When boarding a plane, a person begins to be afraid. We are used to living on the ground - a hard, stable surface. One has only to tear us away from it a little - and that’s it, fear envelops us until our fingers tingle and our hands become wet. We are afraid of everything - that the engine will fail, that nothing will happen to the plane... And then there is this turbulence and air pockets. Words are frightening in their mere vagueness. Let's try to figure it out?

If we go to forums on the Internet dedicated to this issue - “Should we be afraid of turbulence and/or air pockets?”, then, again, we will not see anything concrete. There is no clear definition. Or rather, the dictionary gives it, but it is quite difficult to perceive by ear: “ Turbulence is a phenomenon that occurs when the speed of gas flow increases and waves spontaneously form." To put it briefly, the air begins to vibrate, and the plane entering this flow begins to shake along with it. But this definition is of a very simple form. As experienced air travelers write, “it’s a bumpy place where you shake a lot and you’re a lot nervous.” We will talk about nerves a little further, but for now it’s worth deciding - what is an air pocket then?

Air pockets are commonly referred to as pressure differences. According to the dictionary, “This is a term for suspected pits in which there is a sudden downward fall of an aircraft independent of the control of the aircraft.” In fact, this is not a plane falling down. He simply got caught in a downdraft of air, which forced him to reduce his vertical rate of ascent to, say, 15 m/s, instead of 20 m/s. The descending one is followed by updraft air, and everything is repeated in reverse order. The plane seems to be “diving” back and forth, causing quite unpleasant sensations in the stomach and making you think who knows what. However, you can’t argue with nature; you can’t get anywhere without overcoming such flows. Therefore, now manufacturers and mechanics simply increase the strength of the structure and fastenings, and check the mechanisms more so that the aircraft comes out of this difficult situation unharmed.

It seems that everything is clear - what is turbulence, what are air pockets... But an unpleasant sensation somewhere in the solar plexus area still remains, just when you think about the upcoming flight? You just need to understand the cause of this very fear and try to eliminate it yourself:

If it arose as a result of previous flights, when you felt sick and dizzy, it means that your vestibular apparatus is not strong enough. Nothing can be done about it, that’s just the way the body is. Here we can only advise you not to drink alcohol during the flight, try not to read anything (since working with a source close to your eyes may cause nausea) and drink liquid containing lemon juice - mineral water, tea. Sour has long helped to endure nausea and prevent it from ending inappropriately.

If you are afraid that the plane simply will not withstand such a load, all you need is self-conviction and faith in the best. The equipment constantly undergoes all kinds of checks, mechanics inspect the aircraft for faults. According to state standards, air Transport they will simply not be allowed to transport if the slightest inaccuracy is discovered.

If the desire to fly somewhere has disappeared after reading (listening to) scary stories about how people “flyed from Egypt/Turkey/China and got into such a thunderstorm...”, reassure yourself that these are just emotions. Everyone tends to exaggerate to some extent the importance/significance of events that have occurred.. And the mentality of the Russian person is such that he always needs to be told how bad everything was. Even if it's 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. Look, he doesn’t have a life, but just a complete Shakespearean tragedy. And it doesn’t matter that he has a new car, and he’s dressed to the nines... It’s the same here - very often the same air pockets and thunderstorms experienced in flight are perceived by the participant in 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 gloomy forecasts regarding the flight is constantly growing.

We hope that we were able to sow a shadow of mistrust in fears regarding turbulence/air pockets, clearly explained what these phenomena are and were able to help dispel any of our own fears. Have a good flight and remember: EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!

When large air masses move, a variety of phenomena occur. Very often, cold masses shift downward, and heated masses rise higher. In other words, downward flows are replaced by upward flows. The passenger who is on board the plane at this moment has the feeling that the winged car is rushing down, as if falling into a huge hole, and then emerges from the abyss of the air.

Once in the flow of downward air, the airliner slightly loses its ascent speed, while the horizontal speed remains the same. The plane still rushes forward, while at the same time descending slightly. This is usually followed by an upward flow, increasing the vertical speed. It seems as if the airliner is suddenly flying upward.

At such moments, a person often experiences very unpleasant sensations in the abdominal area; Nausea rises in the throat, and those who do not fly too often develop uncontrollable fear.

In fact, there is no reason to panic. You just need to remember that when the plane passes through the “air pocket” it does not fall, but only decreases slightly. This phenomenon is very common during flights and is almost impossible to control. Neither the aircraft nor the experience of the crew can prevent the airliner from falling into such a “hole.” In terms of strength, the pressure that the aircraft experiences in such a situation is comparable to the loads that arise when driving a vehicle on an uneven road.

