Skip to main content

Coping with turbulence



I'll share what I've done to overcome my turbulence anxiety in the past as it was really getting to the point of interfering with my flying.

It comes down to visualising flying and visualising your feelings. I remember my early experiences of flying, about twenty years ago. I was very excited about it and often used to sit in the rear of the aircraft for the view, not knowing or caring that this is the worst spot for turbulence. I have no memory of being particularly concerned about turbulence. I even flew all the way to the UK and back without being worried.

Okay, so I have established that there was a time I didn't worry. Hold that thought.

Then I think back to those times when I did experience bad turbulence. I know when it started - flying back from NZ and the seatbelt lights were illuminated mid-flight with a warning from the pilot. I remember flying so many times between Sydney and Canberra, a short trip of maybe 25 minutes airborne, yet so often bumpy. It got to the point where I once caught a bus back rather than catch my flight. But one day I did arrive at the airport in Canberra to see a storm approaching. And we duly took off right into the storm front. It was terribly bumpy, but I survived it and subsequent episodes of bad turbulence.

So there's the knowledge that you can experience bad turbulence, yet have a pleasant remainder of the flight. Visualise that too. Think about all the wonderful flights you have had.

There was a time when the seatbelt light seemed to go on every flight. Then it seemed that there were a couple of years when the flights were smooth. Then in the last 12 months we were skirting typhoons, cyclones and weatherfronts and even the aviation authority noticed that turbulence was bad around Sydney. Then these Qantas flights were pretty smooth again. In other words, just because you have had bad experiences doesn't mean that every flight will be the same. Fly with hope.

Finally, follow what steps you can to make your flight as comfortable as possible. Try to book seats just forward of or over the wing - near the centre of gravity. These are the most stable. Try to avoid, until your confidence rebuilds, flights at times of day or year when turbulence is likely to be worst - eg storm season. You can try looking at maps on places like Turbulence Forecast and this wind map, but they often generate false fears. Fly during the day so you can look out the window. Sure clear air turbulence is difficult to predict, but in my experience most bumps come from flying through cloud (especially high cloud on long-haul) so understanding why the aircraft is shaking can help, especially if you can see the clear sky coming up!

And if your anxiety is too strong do see a psychologist because anxiety attacks are a real condition which some people close to me have suffered and one that can be treated with a variety of techniques.

Good luck!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The little Jedi of Kinosaki Onsen

A long time ago in a land far, far away. That's what it felt like as we walked the streets of Kinosaki Onsen dressed in our yukatas, the clop-clop of wooden getas sounding in the air. In his robes Alex looked the spitting image of a young Jedi padawan, all that was missing was the lightsaber. Incidently, Padawan is a district of Kuching in Malaysia. The town was so far back in time that my 4G router couldn't get a signal, hence the lack of an update. Plus I was feeling a little under the weather. There can be few better places to rest than Kinosaki Onsen. We dragged our luggage on the Midosuji subway to Umeda, then barely caught the Ltd Exp Hamakaze in time. An older Japanese train it lacked a food service or vending machines, leading to big issues. Alex was hungry for breakfast. B and I had eaten slices of Kobe cheesecake for breakfast, but Alex didn't like it. As we raced past the huge Akashi bridge Alex was pleading for food and drink. The kind ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Springs, castles and the end of the line

I am never happy to stop before the end of the line. It irritates me to know that there is still somewhere unexplored lying ahead. So when I only got as far as Gujo Hachiman on the Nagaragawa Railway last year I knew I needed to return for more. Especially as this private third sector railway is, by its very nature, always at threat of closure due to low patronage. But did Gujo Hachiman deserve another visit? Sure it's a nice enough town, but had we missed out on enough last time to return? Mum's trip provided the excuse. I originally planned the Oito line, which wI'll be partly closed when the Shinkansen line is extended to Kanazawa. However, when I thought of special places in Japan that deserved to be shared Gujo Hachiman was at the top of the list. Before we could go anywhere Mum needed her coffee. There was a Tully's Coffee opposite the hotel entrance, so I parked her there while I booked our seat reservations. Mum got her fast train ride on a ...
4 comments
Read more

The Carlingford Line

We close the year and the decade with a local adventure to mark the closure of a railway line. On the January 5, 2020, the Carlingford Line from Clyde will close to be partially replaced by the Parramatta Light Rail. This is Sydney's quietest line, a single track branch for most of its length from the industrial centre of Clyde to the northwestern suburb of Carlingford. According to Wikipedia, power supply and signalling issues mean that only a single four car train can utilise the line at a time. Newer Sydney trains run in fixed eight car configurations. This will be the first and last time I traverse the Carlingford Line in its current configuration. The weather of the day is certainly appropriate for an ending, the brown smoke haze lending an apocalyptic air to proceedings. I drive to Padstow and catch the T8 line to Central, followed by the T1 towards Parramatta and Penrith. The historic homes of the Inner West give way to industrial complexes, rail storage yards and t...
4 comments
Read more