What are the three types of turbulence? Pilot outlines how to tell the bumps apart. Photo / 123rf
What are the three types of turbulence? Pilot outlines how to tell the bumps apart. Photo / 123rf
Buckle up!
An airline pilot has shared his nuanced take on turbulence to ease the jitters of nervous passengers, saying there are many kinds of atmospheric currents but only one that is cause for concern.
Flight Instructor and Commercial Pilot Joseph ‘Joey’ Miuccio has amassed hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers for his expertise in the sky - and being easy on the eye.
In a recent video Miuccio shared his tips on the “three kinds of turbulence” and what nervous passengers can do about them.
Using the analogy of a coffee cup, he demonstrated what they feel like:
“The three most common levels of turbulence are light, moderate, and severe,” he said.
At “light” you’ll notice some bumps, but be able to carry on sipping your hot drink. At “moderate” you’ll not want to lift it to your lips, for fear of spilling.
“And then severe, that coffee is probably all over your shirt and it’s gone. The coffee cup’s probably gone and severe is pretty gnarly but you’re very safe if you’re in your seat with your seatbelt fastened,” he says.
However, in most cases, your biggest concern is getting mocha on your top.
If your seatbelt is on - and ideally you’re not drinking scalding coffee - passengers have nothing to fear.
Aircraft are engineered to withstand far higher turbulence than passengers can tolerate, so when pilots alter route to avoid turbulence it is out of consideration for the passengers, not the safety of the plane.
“The aircraft is so durable and strong and flexible. It goes through all these stress tests and it can handle a lot of stress and a lot of turbulence,” he explained.
“As long as you are seated with your seatbelt fastened, you are safe, the aircraft is safe.”
The clip, which has gained 20,000 views, also attracted some novel takes on turbulence.
Many nervous flyers thanked Pilot Joey for his pep talk on the “speed bumps of the sky”.
Some were genuinely disappointed to hear that pilots steer their routes to avoid rough patches.
“I genuinely like turbulence, it adds a little excitement,” read one comment.
