Understandably, a lot of people have a fear of turbulence when flying. I’m going to try and explain what turbulence is and why it’s nothing to worry about so that you can get on your next flight feeling confident and relaxed.

What is turbulence?

The best way to explain turbulence is like waves on the sea. If you’ve ever been on a boat, you’ve probably experienced a few waves. What happens to the boat? Nothing! You simply ride out the waves, perhaps slow down slightly so the effects are reduced, or take a different route. It’s a little uncomfortable and inconvenient but does not endanger the boat.

Just like the boat, if we come across turbulence all we do is ride the (air) waves.

A bit more science…

Turbulence is simply disturbed air, again similar to waves in the ocean. There are several different types.

Clear Air Turbulence

The one you are most likely to encounter in flight. This can be caused by jet streams. A jet stream is like a river of fast flowing air in the atmosphere. When this fast steam of air meets another mass of air with a different speed, direction or temperature, it can sometimes cause clear air turbulence. Like the wave breaking on the beach meeting the wave retreating back from the beach.

Convective

Convective turbulence is caused by vertical currents of air in an unstable atmosphere. Sometimes associated with thunderstorms and cold and warm fronts, this provides visible clues to the existence of turbulence that we can actively avoid.