CaptainStark
09-15-2004, 02:17 AM
WITH KNOWLEDGE COMES COMFORT
Not to say that you won’t be surprised, but hopefully, armed with information like the following, you won't be frightened.
BEING OUT OF CONTROL: Except for surgery or the occasional roller coaster ride, there is no other activity we undertake where we surrender more control to others. We ride in inescapable aluminum tubes, strapped in our seat, under strict supervision. Add to that the unusual experiences that a passenger may encounter (which are totally normal to the plane and crew by the way)
TURBULENCE: Turbulence is all about boundaries. The aircraft you are riding in is going 500 mph. The air above us is often blowing 75 to 100mph. This generates turbulence (like the eddies along the edge of a river) in boundary areas between the faster air and adjacent slower air. Turbulence can also be created by weather systems such as thunderstorms or fronts that form along boundaries between weather systems. As long as you are seated with your seatbelt fastened, you may be surprised after encountering a strong bump, but you’ll come through it just fine.
NOISES: Many noises occur inflight and are all quite normal. They may be noises generated by the plane, such as flap motors, the gear falling down into position, or other systems on the plane. Or, noise may come from outside the plane such as rain grooving on the runways, rain striking the aircraft, or thunder in the vicinity of the aircraft. When these noise occur you may be surprised, but understanding where these noises come from will go along way toward calming your nerves.
THE “DREADED” GO-AROUND: Occasionally, aircraft about to land have to continue flying over the airport because of an inability to see the runway –or an obstruction on the runway (for example, another aircraft which hasn’t cleared the runway in time.) Go-arounds are well-practiced and planned maneuvers the public rarely gets to see. If you know what they are, and why they occur, you may be surprised but not concerned.
WEATHER DURING YOUR FLIGHT: Of primary concern is Thunderstorms. They produce high winds and hail that can damage a plane. We usually simply go around them as we can see them visually or on RADAR. Occasionally they occur near airfields and we find we must pass them closer than during the cruise portion of our flight. All commercial pilots are trained on the potential for problems associated with thunderstorms –and how to recognize these problems as well as how to deal with them. Often times it is better to hold and let the storm pass or if fuel or other concerns rule out holding, to divert to another airfield and let the storm pass.
AEROSPACE PHYSIOLOGY: People often wonder why their ears pop in flight. The reason is due to the pressurization changes the aircraft place on the passengers. During a normal flight, the cabin pressure climbs from the takeoff elevation to around 8000 feet. The inner ear is like a balloon with the neck of the balloon being the Eustachian tube in your throat. This tiny tube is the only way a difference of air pressure placed on your fragile eardrum can be equalized. Should the tube be blocked due to cold or other reason, the result can often be great discomfort or pain. By keeping up with the pressurization changes by yawning, chewing gum, or by squeezing your nose and closing your mouth and blowing rather hard (the VALSALVA), you can minimize this discomfort.
Not to say that you won’t be surprised, but hopefully, armed with information like the following, you won't be frightened.
BEING OUT OF CONTROL: Except for surgery or the occasional roller coaster ride, there is no other activity we undertake where we surrender more control to others. We ride in inescapable aluminum tubes, strapped in our seat, under strict supervision. Add to that the unusual experiences that a passenger may encounter (which are totally normal to the plane and crew by the way)
TURBULENCE: Turbulence is all about boundaries. The aircraft you are riding in is going 500 mph. The air above us is often blowing 75 to 100mph. This generates turbulence (like the eddies along the edge of a river) in boundary areas between the faster air and adjacent slower air. Turbulence can also be created by weather systems such as thunderstorms or fronts that form along boundaries between weather systems. As long as you are seated with your seatbelt fastened, you may be surprised after encountering a strong bump, but you’ll come through it just fine.
NOISES: Many noises occur inflight and are all quite normal. They may be noises generated by the plane, such as flap motors, the gear falling down into position, or other systems on the plane. Or, noise may come from outside the plane such as rain grooving on the runways, rain striking the aircraft, or thunder in the vicinity of the aircraft. When these noise occur you may be surprised, but understanding where these noises come from will go along way toward calming your nerves.
THE “DREADED” GO-AROUND: Occasionally, aircraft about to land have to continue flying over the airport because of an inability to see the runway –or an obstruction on the runway (for example, another aircraft which hasn’t cleared the runway in time.) Go-arounds are well-practiced and planned maneuvers the public rarely gets to see. If you know what they are, and why they occur, you may be surprised but not concerned.
WEATHER DURING YOUR FLIGHT: Of primary concern is Thunderstorms. They produce high winds and hail that can damage a plane. We usually simply go around them as we can see them visually or on RADAR. Occasionally they occur near airfields and we find we must pass them closer than during the cruise portion of our flight. All commercial pilots are trained on the potential for problems associated with thunderstorms –and how to recognize these problems as well as how to deal with them. Often times it is better to hold and let the storm pass or if fuel or other concerns rule out holding, to divert to another airfield and let the storm pass.
AEROSPACE PHYSIOLOGY: People often wonder why their ears pop in flight. The reason is due to the pressurization changes the aircraft place on the passengers. During a normal flight, the cabin pressure climbs from the takeoff elevation to around 8000 feet. The inner ear is like a balloon with the neck of the balloon being the Eustachian tube in your throat. This tiny tube is the only way a difference of air pressure placed on your fragile eardrum can be equalized. Should the tube be blocked due to cold or other reason, the result can often be great discomfort or pain. By keeping up with the pressurization changes by yawning, chewing gum, or by squeezing your nose and closing your mouth and blowing rather hard (the VALSALVA), you can minimize this discomfort.