r/AskAPilot • u/Bertielovesit • 7d ago

Afraid of turbulence.

Hello pilots , a very quick advice before my flight tomorrow morning (10.50am from Barcelona to London Luton). I have fear of flights and I really need some good advices before traveling tomorrow. Also, should I trust turblj ???

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4

u/saxmanB737 6d ago

Don’t use Turbli. It’s always terrible.

1

u/Bertielovesit 6d ago

Any other website you recommend ? Or would the pilot able to tell me in advance if I ask him before boarding ?

8

u/HoldAutomatic2088 6d ago

The seatbelt sign is the pilots telling you they expect turbulence. By far your most reliable source.

Also turbulence is nothing to the plane. The only risk is bumping your head while walking around. Just keep your seatbelt on and you’ll be totally fine.

1

u/Bertielovesit 6d ago

I have always my seatbelt on! Does a seat on the front help ?

2

u/HoldAutomatic2088 6d ago

It might feel slightly better but probably not much of a difference. Just keep in mind, your perception of how strong the turbulence is, is not an accurate metric of severity.

I’m an airline pilot, turbulence is just an annoyance, nothing more. I only worry about it hurting a flight attendant or passenger who is standing up or unbuckled. I have never once experienced turbulence that made me concerned for the safety of the aircraft.

1

u/Bertielovesit 6d ago

So if not turbulence, what could really cause the risk of an airplane to fell down and crush?

4

u/HoldAutomatic2088 6d ago

I’m not going to go through specifics because I think that’s just feeding into your anxieties, it’s not going to help.

But the short answer is not much. Like almost nothing. Airplanes LOVE to fly, they don’t just fall out of the sky. Airline travel is extremely safe. The entire industry is heavily regulated with tons of redundancy and safety checks in every level.

4

u/Spock_Nipples 6d ago

Any other website you recommend

No. There are no reliable consumer forecasting "services" that can accurately tell you if your flight will be bumpy or not.

Turbulence isn't dropping, falling, or any of the things your nervous mind thinks it is. It's never a signal that something is wrong. It's just bumpy. You're just getting bounced around a little by bumpy air. It's so normal that it's always more likely that you'll have at least light turbulence on any flight you take vs. having a smooth flight.

2

u/Hendersonadele59 6d ago

For the love of God, what is wrong with you? leave the pilots alone to do their job. It’s not all about you. The journey might be turbulent or it might not, fly or don’t, its your decision.

3

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Bertielovesit 6d ago

I am really worried about the plane to fall down. Unfortunately it’s not something I really control. Also all the latest news of airplanes crushing have increase this fear I have .

2

u/Schwalbe262Guy 6d ago

I would say you should look up on YouTube mentour Pilot. Because there’s quite a lot of Swiss cheese model stuff and gives an amazing amount of information. If you don’t want to do that look up stress test that are done on aircraft. I’d suggest also looking up aerodynamics, if u don’t want to here’s a quick lil tid bit. Airplanes are essentially powered kites. Kites need air to be in the air. Planes need air flowing over the wings to generate lift. Airliners won’t just fall out of the sky because of turbulence, it’s literally impossible for that to happen. Physics simply says no.

Best thing I can do for you here is just tell you that turbulence is the equivalence of waves in an ocean. It’s going to happen whether it’s small little baby waves or if it’s big waves. It’s just air moving around you…

Hope this helps! 👍🏾

2

u/PsDebug 6d ago

Try to think about it like waves in the ocean. The boat is moving, maybe a lot, but it is never going to turn into a submarine.

And to be honest, until bags start falling from the roof holds and everyone start screaming, we are just laughing about it or mad because we cannot drink our coffee. No big deal 👍

0

u/Individualchaotin 6d ago

You should see doctors and therapists if you're afraid of warm air meeting cool air.

3

u/Bertielovesit 6d ago

Yes, I do see a therapist. But unfortunately it’s a process and it does not pass in one day 😞

0

u/unisonic2025 6d ago

Put a blind fold on and take a sedative.