Many people are afraid to fly airplanes. Psychologists say that there is even such a thing as “aerophobia”. Patients with this diagnosis experience real horror at the mere thought of taking to the air. The strongest negative emotions cause getting into the air holes and turbulence. Such moments are unpleasant even for those who do not feel fear of flying. However, the pilots claim that in fact this is a very common natural phenomenon, which can be explained in scientific language, and it will not bring any harm to the passengers of the airliner. Today we decided to tell you what an air hole really is, and whether it is worth fearing.
Explanation of the term
It is quite difficult for an ordinary person to understand what an air hole actually is. Everyone understands that there is no highway and road surface in the sky, and therefore, there can be no pits. For example, when it comes to driving a car, it is absolutely clear to anyone that an obstacle or a hole can arise on the road that an experienced driver can steer. But what if you got into an air hole? Is it possible to pass it? And how dangerous is it? We will answer all these questions in the following sections of the article. But let's understand this difficult topic gradually.
Scientists have long discovered that airflows are heterogeneous. They have a different focus, temperature and even density. All this affects the airliners following certain routes. In the case when the plane encounters flows of lower temperature on the way, a complete illusion of a short-term fall is created. Then we usually say that the ship fell into an air hole. However, in reality this is just an illusion, which is easy to explain with the help of modern science.
Descending and ascending flows
To understand how air holes form, you need to get a complete picture of the movement of air currents. According to the laws of physics, heated air always rises, and cooled air goes down. Warm currents are called ascending, they always tend upward. And cold air is considered to be descending, and like a funnel it pulls down everything that comes in its way.
It is because of the movement of these flows that air holes so unloved by passengers form during flight. They make travelers experience very unpleasant sensations, which many can not forget for a long time.
The principle of formation of air holes
Despite the fact that the modern aircraft industry has long equipped its new liners with an abundance of technological innovations designed to make the flight comfortable and safe, so far no one has managed to rid passengers of the unpleasant sensations caused by the descending air masses. So, the plane fell into an air hole. What happens to him at this moment?
Even during a flight in good weather conditions, the airliner may come across a stream of cold air. Since it is downward, it begins to significantly slow down the speed of the aircraft. It is noteworthy that in a straight line it goes with the previous indicators, but it loses a little height. This usually lasts only a few moments.
Then the airliner meets upward flow, which begins to push it up. This allows the aircraft to gain the same altitude and continue flying normally.
Passenger Feelings
Those who have never got into air holes are quite difficult to understand how the passengers of the aircraft feel. Usually people complain that they experience cramping in the stomach, nausea approaching the throat, and even, lasting a split second, weightlessness. All this is accompanied by the illusion of falling, which is perceived as realistic as possible. The set of sensations leads to uncontrollable fear, it is he who in the future does not allow most people to calmly transfer flights and causes aerophobia.
Should I panic?
Unfortunately, not one of the most professional pilots will be able to bypass the air hole. It is impossible to fly around and even the make and class of the aircraft will not be able to protect passengers from unpleasant impressions.
Pilots claim that at the time of falling into a downward flow, the aircraft temporarily loses control. But you should not panic because of this, a similar situation lasts no more than a few seconds and, in addition to unpleasant sensations, does not threaten travelers.
However, you need to know that in an air hole the airliner is under serious pressure. At this moment, the plane gets into a "chatter" or turbulence, which, in turn, adds frightened passengers unpleasant sensations.
Briefly about turbulence
This phenomenon gives travelers a lot of inconvenience, but in fact it is not dangerous and cannot lead to the crash of an airliner. It is believed that the load on the aircraft during turbulence is no higher than on a car that moves on rough roads.
A turbulence zone is formed when air flows at different speeds occur. At this moment, vortex waves form, which cause a "chatter". It is noteworthy that on some routes turbulence occurs regularly. For example, during flights over mountains, an airplane always shakes. Such zones are quite lengthy, and the "bump" can last from several minutes to half an hour.
Causes of turbulence
We have already talked about the most common reason for the appearance of “talk”, but, in addition to this, other factors can also cause it. For example, an airliner flying ahead often contributes to the formation of turbulences, and they, in turn, form a zone of turbulence.
