Nervous flier? Pilot shares specific flight you should book

The time of day can impact how bumpy your flight is, according to one pilot. Photo / Matej Kastelic

Many passengers feel uneasy during times of turbulence on a plane and while planes can withstand a fair amount safely, it can make people feel sick or anxious about air travel.

According to one pilot, if you’re a traveller who hates turbulence, it may be worth booking flights that depart at a certain time of day.

Speaking to the New York Times, Boeing 737 pilot Morgan Smith said morning flights are less likely to experience turbulence. The reason, Smith explained, was to do with heat and climate.

“As the day warms into the afternoon, heat rising off the land increases the chance for turbulence near the ground and turbulence caused by storms,” she said.

Smith had additional encouragement for travellers who hated bumpy flights and said people really shouldn’t fear a bit of shaking.

“The only thing people should fear from turbulence is possibly spilling their drink on a flight,’ she added.

“Most injuries from turbulence come from people being out of their seats or not having their seatbelts on when it gets bumpy. So keep your seatbelt fastened, and don’t set your drink on your laptop.”

Others have also suggested sitting at the front of the plane and claim you don’t feel the effects of turbulence there quite as much.

Speaking to Sun Online Travel, one flight attendant said: “For anyone who is really scared of turbulence, my advice would be to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible because it acts like a wave.

“What starts as a slight bump at the front of the aircraft can feel much worse by the time it reaches the rear.

“Sometimes passengers at the front won’t even be aware of anything, while those at the back get really badly shaken up.”

Unfortunately, according to one flight attendant, some destinations will simply be prone to more aggressive turbulence.

For example, flights between the US and the UK will typically experience turbulence in the same spot, said Simon Marton, a former British Airways flight attendant.

This is because of jetstreams over the Atlantic Ocean, he told Sun Online Travel.

“If you’re coming from the States and you are going to London, you will nearly always hit turbulence over the coast of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean,” he said.

“This happens about two to three hours before landing, but it is completely normal.”