How often do typical passenger flights have problems with turbulence?

Question

I like traveling, and some of the things other people complain about concerning flying just don't really bother me. In fact, I'm hesitant to say that I don't like to fly, because being in the air doesn't really bother me either. What does make me very nervous though is turbulence.

In my experience, at least since I started keeping track of this, turbulence has been a very noticeable issue on every single flight. It scares me, because even though I know it's normal, the plane itself starts shaking around uncontrollably and even drops, and there's hardly a guarantee that this time won't be the 1 in 10,000,000. Even though it's almost definitely safe 99.99% of the time, you can tell that the plane is not completely under the perfect control of the cockpit.

I would be thinking about simply not flying when staying on the same landmass inside the same country, just specifically because of the turbulence, but I've somewhat recently heard someone say basically that they've never really had a problem with it before. This same individual has probably flown at least two or three times as much as I have, and it was very surprising to hear.

At the same time, you almost never see turbulence in movies or television...ever...unless it is somehow tied to the actual storyline. Turbulence is almost never taken as a simple, everyday "given" in TV and movies, which caused me to be surprised by its frequency when I started flying a few years ago.

So what's the deal? Is it just Hollywood and differing perceptions, or have I really had a string of bad luck? What's the typical average situation with turbulence? What range does it usually fall within?

