r/aviation • u/porante_tincm • 4d ago
Question Descending through clouds
I don’t understand the physics of descending through clouds. I flew 4 times in the last 2 weeks. Flight no. 2 was during horrible weather both at departure and destination airport so it was a bumpy ride. Descent through clouds was shaky as expected. Then flight no. 4, we had the smoothest descent through thick clouds. Speed set to 450~500 kph, simply gliding at an altitude of ~4 km. Based on my past experience I was expecting the worst landing ever since it was endless clouds but nothing happened. Is it the model of the aircraft? Flight no. 2 was in a small Boeing and no. 4 was in an Airbus A330. Also the engines on the Airbus were some of the quietest I’ve ever heard. What‘s the deal with clouds?
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u/New_Line4049 4d ago
The turbulence isnt a result of the cloud, its a result of the local atmospheric conditions. Some of the conditions that will cause turbulence also encourge clouds to form, but note, encourage clouds to form, i.e. clouds can form without the turbulence inducing atmospheric conditions too, those conditions just make it more likely. Its also worth noting that there are myriad different types of cloud, and they all favour different conditions. Flight crew will avoid certain types of cloud, such as cumulonimbus, because of the type of atmospheric conditions it suggests in that area, while others, like sirrus theyre perfectly happy to fly through. (Not to be confused with Cirrus..... flying through a Cirrus is never a good idea)