When a driver drives a car on an uneven road in good visibility conditions, he is able to quickly assess the pits that appear on the way, slow down and prevent unpleasant consequences from colliding with such a natural obstacle. In the air, things are a little different. When the liner enters the so-called air pit, passengers experience a kind of sensation.
"Air pockets": no reason to panic
When moving large air masses, a variety of phenomena occur. Very often cold masses move downward, and heated ones rise higher. In other words, the downdrafts are replaced by the upward ones. The passenger, who is at this moment on board the aircraft, has the feeling that the winged machine rushes down, as if falling into a huge hole, and then emerges from the abyss of air.
Once in the descending air stream, the liner slightly loses its ascent speed, while the horizontal speed remains the same. The plane continues to rush forward, while descending slightly. This is usually followed by an upward flow, increasing the vertical speed. One gets the impression that the airliner is taking off sharply upward.
At such moments, a person often has very unpleasant sensations in the abdomen; nausea rises in the throat, and those who do not fly too often develop uncontrollable fear.
In fact, there is no reason to panic. It is only necessary to remember that at the moment the plane passes through the "air hole" it does not fall, but only slightly decreases. This phenomenon is very common during flights, it is almost impossible to control it. Neither the class of the aircraft, nor the experience of the crew can prevent the liner from falling into such a "hole". In terms of its strength, the pressure that an aircraft experiences in such a situation is comparable to the loads that arise when driving on an uneven road.
The reason for the shaking in the air is turbulence
When an aircraft passes through an "air hole", a physical phenomenon called turbulence takes place. It occurs when, with a change in the flow rate of air masses, vortex air waves are spontaneously formed. In other words, the air is subject to vibrations, and the plane, which is in the turbulence zone, begins to shake.
Sophisticated air passengers sometimes refer to this process as "bumpiness." When a person feels shaking, his nerves begin to play pranks in anticipation of trouble.
It helps to save your nerves by knowing that this behavior of an aircraft in a turbulent air flow is a common phenomenon. The strength of the aircraft body and the structure of the aircraft control system are such that there is absolutely no need for passengers to fear for their safety when passing through the places where air flows change. And a well-timed and securely fastened belt will help to avoid minor troubles during shaking.
