Lose Your Fear of Flying by Sobaca

Author:Sobaca
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fear, flying, turbulence, flying fear, air, crash, plane crash, crash, safety, flying phobia, phobia
ISBN: 9781907290244
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2010
Published: 2010-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

The effects of weather on flying

As discussed earlier, adverse weather conditions can make even the most confident flyer ill at ease. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that the flight crew are caught out by the weather. They will have studied it at great length before your flight and will be fully aware of how to fly accordingly.

Before each flight the captain is legally required to review the weather conditions in minute detail, looking along the route at jet streams, height of cloud tops, temperature and even any forecasted volcanic eruptions. Nothing is left to chance, and while many years ago it was the captain’s decision alone whether to fly or not, it is now very much a team effort, with the flight crew reviewing the actual and forecasted weather en route in their pre-flight briefing. It is their decision whether or not a flight will go ahead.

Even wind direction plays a large part in the flight, dictating the duration of the flight and the direction of both take-off and landing.

Accurate weather forecasts are vital in flight planning, so that fuel consumption calculations can take into account the effects of head or tail winds and air temperature. All aeroplanes are required by law to carry more fuel than needed to reach their destination, to allow for any unforeseen circumstance or diversion needed, without jeopardising the safety of the passengers.

Many people are worried about flying in windy conditions. However, a plane can quite easily take off and land in most crosswinds (usually up to around 50mph). If the wind does prevent take-off from one particular runway, air traffic control and the pilot will simply choose another runway more suitably situated. The techniques for take-off and landing will be slightly different but pilots have been trained extensively in this area and it is no cause for concern.

We have already touched briefly on jet streams but you may find it useful to examine these wind currents in more detail. Jet streams are fast-flowing, narrow air currents thought to be caused by a mixture of high temperature in the atmosphere and the planet’s rotation. The northern hemisphere polar jet covers North America, Europe and Asia, especially in winter, and is considered to be the most important jet stream with regards to aviation. The southern hemisphere polar jet covers Antarctica all year round. Flight times can be increased or decreased depending on whether you are flying in the same direction as a jet stream or against it.

The aircraft’s weather radar can display weather conditions up to 120 miles ahead, so if adverse weather conditions are reported ahead, a pilot normally has at least fifteen minutes, using the weather radar, to pick a clear route, automatically ensuring that there is no reduction in distance from any other aircraft.

Flying in thunderstorms usually causes no problem whatsoever to an aeroplane. Civil air legislation requires pilots to fly consistently at least twenty minutes from a thunderstorm. However, if caught out and even if struck by lightning the plane will not be affected at all, and instruments will continue to function as normal.

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