A pilot has shared a helpful trick for travellers who dread turbulence. Whilst we’ve all probably experienced it, at times it can be pretty scary. Posting on social media, the aviation expert shared clips from an A320 simulator and shared her simple trick that makes turbulence feel less intense during a flight.
Savina Paül, known on TikTok as @savinapauls on TikTok, advised passengers to “choose your seat carefully,” explaining that “the closer you are to the aircraft’s centre of gravity, the better.” This, she says, can significantly “change your perception of movement” in the air.
She posed a question to viewers, asking: “Did you know that a plane moves more or less depending on where you sit? Yes, sitting at the tail is not the same as sitting near the cockpit. On commercial aircraft, the centre of gravity is not exactly in the middle of the plane, it’s actually a bit further forward, close to the wing area.”
Explaining what the centre of gravity is, she continued: “It’s the point around which the aircraft rotates whenever there is any movement, including turbulence. Imagine a ruler balanced on your finger, but your finger is closer to one end than the other. If you move the far end of the ruler, it will always move much more than the end near your finger.
“The same thing happens on a plane: the further away you are from the centre of gravity, the more you’ll notice any movement. Conversely, the closer you are to this point, the less you’ll feel it. For example, from the cockpit, which is closer to this point, sometimes we don’t even notice turbulence. Meanwhile, our colleagues at the back of the plane alert us because they feel much more movement.”
If you are someone who is worried about turbulence, even if you know it’s a normal part of flying, the pilot urges you to try her method for a stress-free trip – if you can. She suggested choosing a seat close to the wings. If you do this, you will notice turbulence “much less.” Reassuring people that turbulence is not bad, she concluded: “Remember, even if there’s movement, the plane continues to fly safely.”
What causes turbulence?
Turbulence is a common atmospheric condition that refers to irregular movements of air that lead to sudden shifts in an aircraft’s altitude or orientation, according to the Flightradar24 Blog. There are a variety of turbulence types that all depend on where you’re flying to, when, and what you are flying over such as mountains.
The flight expert said: “Whilst turbulence can feel unsettling, especially to nervous flyers, it is important to emphasise that severe turbulence events are generally quite rare. Pilots carry out an extensive weather brief before a flight which identifies areas of known turbulence en-route, which are avoided if possible.”