The cause of shaking in the air is turbulence

When an airplane passes through a pocket of air, a physical phenomenon called turbulence occurs. It occurs when, when the speed of flow of air masses changes, vortexes are formed air waves. In other words, the air is subject to vibrations, and the plane, which finds itself in a zone of turbulence, begins to shake.

Seasoned air passengers sometimes call this process “chatter”. When a person feels shaking, his nerves begin to fray in anticipation of trouble.

It helps to save your nerves by knowing that aircraft behavior in turbulent air flow is a common phenomenon. The strength of the aircraft body and the design of the aircraft control system are such that passengers should not fear for their safety when passing through places where air flows change. A timely and securely fastened seat belt will help to avoid minor troubles during shaking.

As a result of a violation of the normal conditions of air flow around the wing (flow separation from the wing).

Under conditions of normal air flow around the wing, sufficient lift is created and the aircraft behaves stably. If the normal flow around the wing is disrupted, the lift force drops sharply and the plane “falls out of the flow” - spontaneously changes pitch and roll angles (lowers/raises the nose, tilts sideways). A stall is likely to turn into a spin.

A stall is caused by exceeding the maximum permissible angles of attack, which can occur as a result of a drop in aircraft speed, operation of the rudders, changes in the density and direction of air flow, etc. The stall effect is used when performing aerobatic maneuvers on sports and military aircraft. IN civil aviation stalling is classified as an emergency and measures are taken to avoid it (special wing design, AUASP alarm, warning shaking of the steering wheel, etc.).

In the non-professional environment, stalling is more commonly known as an “air pocket.”

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See what “Air pocket” is in other dictionaries:

A sharp drop in securities prices after a negative information message. In English: Air pocket See also: Information asymmetry Financial Dictionary Finam... Financial Dictionary

English air pocket a sharp drop in securities prices after a negative message of a non-economic nature. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001 ... Dictionary of business terms

- (Pocket air, air lock) a term to designate the supposed pits in which a sudden downward fall of the aircraft is observed, independent of the control of the aircraft. In fact, this fall is explained by vertical air currents, ... ... Marine Dictionary

air pocket- - [A.S. Goldberg. English-Russian energy dictionary. 2006] Energy topics in general EN downdraftDD ... Technical Translator's Guide

air pocket- A sharp change in air density, causing an unexpected throw of the aircraft in flight... Dictionary of Geography

- (English air pocket) (slang) a sharp drop in securities prices after an information message of a negative non-economic, for example political, nature... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Economics and Law

Jarg. exchanges. An unstable position in which stock values ​​find themselves with a sudden drop in their value. BS, 32. /i> From aviation terminology... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

air hole promotion- A stock whose price tends to fall sharply as a result of negative information appearing in the market, for example about an expected decrease in the yield of securities. Shareholders seek to free themselves from compromised securities and find... ... Financial and investment explanatory dictionary

PIT, pits, women. 1. A depression dug or formed in the ground. “A deep hole was dug with a spade.” I.Nikitin. Potato pit (for storing potatoes). Coal pit (for burning charcoal). Garbage pit. Cesspool. 2. Specially... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Noun, g., used. compare often Morphology: (no) what? pits, why? hole, (see) what? hole, what? pit, what about? about the pit; pl. What? pits, (no) what? yum, what? Yamam, (see) what? pits, what? pits, about what? about pits 1. A pit is a large depression in the ground. Deep,... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary

Trips

What is an air pocket? Flying an airplane

January 20, 2016

From the ground it may seem that the clouds are clumps of cotton wool. But only children can believe this. In reality, clouds are formed by the accumulation of millions of water droplets. Sometimes even the most seemingly harmless cloudiness causes doubts among pilots.

Previously, flying an airplane was completely subject to intuition, luck and the experience of the captain. Today, flight safety has improved high level, thanks to the development of the aviation industry. However, not a single pilot, even the most experienced one, can insure the plane from falling into thunderclouds, where, as a rule, lightning, hail, and an air pocket await him. What kind of phenomenon is this and should we be afraid of it?

What is turbulence?

Pilots call this phenomenon “chatter.” Some say it's an air pocket. The plane sways from side to side, and sometimes it seems as if it is jumping and flapping its wings.

Surprisingly, turbulence can occur not only when the plane enters a cloudy area. 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 changes. Upward and downward air flows have different pressures. When an airplane enters such zones, it begins to shake. Especially the air pocket, or rather getting into it, is felt during a flight over mountains, oceans or the sea. But you shouldn’t be too afraid of this phenomenon, because modern aircraft initially designed taking all these points into account.

What are the dangers of turbulence?

“Bumpiness” is not a pleasant phenomenon, but it is absolutely safe for an airplane. Almost all pilots are convinced of this. But nevertheless, when they find themselves in zones of turbulence, they immediately strive to leave them. As a rule, there is no accidental entry into the bumpy zone. Pilots prepare in advance for possible difficulties in flight. Therefore, they always have a couple of additional detour routes in stock.

