Pilot Explains the Science of Turbulence | WSJ Booked
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Turbulence isn’t entirely predictable, according to pilot Stuart Walker. Flights can be impacted by four different types of turbulence: clear-air turbulence, thermal turbulence, mechanical turbulence and wake turbulence. But how does turbulence happen in clear skies?
Walker, who has decades of experience flying planes, explains each type of turbulence and what pilots can do to help avoid a bumpy ride for passengers in flight.
0:00 Types of turbulence
0:39 Clear-air turbulence
2:08 Thermal turbulence
3:41 Mechanical turbulence
5:11 Wake turbulence
6:22 Tips for fliers
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#Turbulence #Flying #WSJ
As a frequent flyer I can confirm i still think “I guess this is it” every time I experience turbulence
Would you feel the same way if you were riding a rollercoaster? I'm guessing not. Consider that "feeling" about turbulence is NOT an accurate indication of the airplane's condition or stability.
@@stormbytes Well a Rollercoaster is meant to thrill. A plane is just transportation lol
@@stormbytes Airplanes aren't meant to shake or throw you around at high speeds though... don't understand the point you are making here but might want to revisit your thinking.
Haha
Hahah. I second this. I fly a lot and still think this every time. Stay safe guys!
The guy who added animation in this video, deserves a raise.
Plot twist: you’re that person who added the animations 😅
WSJ Give me raise!!!!
came here to say exactly that
Great animations
It’s the same guy who adds animations to Eminem videos
Only reason turbulence doesn't scare me anymore, even when its bad, is the fact that usually the flight attendants are going about their day calm af likes nothing is happening which tells me they've been through this a million times and there isn't anything to worry about.
meanwhile on my flight from austin to NY this mf made the sign of the cross during takeoff and when the flight attendants had to be seated during rough air
Everytime I see turbulence above ‘normal’ the cabin crew are asked to put their belts on. For context this happens on most flights i’ve been on
Depends on the airline. Some airlines ask crew to sit down regardless of the severity.
I understand turbulence on an intellectual level, but when it happens in real life I always get anxious. I'd really like to get past that so I can fly more.
I feel ya, G. The way to get past it is to fly more.
Just get really drunk and you'll be fine lol
Life is short, face your fears. It's only for a few hours. If you avoid it, it won't get any better when you get old.
@@GabiNands unbelievably poor advice
@@Strafuzz How is that poor advice?
As a dispatcher, happy to see us get some recognition! Most people don’t even know dispatchers exist. If you aren’t familiar with a dispatcher. We plan the flight meaning we chose how much fuel goes on the aircraft, altitude, route flown, how much payload (Passengers and Bags), apply any mechanical penalties, make sure the flight is legal, and of course is safe to conduct. Along with that we help while the flight is in the air with any issues that may arise (mechanical, weather, or passenger issues). We also share 50% operation control of the flight with the captain so pretty much all decisions are agreed upon by the dispatcher and captain. Coolest job most people don’t know about.
Am with you Daniel..I used to Dispatch 737's and 777/330...But People thought am into Customer Service.. LOL
Being an airline pilot myself, I have nothing but respect for you guys. At the end of the day, team work makes the dream work😉💯.
@@Vighnesh92 haha. I get a lot that we are air traffic control.
Do you have to be a pilot or ex-pilot yourself to be a dispatcher?
@@wheeliewheelie1 you do not. I knew nothing about aviation when I became one. You do have to take a 200 hour course to get your FAA Aircraft Dispatcher certificate. But you don't have to be a pilot at all.
I want this man to the captain of all my flights. His knowledge and confidence give me peace of mind.
There many of us like him so fly with confidence knowing our flight decks are filled with top notch pilots.
I have question. How do pilots see wings and engines of the airplane?
@@moroccaninchina7089 they have instruments that monitor engines. To actually see the engines and wings the pilot would need to rotate his head pretty far back to see them through the cockpit windows
Yes 🙌🏼 same here!
He is like the charming prince of the airwaves. he can rock my boat.
As a pilot I can say that, for those who are not aviation professionals, this is one of the best explanations I’ve ever seen regarding turbulence.
As someone who's actually a bird, this is pretty accurate. Sometimes I get turbulence over my feathers
😂
You must be kidding, birds don't even exist.
I bet it's annoying when your feathers get ruffled, even if you're safe
just remember people: planes are not even CLOSE to their structural limits when in turbulence. Think of it as a car going through a dirt road; it’s bumpy and possibly uncomfortable, but your car will be 100% okay through it
Good comment men
I have seen car axles broken while going too fast through a bad road.