Not far from the surface of the earth, the air warms up unevenly, which is why vortex flows are created that cause turbulence.
It is noteworthy that pilots compare flights in the clouds to highway traffic with pits and potholes. Therefore, in cloudy weather, passengers most often experience all the "charms" of a flight in a shaking plane.
The dangers of turbulence
Most passengers seriously believe that turbulence can damage the interior and cause a crash. But in fact, this is the safest phenomenon of all possible. The history of air transportation does not know the case when getting into a "dummy" would lead to fatal consequences.
Aircraft designers always lay a certain margin of safety in the airplane’s body, which will quite easily withstand both turbulence and thunder. Of course, such a phenomenon causes passengers anxiety, unpleasant emotions and even panic. But in fact, you just need to calmly wait out this moment, not succumbing to your own fear.
How to behave during the flight: a few simple rules
If you are very afraid of flying, and thoughts of air holes and turbulence cause you a sense of horror, then try to follow a number of simple rules that will greatly facilitate your condition:
- do not drink alcohol during the flight, it will only aggravate unpleasant emotions;
- try to drink water with lemon, it will relieve nausea when it gets into air holes;
- before traveling, set yourself in a positive mood, otherwise you will always be tormented by forebodings and negative emotions;
- be sure to fasten your seat belts, while passing through the turbulence zone, passengers can be injured;
- if you are very afraid of flying, then choose larger models of aircraft that are less sensitive to all kinds of jolts.
We hope that after reading our article your fear of flights will become less acute, and your next air trip will be easy and pleasant.
When moving large air masses, a variety of phenomena occur. Very often, cold masses move down, and heated masses rise higher. In other words, descending flows are replaced by ascending ones. The passenger, who is currently on board the aircraft, has the feeling that the winged car rushes down, as if falling into a huge hole, and then emerges from the abyss.
Caught in a stream of downward air, the liner slightly loses the lifting speed, while the horizontal speed remains the same. The plane is still rushing forward, at the same time dropping slightly. After this usually follows an upward flow, increasing the vertical speed. It seems that the liner soars up.
At such moments, a person often has very unpleasant sensations in the abdomen; nausea comes to the throat, and those who do not fly too often have uncontrollable fear.
In fact, there is no reason to panic. You just need to remember that at the time of the passage of the aircraft through the "air hole" it does not fall, but only slightly decreases. This phenomenon is very common during flights, it is almost impossible to control it. Neither the aircraft nor the crew’s experience can prevent a liner from falling into such a “hole”. In its strength, the pressure experienced by the aircraft in such a situation is comparable to the loads that arise when driving on an uneven road.
The cause of jolting in the air is turbulence.
When an airplane passes through an “air hole”, a physical phenomenon called turbulence occurs. It occurs when swirling air waves form when the flow velocity of the air masses changes. In other words, the air undergoes vibrations, and the plane, which appears in the turbulence zone, begins to shake.
Sophisticated air passengers sometimes call this process "talk." When a person feels shaking, his nerves begin to fool around in anticipation of trouble.
Knowing that the behavior of an airplane in a turbulent flow of air is a common occurrence helps to save nerves. The strength of the aircraft body and the device of the aircraft control system are such that passengers should not be afraid for their safety when passing through the places of change of air flows. A timely and securely fastened belt will help to avoid minor troubles during shaking.
From the ground, it may seem that clouds are wadding. But only children can believe this. In fact, clouds form due to the accumulation of millions of drops of water. Sometimes even the most harmless, it would seem, cloudiness raises doubts among pilots.
Previously, flying a plane was completely subject to the intuition, luck and experience of the captain. Today, flight safety has reached a higher level due to the development of the aviation industry. However, not a single pilot, even the most experienced one, can insure a plane from getting into where, as a rule, it is waiting for lightning, hail, and an air hole. What is this phenomenon and is it worth it to be afraid of?
What is turbulence?
Pilots call this phenomenon "chatter." Some say it's an air hole. The plane sways from side to side, and sometimes it seems that it seems to bounce and flap its wings.
