind speed or direction.

More on that later. The Federal Aviation Administration says approximately 58 fliers are injured by turbulence each year. Two-thirds of that number are flight attendants or passengers not wearing seat belts when the bumps hit , which means that about 20 passengers—out of the million who fly each year in the United States—are injured due to turbulence.

And that usually happens at or above 30, feet. In many cases, pilots know of turbulent conditions ahead and can turn on the seatbelt sign as the plane approaches it. Pilots are also aided by pre-flight weather reports, cockpit radar, and reports from other planes in the area.

Turbulence is the most common concern for fliers. It can vary from mild disturbance to being jolted violently in your seat. It is caused by different masses of air colliding at different speeds and directions. But how much should it actually concern passengers? Is there a time when it really does signal bad news?

In short, pilots are not worried about turbulence - avoiding it is for convenience and comfort rather than safety. Extreme is rare but still not dangerous, although the plane will subsequently be examined by maintenance staff.