@@conchaivn poorly maintained vehicle then
@@gavcom4060 exactly. Probably rusted axles. Anyway, poorly maintained airplanes are at risk too. Avoid low budget airlines if you can.
@@conchaivn lol no budget airlines are perfectly safe. they’re scrutinized as much as more expensive airlines. In fact, spirit airlines and frontier airlines are technically one of the safest airlines to fly on right now considering they don’t have any fatalities on record
As a pilot, I can testify this was pretty informative, and the information shared was accurate.
was just about to check if the video was a dud or spot on myself lol
Nothing was said whether turbulence is a danger to the aircraft or just affects comfort
As a passenger, I'll still sit in the back of the bus with the cool kids
Of course because the presenter is a veteran.
@@sergeyrozenblat7849 True that. Could somebody give an answer to this
I'm somehow encouraged to see so many people comment here that they are just as scared and nervous experiencing turbulence during a flight as I am. Other passengers must hide their fears well because I never see others look nervous, but I know I do. It's not a fear of the plane falling out of the sky. It's the dropping or rocking sensation, which is the same reason I can't ride on a roller coaster or other amusement ride.
You beat me to it. 😀😀
Anyone watches this because you just experienced a terrible turbulence on a recent flight like I did?! Thanks for sharing your knowledge captain.
As a flight crew member myself - I really appreciate this video. It will help millions of nervous fliers to understand that the plane is just going thru waves! Thanks for this video American Airlines 🇺🇸 ✈️
Hey man. The more you fly the higher your cancer risks from radiation. I’d be looking for a new job ASAP. Not a way you wanna die just for a paycheck. JS…
@@shasmi93 American Airlines 1st black flight attendant is Ruth Taylor born 1931... She still alive
JS a lot of the senior mammas and daddy's are still around 😉
@@shasmi93 Planes don't really give off radiations afaik, and even if they did it wouldn't be enough to harm anybody
@@bgp6656 I think he’s talking about the security checkpoints where you have to get X-rayed
@@shasmi93 Then you should give up on your phone??
As someone who gets anxious flying, this will help alot as I can understand a little more of what is going on. Thanks for uploading!
knowing this actually scares me more :(
@@Maya-sv1pz yup what she said
@@Maya-sv1pz For me being able to identify movement e.g. when coming into land is great. Say we hit turbulence on decent and the plane moves or drops... okay so its a "Wake" and the pilot just is correcting course.
Same
Ride the waves!
To anybody out there with flight anxiety, you CAN overcome it! I passed out on my first flight and I just flew a couple weeks ago and was just fine as long as I had my snacks, drinks and neck pillow. After seeing someone compare turbulence to the idea of holding your arm out the window while driving in a car and the way your arm flutters back & forth is kind of what turbulence is like; I’ve been smooth sailing! 😉
I’ve been flying but still don’t like it. Well, the ascension is what I don’t like.
I can say my first time on a plane I was a big kid lol I was like let’s go again 😂😂but somebody had told me that the turbulence feels like somebody is stomping around then it goes away it doesn’t last the whole trip though,and I didn’t have time for anxiety I was to busy watching kings of comedy or something like that 😁😁
@@mrmartin7131 ☺️ yeah it’s not bad but I still cant do no more than 4 hours !!
@@swise5363 then you gotta watch a lot of DVD’s 😁😁
I have question. How do pilots see wings and engines of the airplane?
I always look at the flight crew if they’re not worried I’m not worried ... if I see them freaking out than we have a problem . Lol
This guy exudes competence and confidence. I would believe i was going to have the safest flight possible.
It is only a safe flight when you’ve landed peacefully.
haven't seen an animation this beautiful and minimal yet surprisingly informative
I wish he would have spent some talking about how turbulence isn't dangerous and there's nothing to be afraid of. Not that it would help my turbulence phobia, but still.
Don't worry, turbulence isn't dangerous and there's nothing to be afraid of.
Severe turbulence can be dangerous
ok i am actually an airline pilot working for Etihad Airways and i can help you in comforting you by telling you that you don’t need to worry about turbulence at all because they don’t affect the flight nor the structure of the airplane and we always try our best to avoid bad turbulence as much as we can but i want you to take my advice to please fasten your seatbelts as much as you can even when the seatbelts sign is not on
Been flying for countless of times my whole life but still gets severely anxious of the turbulence. I hate it. It makes me fear for my life everytime I'm flying feeling like I'm never safe on planes. I was never able to relax during flights. Now I understand turbulence a little better and hoping it would give me enough relief the next time I fly.
