Turbulence from Convection Currents and Obstructions. Convection currents cause the bumpiness experienced by pilots flying at low altitudes in warmer weather. On a low flight over varying surfaces, the pilot will encounter updrafts over pavement or barren places and downdraft over vegetation and water. A thunderstorm is more likely to delay your take-off or landing than it is to cause turbulence at cruising altitude, or cause the aircraft difficult during its climb or descent.
Summer has thunderstorms and tropical storms. Autumn has late tropical storms. Winter has higher winds, blizzards and more clear air turbulence. Spring has fast-moving fronts and high winds, causing severe squall lines. Once a plane is in the air, the flight crew has a weather radar display in the cockpit to provide the latest info on conditions ahead. Thunderstorms are going to generate turbulence,no doubt about that. Very rarely, turbulence can cause a change of a few hundred feet, but most times it is less than 100 feet.
Normal turbulence that aircraft experience will typically not cause an aircraft to crash for two reasons. For moderate or extreme turbulence, pilots are trained to slow the aircraft down to the appropriate “maneuvering speed” for the aircraft's current weight. Clear air turbulence is the most dangerous kind, as it occurs in cloudless skies with perfect visibility, so oncoming turbulence cannot be picked up by weather radar. This leaves little to no time for the flight crew to warn passengers to return to their seats and buckle up.
Comments
Post a Comment