Surprisingly, turbulence can occur, not only when the plane enters the cloudy zone. There is such a thing as clear sky turbulence. But if the weather is calm, pressure and humidity are normal, then the temperature is evenly distributed in the air. These are ideal conditions for a safe flight. And if there are clouds in the sky, then this is already an indicator that there are temperature differences. Ascending and descending have different pressures. When the plane enters such zones, it begins to shake. Especially an air hole, or rather getting into it, is felt during a flight over mountains, oceans or the sea. But you should not be very afraid of this phenomenon, since modern aircraft were originally designed taking into account all these points.
What is the danger of turbulence?
"Chatterbox" is not a pleasant phenomenon, but it is absolutely safe for an airplane. Almost all pilots are convinced of this. Nevertheless, getting into them they immediately seek to leave them. As a rule, there is no accidental entry into the zone of "dangling". Pilots prepare in advance for possible difficulties in flight. Therefore, they always have a couple of additional bypass routes in stock.
You should be aware that this phenomenon can not cause any harm to the aircraft. It will not break, will not fall apart and will not explode. But passengers in this situation have a hard time. Particularly affected are those who, for one reason or another, have not fastened their seat belts. In this case, you can even seriously injure yourself.
Truth or myth?
Most passengers believe that getting into the turbulence zone depends entirely on the pilot's skill. But, unfortunately, neither the skills, nor the experience, nor the qualifications of the latter can affect this in any way. The degree of shaking is influenced solely by atmospheric conditions, as well as the weight of the aircraft itself. Heavy vehicles are more protected from this phenomenon. More precisely, the shaking in them is not felt so much.
Passengers should be aware that the crew always acts according to the standard. Sometimes a decision is made about the forced; however, this does not mean at all that the ship is faulty. According to safety rules, the crew has the right to land the aircraft due to adverse weather conditions.
Rules of Conduct
Since turbulence is a natural phenomenon during flight, and air holes during flight are also common, it is best to know how to act correctly so as not to be injured. In some cases, it is impossible to influence the situation, but it is still possible to minimize the risks of serious injury.
- Do not leave the seat when entering the turbulence zone.
- Baggage located on the upper shelves must be well secured.
- It is strictly forbidden to unfasten seat belts during shaking.
- Follow all personnel instructions.
Air funnel - what is it?
Sometimes turbulence arises from the fact that the aircraft falls into the low-pressure region. What is the danger of such phenomena?
Of course, the concept of "air hole" is abstract in nature. Why? There cannot be holes in the air. Nevertheless, from sudden changes in pressure, the aircraft begins to suddenly fall down. However, this is only the way it is felt. In fact, the plane enters a descending air stream, which pulls it down with its own force. In this case, a decrease in the lifting speed occurs. Then the reverse process occurs. The plane enters an upward flow of air, which pushes it up. The feeling of everything happening is extremely unpleasant. However, it is almost impossible to avoid such a phenomenon, since nature cannot be controlled. The only thing that people can do is to increase the strength of the structure, carefully check the attachments and mechanisms so that the aircraft adequately copes with a difficult situation.
What to do if an airplane hits an air hole?
For starters, do not panic. This phenomenon is widespread, not a single flight over mountains or the Pacific Ocean is complete without it. However, passengers must internally prepare for it. You should not drink alcohol during the flight and during it. If possible, you should refuse to take medicines. It’s not worth reading anything during the flight. It is better to drink water with lemon to cope with a feeling of nausea. A plane falling into an air hole will not be particularly affected, since by all rules only fully corrected flights are allowed in the world. There are only a few cases of plane crashes due to a plane entering a crater, but they still exist. In this case, it is better to overcome air holes with prayer. Accident can sometimes be avoided, according to eyewitnesses. But not always the pilot can cope with the management, and a real disaster happens.
How to minimize flight risks?
Since getting into an air hole is to some extent related to weather conditions, it is better to study how to minimize the risk of uncomfortable conditions before flying on an airplane.
- It is best to fly at the beginning of the day. As a rule, wind, storm, thunderstorm or hail in the morning are unlikely.
- If possible, you should choose flights without intermediate landings.