Perhaps you and your friend's definitions of what counts as turbulence differs? Or the situation is different, with different climatic conditions -- different part of the world or different season of the year? (e.g. see https://aviation.stackexchange.com/q/23271). In most flights I have taken, at least some slight shaking just after takeoff or before landing is common, when passing through clouds. — GoodDeeds, Apr 27 '20 at 19:15
What do you think the "the 1 in 10,000,000" will be? The plane falls out of the sky? This is not a thing that happens. Turbulence is unpleasant to some people, but not a symptom of a problem that might escalate. (It helps me fall asleep, and in fact I sometimes fall asleep in broad daylight in a car on a very bumpy road, because I associate the bumpiness with my habit of sleeping on planes.) — Kate Gregory, Apr 27 '20 at 20:46
@KateGregory Yeah, either falls out of the sky, or at least goes completely out of control for a bit or something, even if they get it back under control before a disaster. You're saying one out of 10,000,000 is completely unrealistic? — Panzercrisis, Apr 27 '20 at 21:02
@Panzercrisis In normal times, there are over 35 million commercial flights a year, and that's not counting private and military aviation. One out of 10,000,000 would mean multiple "falls out of the sky" disasters a year caused by turbulence, which clearly is not the case. — Zach Lipton, Apr 27 '20 at 21:08
So essentially...turbulence isn't even a warning sign or anything - the plane is still perfectly in control, even if the turbulence isn't mild? Any chance of it at least becoming an amusement park ride for a minute? — Panzercrisis, Apr 27 '20 at 21:15
It looks like there was one accident, over 50 years ago, caused by turbulence.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear-air_turbulence Doubtless both planes themselves and pilot training and procedures have changed significantly since then. Every few years a handful of people have minor injuries (eg broken arms) from heavy turbulence when they're not buckled in. — Kate Gregory, Apr 27 '20 at 21:38
Have you ever seen someone hit the ceiling during turbulence? If you didn't, you haven't seen anything remotely like life-endangering turbulence. Note that your perception of the movements of the aircraft are likely quite exaggerated compared to reality, it's just your brain trying to make sense of the sensory information it receives, and most probably failing miserably. — jcaron, Apr 27 '20 at 22:56
Thank y'all! :) That makes me feel probably a lot less nervous about it. In the past, I've heard it compared to stuff like a train bouncing around on the tracks or a car hitting potholes, but I did apparently have a misconception that something - as microscopic and irrelevant as it almost always was - was still technically wrong, for the lack of a better word. That definitely seems to relax me about it going forward, to know that everything's still 100% (not just 99.99%). — Panzercrisis, Apr 28 '20 at 00:01
light or even medium turbulence to a plane is no different than waves are to a boat. in fact the physics involved are very similar. airplane crashes are not only extremely rare but almost always on takeoff or landing. modern passanger jets falling out of the sky pretty much never happens, certainly much much rarer than 1/10mil. — eps, Apr 28 '20 at 03:17
i should add that even in severe turbulence you are much more likely to die from breaking your neck against the ceiling than you are due to a crash — eps, Apr 28 '20 at 03:25
"the plane itself starts shaking around uncontrollably and even drops" Both are controllable and much less of a problem than you think. Uncontrollable is when the crew can't keep the plane's movement from damaging people and property, which doesn't happen that often. — Mast, Apr 28 '20 at 06:30
I myself love turbulence, it's like a free roller-coaster ride. — pipe, Apr 28 '20 at 08:15
"I would be thinking about simply not flying when staying on the same landmass inside the same country, just specifically because of the turbulence" - note that if this means taking alternative forms of transport instead, that those alternative forms pretty much all have a higher rate of fatalities per mile travelled, than flying. — JBentley, Apr 28 '20 at 09:15
Don’t move this to the aviation site. The comments above (especially JBentley’s) are perfectly fine here. Passengers’ perception of turbulence is much higher than pilots perception of turbulence. Most pilots don’t care about light or moderate turbulence. They try to avoid it for the comfort of the passengers. Except for adjusting your airspeed to a preset speed, the general rule of thumb would be to just keep the plane flying at a level attitude and except the variations in airspeed and altitude. It avoids putting stress on the airframe. — Dean F., Apr 28 '20 at 16:14
Everything choice on a Hollywood set is made for a reason. If there isn't a reason for turbulence, there probably won't be turbulence. It's comparable to how you rarely see characters take an uneventful bathroom break. We know it should happen occasionally, but there wouldn't be much of a reason to show it. In the series and movies across various genres I've seen, there has probably been mild turbulence more often than not (it usually does serve some narrative purpose though). It's one of the few things that can only happen on a plane, and many or most otherwise skip past the flight entirely — NotThatGuy, Apr 28 '20 at 16:27
@NotThatGuy, or that anyone wearing glasses is either selling them or a librarian. — WGroleau, Apr 28 '20 at 17:44
@JBentley, I wonder whether hiking or biking or the train has a “higher rate of fatalities per mile.” Those are my preferred modes. — WGroleau, Apr 28 '20 at 17:46
@WGroleau Stats are harder to come by for walking/cycling (and vary for all forms depending on source and country) but roughly, fatalities per billion miles (most to least dangerous): walking/cycling 34 (UK), car 5.75 (USA), train 0.47 (USA), plane 0.06 (USA). Sources 1, 2 (there are better sources, but I chose these to keep it more consistent) — JBentley, Apr 28 '20 at 18:33
@JBentley Rail vs air flops back and forth due to accidents being infrequent and large. In the 70s rail had it on lock. Then Chase put it to air, then 9/11 put it back to rail, then Big Bayou Canot put it back to air, and the stellar safety record of air in the last decade+ has kept the trophy. But now rail has PTC, and air does not. — Harper - Reinstate Monica, Apr 28 '20 at 18:42
@Harper-ReinstateMonica It's also worth bearing in mind the particular journey you will make. Planes are safer per mile the longer the distance because the majority of fatalities occur at takeoff and landing. The above numbers are just a starting point to give a rough comparison between modes; there are lots of variables if you're looking at a real situation. — JBentley, Apr 28 '20 at 19:00
@JBentley Yeah, and the exact opposite happens to rail; the longer the run, the more cumulative time for something to go wrong, plus you're spending an outsize proportion out in "bow and arrow country" where stuff is lower tech and weirder. Big Bayou Canot being the poster child, already the longest train in the system before it was extended (from New Orleans to Florida) and this happened on the extension! — Harper - Reinstate Monica, Apr 28 '20 at 19:09
When you drive over a speedbump or pothole, are you no longer in control of your car? — Asteroids With Wings, Apr 28 '20 at 20:32
The most turbulence I've experienced was on this flight. It started about 15 minutes after takeoff, there were a lot of thunderstorms in the neighborhood. — Count Iblis, Apr 29 '20 at 00:29
@Fattie Please see Dean F.'s comment and the upvotes it has received. — Panzercrisis, Apr 29 '20 at 12:23
@Panzercrisis The upvotes are due to the question hitting the Hot Network Questions list, so those are as reliable an indicator of on-topicness as you might think. Questions hitting HNQ tend to score well regardless. — Mast, Apr 29 '20 at 13:11
@Mast I'm talking about the upvotes to Dean F.'s comment, not to my question. — Panzercrisis, Apr 29 '20 at 13:21
P.S. I meant to say is, “Except for adjusting your airspeed to a preset Maneuvering or Turbulence Penetration Speed, the general rule of thumb would be to just keep the plane flying straight at a level attitude and accept the variations in airspeed and altitude. It avoids putting stress on the airframe.” The plane flies through a moving airmass as well as it flies through a non-moving airmass. Think of it like the airplane is stuck in the center of jello. Shaking the jello does not necessarily put the plane in danger (Analogy compliments of The Orville). — Dean F., Apr 29 '20 at 15:16
There is a difference between “airplane having problems with turbulence” and “passenger having problems”. At the point where you are *****ing yourself, the pilot is happy to have an interesting flight. The highest turbulence level is dangerous for you if you don’t wear a belt, hard work for the pilot, and the plane will get a full service, possibly repairs. Most pilots don’t ever encounter this. That’s the “airplane has a problem” level. You’ll still land safely. — gnasher729, Apr 30 '20 at 21:26
I've been flying for nearly 45 years, sometimes as the pilot/copilot, but most times as a passenger. I think I have had 3 flights where I would consider the turbulence to be worrisome - as in making me feel sick or concerned about the airframe (and two of those were in gliders in thermals so I expected the stresses and strain) - this question is just coming from the wrong perspective. As gnasher said - planes rarely have problems with turbulence, but people might. — Rory Alsop, May 01 '20 at 18:59

