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Are you afraid of airplanes or afraid of flying? Part 3
in the first 2 deliveries, We talk about several factors why people are afraid of flying or planes, situations that can cause certain problems that cause passenger concern and also explain why pilots should be trusted thanks to their extensive training and continuous studies. Now, in the third installment, We are going to talk about several additional and common topics that generate fear in people and we will explain why we must be calm on each flight.
Check out the first installment.: Fear to fly.
Check out the second installment.: The pilots.
Post written by: Captain Rudolph Star (with small contributions from Nicolás Larenas)
FAA Commercial Pilot
Twitter: @rodo_estrella
What is Turbulence?
We have all felt the discomfort of flying in turbulence at some point., But, what is it about?
Turbulence in a general way is an interruption or variation in the flow of an air current that occurs for various reasons., the main one is convective currents. These are air currents that circulate ascending or descending. For every updraft there will always be a downdraft., these downdrafts occur mostly over large areas so their vertical speed or "intensity" is lower.
Why are there updrafts and downdrafts??
The nature of the atmosphere is in constant movement, mainly due to the temperature of the environment and the terrain., high temperatures heat the air on the surface and it rises vertically, which is why turbulence at low altitudes can be expected in summer seasons. further, the type of terrain and the difference between its heating properties cause the updrafts to vary in intensity from area to area.
As hot air rises, this reaches a level where as it rises it cools to the point where it reaches the ambient temperature and clouds are produced, those that generally signal the top of the turbulence.
During the early years of commercial aviation, aircraft could not climb to extreme altitudes due to their lack of pressurized cabins, oxygen equipment and its engines had an altitude limit for operation. Today modern commercial aircraft can "fly on the weather", altitudes higher than 24.000 pies, (7315 meters) are generally free of moderate and severe turbulence, although there are types of turbulence that can be found at any altitude and their degrees of severity are varied, most of the time you will have a pleasant flight.
Either way, as mentioned in the first delivery, modern aircraft are capable of withstanding the most severe turbulence and manufacturers provide operators with aircraft speeds and limitations regarding flying in turbulence.
The issue of turbulence is a complex issue that we pilots study and of which we are always alert, Routine weather reports and reports from pilots encountering turbulence help us avoid areas of known turbulence to make the flight as pleasant as possible for passengers.
Air Traffic Control.
Many times we have heard the term "control tower" and we have all seen the airport control tower and that is where the controllers who authorize takeoffs and landings work., what if, it is right, however, air traffic control goes far beyond the control tower and covers the entire country or even more, the air traffic control system is designed for the efficient management of aeronautical traffic as well as as a "big brother" to supervise flights in the control area, Air Traffic Controllers, (ATC) they have very modern radar and communication systems where they can see the situation of each flight, its course, destiny, altitude etc. And they are vigilant against any deviation or danger that aircraft in flight may face, such as collisions with other aircraft or adverse weather., They also provide timely assistance to aircraft that present a problem or emergency..
That's why you see in the sky planes one after another, but you must be calm that there is a great system and professionals who are behind screens or in the tower supervising each takeoff, landing or cruise flight for planes to fly safely through the world's airspaces, each day closer to each other due to the increase in the air market, but equally safe thanks also to the increase in technology for this purpose.
OMG! That guy wants to open the door!
Another of the fears that the traveler has, a passenger panicking and trying to open the door or an emergency exit in flight.
Although panic attacks are not as common, se and, and passengers have recently been seen trying to open the doors during the flight which would potentially be catastrophic as shown in the movies. Nevertheless, reality is different. The design of the doors and emergency exits, together with the internal pressurization of the aircraft, which is greater than the external pressure, makes it almost impossible to open them from inside the aircraft in flight.. It is estimated that in order to open it, a force of one ton of pressure is necessary, which is humanly impossible..
An emergency! Oxygen mask does not inflate
If you paid attention to the safety instructions or read the safety card in the front pocket of your seat, you will know that oxygen masks will not inflate in all cases, but despite that, the flow of oxygen in case of an emergency such as depressurization, it's guaranteed.
Solo 1 in a million flights a passenger will have to experience a situation inside an airplane that requires the use of a mask and at that moment of fright and adrenaline, there are many cases of frightened passengers not seeing their mask inflate, they get scared or get up from their posts, generating more panic and worries inside the flight.
Known was a case in Ecuador when an Embraer plane 190 flying from Quito to Loja had to divert to the coast due to pressurization problems and the crew acted correctly under the protocols for this emergency, but some passengers, by not being informed or paying attention to security measures, when they landed safely in Guayaquil, they arbitrarily ripped off the oxygen masks and wrongly accused the airline of not complying with safety protocols and that it jeopardized their safety.
So if at any time, they get to live a situation like this, do not panic if the mask does not inflate, oxygen will be passing through and these devices are checked regularly, both for the airline, as by the aeronautical authority.
in a future installment, we will talk about more factors or situations that passengers are afraid of.
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