But why is turbulence frightening in the first place? It isn’t a problem for the plane. It isn’t a problem for the pilots.
And, if you felt the same motion in a train, it wouldn’t bother you. Obviously it has something to do with the context: the idea of being up high and vulnerable. Vulnerable to what? To falling. And, of falling for a long time; that equals terror.
So turbulence is a fear of terror, really, that MIGHT happen. Well, might it? No, not at all. Turbulence doesn’t cause planes to fall.
• Pilots are professionals. Pilots strive to give you (the passenger) the smoothest flight possible with little or no turbulence because that’s how they know they are doing a good job.
• There is no such thing as an “air pocket”. An “air pocket” is a figment of the reporter’s mind. The term “air pocket” was coined during World War I by a journalist trying to describe air turbulence. There is no such thing.
• Aircrafts can survive the strongest air turbulence, even that of thunderstorms. Check out “Hurricane Hunters”, they chase and fly through hurricanes, and the aircraft stays completely intact.
Is turbulence safe? Speak to any frequent flyer about turbulence, and you will most likely be greeted with a shrug. On the other hand, mention this term to a white knuckle flyer, and misconceptions about. While there are different kinds of turbulences, the ones most commonly experienced during airplane travel are the clear air turbulence patterns which are sometimes called air pockets. By way of explanation it is important to remember that air is not static but instead is always moving and as such it is entirely normal for some air to be moving swifter than other air masses. When prompted by the control tower that turbulence has been detected with the help of Doppler LIDAR, pilots will adjust their flight patterns to avoid the turbulence, but in many cases avoidance is not possible and the plane will simply travel through the turbulence. At this point in time, turbulence is little more than an inconvenience. The Boeing Company acknowledges that turbulence may be scary to the traveler, but because of the Turbulence Training Aid their crews are required to undergo – as well as the automatic communication links established between airports and aircrafts – the facts show that the establishment of turbulence procedures both for avoidance and fly though have earned rave reviews from passengers.
Heather Poole 
But why is turbulence frightening in the first place? It isn’t a problem for the plane. It isn’t a problem for the pilots.
And, if you felt the same motion in a train, it wouldn’t bother you. Obviously it has something to do with the context: the idea of being up high and vulnerable. Vulnerable to what? To falling. And, of falling for a long time; that equals terror.
So turbulence is a fear of terror, really, that MIGHT happen. Well, might it? No, not at all. Turbulence doesn’t cause planes to fall.
If you want to know more about this and how to deal with flying, take a look at the video at http://www.fearofflying.com/video_hs.shtml or email me at tom@fearofflying.com
I’m both an airline captain and a therapist who has worked on this problem for many years.
I’d like to add:
• Pilots are professionals. Pilots strive to give you (the passenger) the smoothest flight possible with little or no turbulence because that’s how they know they are doing a good job.
• There is no such thing as an “air pocket”. An “air pocket” is a figment of the reporter’s mind. The term “air pocket” was coined during World War I by a journalist trying to describe air turbulence. There is no such thing.
• Aircrafts can survive the strongest air turbulence, even that of thunderstorms. Check out “Hurricane Hunters”, they chase and fly through hurricanes, and the aircraft stays completely intact.
Is turbulence safe?
Speak to any frequent flyer about turbulence, and you will most likely be greeted with a shrug. On the other hand, mention this term to a white knuckle flyer, and misconceptions about. While there are different kinds of turbulences, the ones most commonly experienced during airplane travel are the clear air turbulence patterns which are sometimes called air pockets.
By way of explanation it is important to remember that air is not static but instead is always moving and as such it is entirely normal for some air to be moving swifter than other air masses. When prompted by the control tower that turbulence has been detected with the help of Doppler LIDAR, pilots will adjust their flight patterns to avoid the turbulence, but in many cases avoidance is not possible and the plane will simply travel through the turbulence. At this point in time, turbulence is little more than an inconvenience.
The Boeing Company acknowledges that turbulence may be scary to the traveler, but because of the Turbulence Training Aid their crews are required to undergo – as well as the automatic communication links established between airports and aircrafts – the facts show that the establishment of turbulence procedures both for avoidance and fly though have earned rave reviews from passengers.
The above are excerpts from my book “Flying Confidently” which can be found at http://www.GoGetterJetSetter.com
For the Love of Living Life to the Fullest,
JP Richards
Certified Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner, &
Creator of GoGetter JetSetter