score 42 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 27 '20 at 19:15

This study (S.-H. Kim and H.-Y. Chun, “Aviation turbulence encounters detected from aircraft observations: spatiotemporal characteristics and application to Korean Aviation Turbulence Guidance,” Meteorological Applications, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 594–604, Oct. 2016, doi: 10.1002/met.1581.) assessed the number of turbulence encounters for various aircraft in the Korean Air Lines fleet.

Turbulence varies by factors including season and geography, and these figures are influenced by the choice and length of routes flown by KAL (one would expect more turbulence encounters on long-haul flights simply because they're longer—the study also has time-based analysis), so don't try to read too much into the differences between regions here. The overall point is that light turbulence is pretty common and can easily occur a number of times during a long flight, while moderate and severe turbulence are comparatively uncommon to the extent that the authors have multiplied their occurrence to make the graph readable (this is not Data Science Stack Exchange, so we'll set aside discussing the merits of that graphing choice).

But what is light turbulence? The FAA describes it as: "Occupants may feel a slight strain against seat belts or shoulder straps. Unsecured objects may be displaced slightly. Food service may be conducted and little or no difficulty is encountered in walking." For many travelers, light turbulence is commonplace and not worthy of much note. The individual you spoke to likely has never had a problem with it because during light turbulence, the usual reaction is to, at most, keep a hold on a drink and perhaps be asked to stay seated for a bit. Something that routine is similarly not included in TV and movies, just as other mundane parts of the travel experience are usually omitted from entertainment unless significant to the plot.

But if you're sensitive to it, and you are if it frightens you and you're keeping constant track of it, it seems quite noticeable. You'd likely describe a typical car journey as smooth, but if you (as a passenger, please!) closed your eyes and counted every little bump or vibration or unusual sensation, you'd likely find many such events. Turbulence feels significant to you because you're feeling and reacting to every bump, while other passengers may take little notice of it unless it is particularly strong.

Fear of turbulence is not uncommon, and there are a number of resources online and offline (if we ever start doing things offline again in the future) that can help.