Same here
explain as much as you want, i'm still scared when that turbulence hits. PERIOD.
Me too...
Same!😩
I love turbulence
@@Jack3md what???
just remember you have a way greater chance of dying riding in a car than flying
Best job in the world. To all current and future pilots, thank you for studying hard and making our flying experience fun and safe.
Lol it's ok
cheers 🍻
I'll never forget my only flight on a prop plane, from Northern Ireland to Scotland. The turbulence was like nothing I'd ever experience, the plane was being tossed about like ocean waves during a storm. I didn't say anything or scream, but all I can think is that my face turned white or my expression looked as if I was about to go insane. The stewardess came to my seat and gave me a stiff drink -- complimentary! She must have thought I was about to go bonkers.
This was a fun read. Thanks, Gerald!
I really appreciate when pilots let us know about coming turbulence, Thanks to them .
Thank you to all dispatcher, pilots and flight attendants for all that you do to keep passengers safe and to our destination safely. This was a great video
Lies again? Teddy UFC WWE88 Believe In Allah
Facts
And the mechanics that keep the planes flight worthy, and the ground crews who do everything outside of the aircraft to ensure its safe and ready to fly, and to all the teams that corrdinate everything between everyone else, really you can go on and on there are just so many differnent
I love the animations...Clean...fluid...
Hotel…Trivago..
i’m always internally panicking when i’m on an airplane just anticipating turbulence. i enjoy but also hate flying ☹️
Same it sucks
This guy should be the pilot on all my flights. Made me feel comfortable with turbulence.
I’m the one freaking out on the plane while everyone else enjoys their free snacks 😩
trust me i’m the same it’s so embarrassing 😳
Me too
Not that scary it's just like a bus in a rough road tho
small/medium and quick turbulence is fine but the constant shaking of the plane is what scares me
Me too
The editing in this video makes a me happy
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@Pinned By Wall Street Journal dumb
The more I learn, the more I realize that pilots have to know alot of knowledge and be in good health when they fly. No wonder they go through so much training. I have respect for their jobs and the dispatches and traffic control who all work hard to keep us all safe.
I only do early morning flights ! Thank you so much pilots for always getting us there safe . I’m so grateful to see your smiling faces once it’s over . Sorry for my anxiety .
Why only early morning?
@@Daydreamerr13 Early morning and night flights are usually smoother as they aren't susceptible to as much thermal turbulence
PRO TIP: I always watch INCEPTION during international travel. Turbulence always hits when Leo and his crew go from Sydney to LA in the movie. It makes for a great 4DX type movie experience 😆
That’s funny, I watch Interstellar on every flight. The journey through the wormhole coupled with turbulence is amazing.
I usually watch Con Air hoping to meet Nicholas Cage irl
Same here!, it’s my go to movie on airplanes
You should watch Mayday
lol 😂
You can tell he’s a great pilot
Yes, the wings growing out of the middle of his back are a dead giveaway.
@@starcorpvncj hahahaha 🤣🤣🤣 LOL! 🤣
@@whimsicaltee412 I usually charge money for my jokes, dear chap. However, please take this as a free gift.
How? Because he’s reading a script?
The Greek as in The Wire Greek?
My dad is a pilot… he told me the safest art of the plane is a seat over the wing
i dnt understand wht u said
Thanks guys . I was the animator of this video.
even the slightest type of turbulence will make me almost pass out.... I never get a real peaceful moment on any flight unless the plane is super stable like on the ground which is almost impossible
Same
Imagine being in turbulence for about 30-40 minutes
Had that happen once
@@XVNRX 😢☠
Me too.
Same! I get sick a few days before I travel, I can't barely eat from the nerves. It sucks to have such fear of flying!!!!!!!
My mom during turbulence: *Anxiety*
Me: Snores violently
You're so tough
@@LincolnLagger I’ve been flying all my life so it’s nothing about being tough. It’s just getting used to it.
@@halvey8518 You’re a god
@@BB-re6nz Thanks, you too
@@halvey8518 How did you get so brave? I mean, taking turbulence while sleeping is one thing. But making a meme to show your bravery in such conditions is another. I’m intrigued.
This man was born to be a pilot.
