![]() ![]() Strategically located sensors send signals to the flight controls – rudder, elevator, spoilers, ailerons, and flaperons – to neutralize the bumps.' This Is Your Captain Speaking ( Ecw Press) is out nowĬaptain Morris writes: 'The Boeing B787 I fly has a gust suppression system. ![]() WHY CAN'T PLANES JUST DIVERT AWAY FROM THE TURBULENCE?Ĭaptain Morris writes: 'To avoid some turbulent areas would require deviations of hundreds of miles, adding tens of minutes or even hours and possibly requiring more fuel than the tanks can hold.' We are near a thunderstorm, I have the flight deck lights dimmed and, usually, the external strobe lights turned off, finding the best path to get out of this meteorological predicament.' At night, you'll find me with the flight deck lighting turned down, looking intently outside and scanning the sky. THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR EYESĬaptain Morris writes: 'One of the best methods, still to this day, for avoiding showers, heavy rain, and turbulent cloud is with a pair of eyeballs. Pilot voices have escalated several octaves on the radios. That's when you may hear a scream or two. 'Pilots are talking curtly on the radios to find smooth air and slowing the airplane to rough-air maneuvering speed to ride out the bumps, like a boat slows when waves strengthen. 'Flight attendants are now returning their carts and securing the cabin. They are now looking at the flight attendants for answers. 'With moderate chop and/or turbulence, passenger conversations stop. 'Pilots are asking about ride reports and thinking about a flight level change or possibly slowing a bit to reduce the impact of bumpy air. WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FLIGHT DECK WHEN TURBULENCE STRIKES? Sometimes this is all it takes to ensure a smooth ride.' Flight dispatchers will plan for flights to avoid these areas or fly at different altitudes. No device detects turbulence due to jet streams, but weather maps depict and forecast all types of turbulence. ![]() These do not detect high-level wind shear. He adds: 'Most airliners also have wind shear systems to detect shearing winds near the ground. A zero or one means things should be smooth, but when numbers three, four and five appear, the seat belt sign is likely to be illuminated.' 'My flight plan assigns a number from zero to nine to each navigation point along the route. Everyone is striving to deliver the smoothest ride possible. ![]() 'Our flight plan also assigns a numerical value for possible bumps along every waypoint, while flight dispatch sends us in-flight reports via datalink. These "heartbeats" show the whereabouts of the airplane, its altitude, and whether bumps occurred during the flight. We can also interrogate other airplane reports from this site. A pilot's iPad can now superimpose a specific routing on weather charts that depict areas of bumps. Veteran Air Canada Dreamliner captain Doug Morris (above) offers a glimpse inside the cockpit during turbulence in his fascinating book This Is Your Captain SpeakingĬaptain Morris writes in This Is Your Captain Speaking: 'Technology has certainly helped to contend with the unpredictable nature of bumpy rides. ![]()
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