Nice find on the data (+1), but is "LGT" just an abbreviation for "light" to match "MODerate" and "SEVere", or is it an initialism for something more interesting? — Chris H - UK, Apr 28 '20 at 08:03
@ChrisH Yes, that stands for "light" (light/moderate/severe is the standard classification of turbulence). — TooTea, Apr 28 '20 at 09:53
Zach, do we have a question about dealing with fear of turbulence on the site? And if not, would such a question be appropriate? — Nzall, Apr 28 '20 at 13:45
fantastic data, but it is somewhat odd and extremely visually misleading that they chose to multiply the amount of moderate to severe events to amplify the height of the bar visually — crasic, Apr 28 '20 at 15:11
So, how often? Two out of the three flights I've ever taken had zero turbulence. Where would such flights be in graph A? How OFTEN do typical passenger flights* have problems with turbulence?* not, how many incidences, when one* DOES*. — Mazura, Apr 29 '20 at 01:05
Very interesting how much worse it is in North America than anywhere else. — T.E.D., Apr 29 '20 at 14:14
@T.E.D. -That could be due to the level of reporting. Or it could be due to the vast variation of flying environments in the same reporting area. Turbulence, like all weather, is caused by uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun. Different types of terrain and vegetation heat the air at different rates. My home next to a nature preserve is typically 2-5°F cooler than the highway passing within 2 or 3 miles of my home. The mornings are typically cooler than the evenings. Yet the rising air from the sun heating the Earth will still cause turbulence even when the day is cooler than the night — Dean F., Apr 29 '20 at 15:41
@T.E.D. - Coincidentally, the US is located on the Subtropical Jetstream in its Southern areas and the much stronger Polar Jetstream in its Northern areas with it moving Southward to meet the Subtropical Jetstream in the winter. This and wind shear can contribute to turbulence. — Dean F., Apr 29 '20 at 16:10
"* (...) you're keeping constant track of it (...)" - this is a very important point. I flew an awful amount of time and ended up not noticing takes offs and landings, nor anything in between. And then, out of the blue, I had these weird days where I would be on a long flight, comfortable in my non-cattle class and bam* my stomach tightens and I realize I am 10 km above the ground and the plane is all slightly shaking. This is just to say that - and thanks for highlighting that - when one is tense and aware of their surroundings, they get nervous and feel every little shake. Great answer +1 — WoJ, Apr 29 '20 at 16:15

score 38 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 27 '20 at 19:58

38

At the same time, you almost never see turbulence in movies or television..

Of course not. Aircraft scenes are filmed in studios, not in an actual aircraft. Studios sit firmly on the ground, so it takes a lot of extra effort, time and money to shoot a credible turbulence scene, so they will only do this if the story really requires it.

Are all typical passenger flights going to have problems with turbulence?

Yes. I fly a lot, and in my experience some turbulence is quite normal. I'm often aware of it since I tend to work and if it's getting hard to operate the mouse or if I start missing keys a lot, that's an indicator that it's unusually bumpy. Even that is not unusually and happens on every second or third flight.

Your best scale is the state of the crew.

Mild turbulence: seat belt sign on, crew out and about
Moderate turbulence: crew suspends meal or beverage service but is still active
Turbulence: crew is confined to their seats.
Stronger turbulence: pilot is on the air making it clear that EVERYONE needs to be buckled down with their posterior firmly planted in the seat and the crew will aggressively yell at anyone trying to get up.

Unless you got up to #4, you haven't seen anything yet. Even that is perfectly safe, I have encountered this frequently with no ill effect to crew, plane or passengers.

answered Apr 27 '20 at 19:58

Hilmar

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The crew state can easily be a better match to a more severe level, e.g. plane encounters moderate turbulence but crew have reasons to suspect it may get worse - cabin crew sit down and strap in, maybe an announcement. – Chris H - UK Apr 28 '20 at 08:06
I don't know about the crew aggressively yelling at people, but I've heard a few announcements about turbulence and telling people to stay in their seats. This is probably a bit more severe than just the seat belt sign being turned on (which often happens without any verbal notice). – NotThatGuy Apr 28 '20 at 13:44
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I heard from a pilot, (on radio, a long time ago,) that he does not worry about turbulence unless he has bruises on his body from the belt. – Willeke Apr 28 '20 at 14:36
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@Panzercrisis I'm 72, and have been flying as a passenger since I was 10, both domestically in the US and internationally. I like to travel, and fly perhaps 10x/year. Referring to Hilmar's answer above, Situation #1 occurs infrequently, perhaps once in 10 flights. Situation #2 occurs even less frequently, perhaps once in 20 flights. Situation #3 even less frequently, perhaps once in 40 flights. I have been in the situation described as #4 exactly twice in my whole life. – DavidRecallsMonica Apr 28 '20 at 15:58
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@DavidSupportsMonica really? I would say there's enough turbulence to turn on the seatbelt light almost as often as not on flights I've been on. Maybe it depends on the region you're flying through? – Kat Apr 29 '20 at 01:08
Yes. I live in the western US, which is I think more turbulence-free than some other locations. Case #1 occurs a lot, on reflection probably more often than I have said. I leave my seat belt fastened, and don't notice. Case #1 may indeed occur more often than I said. – DavidRecallsMonica Apr 29 '20 at 01:18
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"Are all typical passenger flights going to have problems with turbulence?" to which you answer ultimately "Even that is perfectly safe, I have encountered this frequently with no ill effect to crew, plane or passengers." So shouldn't you answer directly with "No." All flights will encounter turbulence but almost none will have problems with it. – Arsenal Apr 29 '20 at 13:05
@DavidSupportsMonica - That's the answer I'd be looking for. #1 happened to me twice out of five times, both on a round trip ORD to Florida, the others were to the west coast. (At-me if you post it and want some free points.) – Mazura Apr 30 '20 at 22:53

