An Overview of some Misconceptions about Flights
With the advent of airplanes came a wide range of half-truths and myths that were not quite true. Some of these myths still live on in the minds of normal passengers and flight enthusiasts alike. Distorted facts can often cause unwanted worries in the minds of travellers and staff. For instance, you might be unnecessarily worried about weather conditions while checking Delhi to Chennai Flights Schedule because of some of the myths you have heard. In this article, some of these common myths will be explored and debunked.
Should pilots always fly their planes over thunderstorms?
This is a completely pointless and baseless assumption. There are different types of thunderstorms that demand different ways of flying the plane. Pilots are trained to identify and fly the plane accordingly. For instance, a thunderstorm in a hilly region like the Himalayas may be completely different from thunderstorms over plains in Uttar Pradesh. Turbulence near the surface is generally caused by the topological features of that area.
There is no reason to worry even if a pilot feels it is best to fly through the storm instead of over it. With a combination of years of training and air-traffic control, weather conditions are always tackled with precision and care.
Is turbulence as dangerous as people say it is?
For trained airline pilots, turbulence is a question of comfortable flight and not safety. This can be easily compared to driving in heavy traffic versus cruising on a highway. While both might carry some degree of risk, they require different types of skills to tackle. Similarly, pilots handle steady weather conditions and storm turbulence in completely different ways. Forecasts are generally used to predict the movement of air and chart out the best way to fly to the destination.
Modern planes have been designed keeping rough weather conditions in mind. In fact, plane autopilot systems have a special mode for turbulent weather conditions. Pilots rarely have to wrestle with the controls and direct the plane rigorously.
Are certain airports dangerous for landings?
Every airport has different defining aspects. Pilots must employ different take-off and landing methods depending on the airport. Both these activities are rarely ever problematic for professional pilots. In training sessions, pilots are made to land at various airports with differing weather conditions. Some are quite windy, causing the landing to be bumpy. Landing and take-off patterns are generalized in flying manuals. Pilots consult their manuals depending on the predicted conditions and improvise on their landing technique accordingly.
Can planes be forced down by winds?
This is not completely untrue, but the effects of this phenomenon are often exaggerated. There’s much more to it. When wind speeds change rapidly, the plane may go upward or downward. This is often experienced as a sickening feeling in the belly of passengers. It is very similar to a ship suddenly plunging lower because it crosses the crest of a wave and enters the trough. It is barely ever a safety concern.
One can confidently conclude, based on the above facts, that flying in airplanes is far safer than it is normally assumed to be. Pilots are well-trained and modern aircrafts are well-designed to handle a massive range of weather conditions.