I actually was looking for a different type of turbulence
I used to fly all the time with no anxiety or fear. Then this one time, we flew from Denver to Los Angeles and experienced severe turbulence over the Rockies. It was so rough and felt like we dropped 1000 feet every second. After that flight, I now have really bad flying anxiety. It's so bad that I start to shake the minute I book a plane ticket. This video is very informative and it's helping calm me a little.
Same had a bad turbulence flight now I’m anxiety about flying is so bad!
Omg same I used to travel a lot when younger and I don’t even remember being nervous ever, I was always excited to fly. After one horrifying flight from Argentina to Venezuela, I developed anxiety while flying. That flight was so scary that I literally thought the plane was going to fall and crash at any minute.
I had basically the same experience from SFO to ORD over the Rockies. It took about 5 years to get on a plane again. I had been flying across country every year from 10 to 21. It took therapy, books/videos like this, hypnosis, and Xanax to get past it.
Yep! I had been flying tons since I was a kid; then about two years ago I was on a flight from Panama City, Panama, to Houston and experienced the worst turbulence I ever felt...the lady next to me was squeezing my hand, and lot of people were praying in Spanish out loud. It lasted all of four minutes but it SHOOK ME.
That was an afternoon flight and there were thunderstorms all over. This pilot gave good advice about booking flights in the morning; when I decided to fly again, I made sure every flight I booked was either super early in the day or a redeye to avoid daytime storms and that thermal turbulence.
"Cockpit Confidential" is one of the first books I read before getting into aviation. I highly recommend it to any nervous fliers! Perspective and awareness is key here. I hope you're able to enjoy flying again someday.
Thanks to every pilot, they always make sure we have a good flight
As someone who loves travelling but always gets anxious with turbulence espc on long haul flights, “the more you know” really helps here. So thankful!
excellent video!!!! my sister just experienced clear air turbulence flying from mexico to germany, 2h before reaching europe. it was also a jet stream. people were PANICKING and recreading the safety instructions. it was rough, but luckily not as dangerous as it felt!
I want to send this to my pilot friends so they can all nerd out. Thank you WSJ for a nice, educational and comforting explanation of a common experience.
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I have question. How do pilots see wings and engines of the airplane?
@@moroccaninchina7089they dont, they would have to turn back alot but for engines theyd just use instruments to see the rotation. If you hear a slight boom for example and you see an engines RPM going down it probably burnt out
After about 200+ flights as a passenger, by far the worst turbulence I ever experienced was on a twin turbo prop from Grand Junction, Colorado to Denver, Colorado which took us at a relatively low altitude over the Rockies. It was quite an experience.
Mountains create turbulence, and regional planes are light, so makes sense
I love planes , I love the engineering behind a plane and much props to pilots to fly those things
I’ve come to realize that my anxiety while flying doesn’t necessarily come from the turbulence itself but rather having no idea of what’s going on and no way to tell if something’s off. If someone else is driving me I can tell if something is wrong, not so much with flying. Turbulence heightens the anxiety from that.
He's good at educating us. He knows what he's saying.
Problem is, whenever the plane hit by any types of turbulence, some passengers might feel 'we going down baby' type of feeling. Thats the real problem no matter how hard explaining given about turbulence.
As professional CZcams watcher, I can confirm that all of the findings in this video are in fact accurate.
Flying in the front or along the wings is the best option. Morning flights are typically better but night flights are usually the best in my opinion. Excellent informative video.
I guess when you say you like night flights becuase most of the time you're sleeping during flight until there's a violent turbulence
I just landed from a night flight and the turbulence was crazy.
@@younghirsch Was your night flight over the ocean?
@@dreamthedream8929 no it was over mountains, south Germany/Switzerland
Night time seems to have worser turbulence
One thing that helps me during a turbulence is lifting my feet so they don't touch the floor.
Great info and thank you for all crews involved on all flights including dispatchers.
Being educated during turbulance is great!
i really really really wish airlines would make turbulance videos on their flight so passengers can watch and understand and get educated during those scary times
Best explanation of turbulence I’ve ever seen, even as ex cabin crew and understanding turbulence previously. Great video
Actually Turbulence and Sonic-Booms are caused by a rapid build-up of farts in the Stratosphere; I am a leading Aviation Physicist.
I can't fathom why anyone would "dislike" this video. Good job Captain!
honest guess it’s not the captain or info: it’s the narrator’s voice/inflections.
Outstanding presentation!! Thanks Capt. Walker
I truly appreciate this post. I HATE turbulence but love to fly and getting a better understanding of turbulence and watching videos such as this does help... somewhat!?! Thank God bless pilots and airline staff.