- It is necessary to study the weather forecast in those places through which the plane will fly.
- Find out the hotel rooms in those cities through which the flight will take place on an airplane. If you suddenly have an emergency landing, you can quickly book a room at a nearby hotel.
- Large aircraft are less dangerous. Even with strong shaking inside them is quite comfortable. Therefore, before flying, you should study what types of aircraft are offered by certain airlines.
- You should choose flights that often fly on the desired route. In this case, a favorable outcome is more likely if something goes wrong.
Boarding a plane, a person begins to be afraid. We are used to living on earth - a solid, stable surface. It is only a little tear us away from her - and that’s all, fear envelops to tingling in the fingers and humidity of the hands. We are afraid of everything - so that the engine does not fail, that nothing happens to the plane ... And then there is this turbulence and air holes. Words frighten only by its uncertainty. Let's try to figure it out?
If you crawl out onto forums on the Internet devoted to this issue - “Is it worth it to fear turbulence and / or air holes?”, Then again we won’t see anything concrete. There is no clear definition. Rather, the dictionary gives it, but it is rather hard to hear: “ Turbulence is a phenomenon that occurs with an increase in the gas flow velocity and spontaneously generated waves.". In short - the air starts to fluctuate, the plane falling into this stream begins to shake with it. But this definition is very simple. As seasoned air travelers say, “this is a chatterbox where you shake a lot and get a lot of nervous.” As for the nerves, it will be said a little further, in the meantime, it is worth determining - what is the air hole then?
Air pockets are commonly referred to as pressure drops. As written in the dictionary, "this is a term for alleged pits in which there is a sudden fall of the aircraft down, independent of the control of the aircraft." This is actually not a plane falling down. He simply fell into a downward flow of air, which forced him to lower the vertical speed of rise, say, to 15 m / s, instead of 20 m / s. Downward is followed by an upward flow of air, and everything repeats in the reverse order. The plane seemed to “dive” back and forth, causing a rather unpleasant sensation in the stomach and making you think it is unknown what. However, you can not argue with nature, without overcoming such flows anywhere. Therefore, now manufacturers and mechanics simply increase the strength of the structure and fixtures, more check the mechanisms so that the aircraft leaves this difficult situation unharmed.
It seems that everything is clear - what is turbulence, what are air holes ... But the unpleasant feeling somewhere in the area of \u200b\u200bthe solar plexus still remains, is it only worth thinking about the upcoming flight? You just need to understand the cause of this fear itself and try to eliminate it yourself:
If it arose as a result of past flights, when your head felt sick and dizzy, it means that you have not enough hardy vestibular apparatus. Nothing can be done about it, such is the body. Here you can only advise not to drink alcohol during the flight, try not to read anything (because working with a source that is close to your eyes may cause nausea) and drink a liquid containing lemon juice - mineral water, tea. From time immemorial, sour has helped to endure nausea and prevent it from ending in an inappropriate way.
If you are afraid that the plane simply can not withstand such a load - here you need only self-belief and belief in the best. Equipment constantly passes all kinds of checks, mechanics inspect the plane for malfunctions. According to state standards, air transport will simply not be allowed before transportation if the slightest inaccuracy is discovered.
If the desire to fly somewhere was lost after reading (listening to) terrible stories about how people “flew from Egypt / Turkey / China and fell into such a thunderstorm ...”, reassure yourself that these are just emotions. It is common for everyone to exaggerate the importance / significance of events that have occurred.. And the mentality of a Russian person is such that he always needs to tell how bad everything was. Even if this is not true. Agree that very often in response to the question: “How are you?”, The interlocutor begins to complain about life and describe everything in the darkest colors. See, so he does not have life, but just a solid Shakespearean tragedy. And it does not matter that he has a new car, and he is dressed with a needle ... So here too - very often the very same air holes and thunderstorms experienced in flight are perceived by the participant of these events as a universal catastrophe. I would definitely like to write how hard and difficult it was to feel like a “hero." So the number of gloomy messages and hopeless forecasts regarding the flight is constantly growing.
We hope that we were able to sow a shadow of mistrust of fears regarding turbulence / air holes, explained what these phenomena were, and were able to help dispel some of our own fears. Have a nice flight, and remember: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!