Graham · Answer 3 · 2020-04-28T20:22:08.727

you can tell that the plane is not completely under the perfect control of the cockpit

This is a mistaken belief that perfect control equals perfectly flat and level.

Driving down the road, you will frequently drive over a pothole and have the car judder briefly. Driving down a track, you will probably find more frequent shaking of the car. Driving offroad, shaking is virtually guaranteed. None of these situations means that the driver is not in control of the car.

A plane is exactly the same. Turbulence does certainly exist which will cause the pilot to not be in perfect control of the plane, just as road conditions exist which will cause a driver to not be in control of their car. Like a car sliding off the road, you will really know if that happens! Your statement that the plane is "shaking uncontrollably" is simply not correct, any more than the normal road vibrations you get at 70mph indicate your car is "shaking uncontrollably". And if you're honest with yourself, you should recognise that the shaking you're experiencing is not anything different to what you feel on a daily basis in a car.

It's very simple, really. You are not frightened of turbulence. You are simply frightened of being in a situation where you are not in control of the vehicle you're in, and it really is as basic as that. In that situation, you have a natural nervousness about anything like the plane shaking - it isn't something you understand because you're not a pilot, and it isn't something you have any control over. You naturally feel uncomfortable owning a fear of not being in control, so you rationalise this to a fear of turbulence. But in reality the turbulence is just a hook to hang a more basic fear on. I've seen adults have near-tantrums over having to queue for the toilets on a plane, and that equally clearly came down to them being uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment which they can't control.

My top suggestion is perhaps paradoxical. Get a ride in a small plane or a microlight; maybe get a taster flight in a glider; or get a ride in a slightly larger plane like a Dakota or something at an airshow. In any of those you'll certainly feel a load of lumps and bumps from the air, because they're so much slower - but you'll be in direct sight of the pilot, perhaps within touching distance. You'll appreciate what kind of bumps can happen without the pilot being in the slightest bit out of control. Essentially inoculate yourself against your natural reaction with knowledge and experience. And then when you're in an airliner and there's a bit of a bump, you can think "ah, that's nothing, I know what's going on there".

or imagine you are at Universal Studios and paid 100 bucks to get onto this ride. — Aganju, Apr 28 '20 at 20:57

Dean F. · Answer 4 · 2020-04-28T22:04:51.383

Turbulence is not a problem. Fear of turbulence is the problem. Turbulence is a normal occurrence. And, the airplane stays under the control of the pilots during turbulence. They are probably more concerned with losing control of their coffee than they are of losing control of the airplane.

Turbulence is a very subjective subject. Some people are more sensitive to it than others. Your perception of it can differ over time and situation. The purely objective rating of turbulence and its effect on the plane and pilot are quite different than the subjective view from most passengers.

The same analogy can be made of boats. You feel the motion of the water more the smaller the boat and less the larger the boat. Yet, someone accustomed to the water (maybe due to occupation) can handle the motion more easily than someone who only occasionally goes out on the water (maybe due to travel). The same is true for cars. Some people are more predisposed to carsickness than others. Even some beginning pilots are subject to airsickness on the smoothest flights until they get their sealegs.

Coming from a background of a frequent flier, current pilot, and former skydiver, turbulence does not bother me. Since decades before becoming a pilot, I would fall asleep on airplanes as soon as the engine came on. The rocking of light to moderate turbulence would lull me into a deeper sleep. The same minor bumps and jolts would give my wife anxiety. Yet, she takes more flights and spends more time in airplanes than I do. Different experiences and predispositions lead to different perceptions.

Two things that I find helpful to those who find it difficult to acclimate to the motion is to have visual reference and control. Whether it is on land, sea, or air, having the abilities to look outside the vehicle, especially at the horizon, allows the body to anchor its perceptions on something other than the physical or vestibular perception of motion. Relying on either the tactile or the vestibular perception of motion alone can result in “illusions” or spatial disorientation. Having that visual anchor can overcome that. Having control of the vehicle yourself as the pilot/driver tends to anchor the feelings of anxiety as well as the feeling of motion.