I have question. How do pilots see wings and engines of the airplane?
@@moroccaninchina7089 they have it on screen, controlling everything in the plane, with sensors, they know how every part funtions and in wich position it is
The downvotes are from the 4 types of turbulence. They hate us.
I’m definitely taking his advice and always trying to find the earliest flights possible. Thanks Captain!
I hate turbulence 😣 and usually they are bad when approaching land from flying over the ocean. My last one was so bad this year that people were screaming and felt like plane was losing a lot of altitude at at once and you could REALLY feel it in your seat. People were clapping hands when we finally landed safely.
That's crazy! I flew to Denver and the turbulence during the descent was crazy. Almost felt like I was free falling.
As a nervous frequent flyer I found this information comforting. Cheers.
Excellent subtle video effect showing air currents around his model. 💛🙏🏼
I didn’t know I needed to know this but now I’m glad I know
Excellent article. Understanding turbulence is the first step in conquering the fear associated with it.
This was a good video. I am afraid of turbulence. It has kept me from fly, more than I have. On my first flight to France, there was 7 hours of turbulence.
All the best Shaun of NYC
Needed this explanation. Thank you.
absolutely LOVE the animation on this
A very informative 7 min video that is meant to convince you to wearing your seatbelt throughout the flight.
Propaganda
This guy has helped me so much and he doesn’t even know it. Calm, logical explanations and thanks to whoever added the animations!
very easy to solve turbulence phobia for most passengers - add a cockpit dashcam channel on passenger TVs showing the Pilots; if they appear calm and composed most people would feel relaxed.
This was very informative. Can't believe I actually watched it all. We need more lol
This was wonderfully animated. Great job all around.
Some of the best animations I’ve ever seen. Good job WSJ.
This was really informative. I fly in and out of Reno for business and I hate it... worst turbulence I've ever had. I knew it had to do with the air flowing over and down from the Sierra mountains, but seeing it illustrated was helpful. Thanks for doing this.
As a regional pilot that flies in the Rockies, can confirm mountain waves 😅.
Is your name pronounced emma-lye like Brook Shield’s character name in the movie “Blue Lagoon”?
I've flown over the Rockies from Vancouver to Edmonton, at night. Very empty plane. But it was shakey 😅 I was looking around in a panic but everyone else was so chilled lol
I invested with this website 👆 I made over 45k from them..
One of the most insightful and informative videos about flying I’ve watched. I have always avoided booking a seat adjacent to the wing 🤭
That was a wonderful video, it explained some of the most important concepts in aviation, many thanks!
This has been very useful for me as I am a very fearful flyer. It helps to know what's going on. I've heard that tip before about sitting near the front of the wing. Thanks for this.
always remember, the wings are stronger than the cabin--so even if the plane's halfway to hummingbird and you can look down the aisle, it's good
This was extremely informative. Great job to the animator 👍🏾
I have question. How do pilots see wings and engines of the airplane?
Never thought of it that way until it was explained like this in detailed.. this video is very educational thank you for sharing.. ☺️👍🏼
Superb explanation for a very nervous flyer when it comes to turbulence! Thank you!
As a DJI drone pilot I can confirm this and appreciate the recognition we deserve 👨✈️✈️
Yeah nobody cares about drone pilots
I didn’t know it before but I wanted to know that. Thank you 😊
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One of thee best videos I’ve seen on CZcams…Thanks
The way the captain moved the plane violently made me more at ease now. Thank you for that.
As someone with flight anxiety, I have no idea if this information is helping or hurting
The pilot wildly moving the model plane in the air to illustrate turbulence made my fear of flying even worse.
I have to admit that the video is extremely timely. I just took the plane today and was wondering about it.
Thanks for the video. I had many questions about air turbulence and most of them got answered.
That’s exactly what I was looking for 🙌 good to know stuff , the tips for sure
I admire and respect pilots so much.
Education is KEY to overcoming the fear of flying..
As a survivor of thermal turbulence in 2018, I'm glad WSJ reminds me of those horrendous 6 seconds turbulence.
This is a short but so effective and well explained video! Thankyou Sir✈
It was the animation of that thermal cloud for me. That was hella cool.
Love the graphics on this video!
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Wow… as may others said the graphics/animations are on point, especially the cloud overlay, definitely had to mask the pilots hand which for sure took some time and meticulousness. Hats off
Thanks for explaining. It really helps.
The animation made this video! So glad I'm going into this line of work.