You should know that this phenomenon cannot cause any harm to the aircraft. It will not break, fall apart or explode. But passengers have a hard time in such an environment. Those who, for one reason or another, did not fasten their seat belts may especially suffer. In this case, you can even be seriously injured.

Truth or myth?

Most passengers believe that getting into turbulence depends entirely on the skill of the pilot. But, unfortunately, neither the latter’s skills, nor experience, nor qualifications can influence 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 aircraft crew always acts according to regulations. Sometimes a decision is made to force the plane to land. However, this does not mean that the ship is faulty. According to safety rules, the crew has the right to land the plane due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Rules of conduct on an airplane

Since turbulence is a natural phenomenon during flight, and air pockets are also common during flight, it is better to know how to act correctly to avoid injury. In some cases, it is impossible to influence the situation, but it is still possible to minimize the risks of serious injury.

1. You shouldn't leave seat when entering a turbulence zone.
2. Luggage located on the upper shelves must be well secured.
3. Unfastening your seat belts while shaking is strictly prohibited.
4. All instructions from personnel must be followed.

Air funnel - what is it?

Sometimes turbulence occurs when an airplane enters an area of ​​low pressure. Why are such phenomena dangerous?

Of course, the concept of “air pocket” is abstract. Why? There can be no holes in the air. But nevertheless, due to sudden changes in pressure, the plane suddenly begins to fall down. However, this is just how it feels. In fact, the plane falls into a downward air flow, which with its force pulls it down. In this case, the rate of ascent decreases. Then the reverse process occurs. The plane enters an updraft of air, which pushes it upward. The feeling from everything that is happening is extremely unpleasant. However, it is almost impossible to avoid such a phenomenon, since nature cannot be controlled. The only thing people can do is to increase the strength of the structure, carefully check the fastenings and mechanisms so that the aircraft can adequately cope with a difficult situation.

What to do if the plane gets into an air pocket?

To begin with, don't panic. This phenomenon is common; not a single flight over mountains or Pacific Ocean. However, passengers must internally prepare for it. You should not drink alcohol before or during the flight. If possible, you should stop taking medications. You should not read anything during the flight. It is better to drink water with lemon to cope with the feeling of nausea. If the plane gets into an air pocket, it will not suffer much, since according to all the rules, only fully repaired aircraft are allowed to fly. There are only a few known cases of plane crashes in the world due to a plane hitting a crater, but they still exist. In this case, it is better to overcome air pockets with prayer. Disasters are sometimes avoided, according to eyewitnesses. But the pilot is not always able to control the controls, and real trouble happens.

How to minimize risks when flying?

Since air pocketing is somewhat dependent on weather conditions, before flying an airplane, it is best to research how you can minimize the risk of uncomfortable conditions.

1. The best time to fly is early in the day. As a rule, wind, storm, thunderstorm or hail are unlikely to occur in the morning.
2. If possible, you should choose flights without stopovers.
3. You need to study the weather forecast in the places through which the plane will fly.
4. Find out the hotel numbers in the cities through which the plane will fly. If suddenly it happens emergency landing, you can quickly book a room at the nearest hotel.
5. Large planes are less dangerous. Even with strong shaking, it is quite comfortable to be inside them. Therefore, before flying, you should study what types of aircraft are offered by which airlines.
6. You should choose flights that fly frequently on your desired route. In this case, a favorable outcome is more likely if something goes wrong.

In this article we will look at why a plane can get into a bumpy situation and how turbulence differs from air pockets.

Turbulence and the plane getting into an air pocket are not the most pleasant moments of the flight, but they are remembered for a long time. When it hits an air pocket, the plane drops sharply several meters down. At this point, passengers can experience free flight, just like astronauts. It just doesn’t last long, usually no more than a second. The feeling of an airplane falling into an air pocket can be compared to the fact that while walking, taking another step, you did not notice that the surface of the earth was lower.

Illustration for the description of the comparison of the air pocket

This occurs due to the difference in density and speed of air flows. An airplane flying over the boundary between fast and slow flow runs the risk of falling into an air pocket (see picture below).

Airplane hitting air pocket

Turbulence is chaotic air flows, the same “chatter”. Erratic - because they often change their flow direction and this may be due to several factors:

• Change atmospheric pressure
• Different temperatures of encountered air masses
• Jet air flow
• Behind the mountains, air is pushed to a height from behind the mountains (see picture)

Formation of turbulence

If you encounter turbulence, I advise you not to panic and follow all instructions of the aircraft commander and flight attendants. The situation is certainly not pleasant, but you shouldn’t be afraid of it. I wish you pleasant flights!