Ever hit a rough patch in the middle of your flight and think if you’re ever going to make it home safely? From casual bumps to major bruises, you might have seen a lot, especially if you’re a frequent flier. Unfortunately, turbulence isn’t guaranteed and that is why it is a major source of anxiety among most of the fliers- because you never know what or how strong of turbulence you’ll get!
You might occasionally see the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign during your flight followed by a bumpy travel depending on how long it lasts. The air around the plane during mid-flight may change because of external forces. This changes the calm state of flight and causes it to feel rocky; which is essentially called ‘flight turbulence’. It’s similar to waves crashing & breaking on the beach, but this wave of air happens in the air when you’re hundreds of feet above the ground.
These erratic changes are usually monitored by the pilots with the present sophisticated technology and meteorological reports. Most times during the flight you’ll find that the turbulence is more like a speedbreaker you find on the road. Other times you might see drinks rocking, luggage racks opening and baggage falling on passengers. In some rares you’ll also hear reports about violent altitude changes which can be life-threatening to the passengers or crew.
As scary as it sounds, there is no reason for major concern. Planes are equipped to withstand the strongest of wind or turbulence changes, and more likely, there is usually interior damage to seats and racks as compared to any structural aircraft issues. In fact, according to the Federal Aviation Administrative data, only 30 passengers and 116 crew members were ever seriously injured and required hospitalisation between 2019 and 2021; out of the millions that fly every year.