If you want a better understanding of what I mean by this, take a ride in a small General Aviation aircraft like a Piper Archer. Where I live, summer time is turbulence time even during times of clear and cloudless skies. The only time the air is smooth is at night. Actually, night-time is inherently less safe for reasons other than turbulence, even though it is the smoothest part of the day. During the day, the turbulence increases as the sun bakes the earth. The smoothest part of the day is the mornings. Because of this, I fly with non-pilot passengers only in the mornings and sometimes at night. I fly with other pilots or solo the rest of the day. That does not mean it is any more or less safe at any point during the day. Nor, does it mean I have any more or less control of the plane. I usually fly with a bottle of water or a thermos of coffee. Sometimes, it is just in a cup with a lid. I have only spilled once during even the heaviest of turbulence.

For sure a fixed visual reference point is super valuable during turbulence or any time motion sickness is oncoming; on a boat the best thing is to watch the horizon. Being strapped into your seat and bumped unpredictably is not a lot of fun but I do love to look out the window and watch the wings wiggle. — CCTO, Apr 28 '20 at 18:15
@CCTO - You are absolutely spot on. I was thinking more from the cockpit, though. There, you would have an unobstructed view, almost shoulder to shoulder, of your outside surroundings. Like you would from the railing of a boat. Since I don’t have the same issues as the OP, I can not say if it will work for them. But, I have pilot friends who used to be afraid to fly, got air sick, or have a fear of heights, who now find it tolerable to fly as passengers. — Dean F., Apr 28 '20 at 18:21
"They are probably more concerned with losing control of their coffee than they are of losing control of the airplane." - This is one of the best description of turbulence I've ever seen — Gimelist, Apr 30 '20 at 00:40

score -1 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 30 '20 at 14:07

The question strikes me as a bit odd insofar as it's unclear how one should answer it. How often do typical passenger flights have problems. Well, what is a problem?

The next question would be what are turbulences? You feel a bit uneasy? The aircraft shakes a bit? You spill your drink? That's not turbulences (well... it is, just...). Turbulences, that is when the stewardess who is sensible enough to have her hands on the luggage deposit thingie (a puny defense against turbulences, but better than nothing, at least you don't fall on the slightest occasion) tells that jerk who just got up to please sit down, and he answers: "Yeah, I just wanted... PHWATTTT", and they both cling to the ceiling for half a second, then fall down. That is, well, turbulences. It's something I've actually seen once, exactly like this.

Is this "having problems"? Well, for the forementioned two people having undergone the sudden reverse gravity experience, it sure is. That's a seriously bad, hurtful, thing. You wouldn't want to be in their place. For those seated and belted down, or the airplane as such... couldn't care less. Unless this kind of thing happens at take-off when there's only like 30-40 meters to the ground, nobody cares, really.

Airplane under perfect control of the cockpit? Well, what's there to say about that. In fact, this is actually never the case, but it doesn't matter. The forces of nature (wind, among others) are such that a puny little airplane doesn't matter much to them. But in compliance with mass inertia, an airplane generally keeps moving mostly forward most of the time, and it manages to mostly keep its flight level, too. Mostly, that means it can unexpectedly drop a few dozen meters, sure. But as long as there's nothing below (and most of the time there isn't!), that doesn't matter.
Certainly, a sudden gust of wind from behind 10-20 seconds after take-off -- well that means everybody aboard dies. But luckily, this happens very, very, very rarely. So... what to say. You can lock yourself up in your cellar and you'll still find that life is lethal.

I would be worried a lot more about the fact that in modern airplanes, computers have more control over the plane than the actual human sitting in the chair and that both what a pilot must know and be able to do and what he actually can do is being more and more limited.
Sure, it's great when you need less qualification because it means that you can hire cheaper people. But it also means that if you have an incident like e.g. infamous AF447, which was a situation that 10-15 years earlier every pilot would have handled blindfolded and without sweat, it's "trouble". Everyone in the cockpit panicking and shouting, and pulling random levers wasn't precisely helpful for getting out of stall, or for general survival.

How often do typical passenger flights have problems with turbulence?

5 Answers5