The moments that the passengers of the Moscow-Bangkok flight had to go through can be called terrible, without exaggeration. The plane fell into a trap - what pilots call "clear sky turbulence." Fractures, injuries - people had a feeling that the plane began to fall. 27 people are injured, 15 of them remain in hospitals in Bangkok.
The first minutes after shaking. In the cabin - a terrible picture. Bloodied passengers are in the aisles, sitting at emergency exits. Many are asked not to get up - it is not known how serious the injuries are. As it turns out later, fractures, severe bruises.
“On one side lay a woman, moaning, she was very hurt. And the man was moaning. He was apparently doubly hurt. The girl, when it was all over, walked around the cabin, her eye was broken, her cheek was all torn. There were many such people who were very hard hit. Almost no one was fastened and did not have time to buckle up, ”says passenger Elena Tregubets.
The plane has not yet begun to decline, so the “Fasten your seatbelt” display did not light. People calmly walked around the cabin - warming up in the aisles after a nine-hour flight. The Moscow-Bangkok flight was drawing to a close. 40 minutes before landing - sharp jolts. The 300-ton Boeing 777 fell into the air hole by almost 250 meters.
“We were rocked hard two or three times. And somehow I immediately intuitively began to buckle up. And just a couple of seconds, and as if we began to fall. And the passengers flew up to the ceiling, and everyone fell down with a roar, ”says Elena Tregubets.
At the airport, the plane was met by doctors. There were 313 people on board. 27 - among them, both Russians and foreigners - were immediately sent to a local hospital. There, some victims had to undergo operations. To help the Russians, embassy staff and an interpreter were sent to the hospital.
The weather in the sky over Thailand did not bode well. According to experts, the liner fell into the so-called clear sky turbulence.
“It does not appear in the clouds, but in a clear sky with good visibility. And it is not fixed devices. The main danger is that the crew does not have the opportunity to warn passengers about the need to buckle up. This situation is extremely dangerous for passengers who remain unfastened by seat belts, ”Aeroflot explained.
Such a chatter happens in the sky over Russia, but much weaker than in tropical latitudes.
“In tropical latitudes, it is more developed and characterized by very large gradients, that is, power and unpredictability. It was impossible to avoid this. Although you need to keep an eye on it, ”the commander of the aviation squadron, pilot Sergey Matrosov, comments on the situation.
Ideally, you need to be fastened all flight, as the crew of this flight. Job description. At the helm was an experienced pilot Alexander Ruzov, flying over 23 thousand hours. Co-pilot Artem Unanov - a raid of more than 10 thousand. They took the car out of the turbulence zone, put it in normal mode. According to them, the shaking intensified due to the actions of the autopilot.
“The autopilot was unable to correctly respond on time, which is why such throws of the plane turned out. Therefore, after getting into the air hole, we turned off the autopilot and smoothly brought the plane into a horizontal level flight, ”said Alexander Ruzov.
Travelers noted the work of cabin crew. They provided help and did everything to avoid panic. Although they themselves pretty much got it.
“It was evident from them that they were injured, they were also scratched, they were also not ready for this. They gave painkillers to those who were very badly injured, applied tourniquets, ”says Elena Tregubets.
Similar cases in civil aviation are not uncommon. Almost 750 such incidents are recorded every year in the world. Thirty people were injured on an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta. And these are shots from a flight from Lima to Buenos Aires - even crew members got it. But perhaps the most notorious case is in the sky over Hong Kong. In August 2013, two airliners immediately fell into the turbulence zone. One of the passengers then struck his head with a plastic trim. More than fifty people were taken to hospitals.
Passengers of the Moscow-Bangkok flight continue to be assisted in Thai clinics. Nothing threatens their life. A hotline was opened for relatives - by phone +66904033645 you can find out all the latest information about the condition of the victims. Meanwhile, it became known that all victims will receive compensation. In addition, they will be paid for treatment, renewal of tickets and hotels.
At the same time, after landing, airport services checked the Boeing itself, which fell into an air hole. No damage was found. The plane immediately went back to Moscow.