A Smoother Outlook In Turbulent Times

Written by Admin on October 11, 2008 – 11:11 am -

There hasn’t been much good news lately in the airline industry – for carriers or customers alike. But work done by a research team in the American state of Georgia could lead to smoother, safer and more economical flights.

The scientists have developed a new method of predicting turbulence, specifically clear air turbulence – the violent air movement that can cause sudden bumpiness and even the plummeting of an airliner during a flight.

It’s not just about that cup of coffee that lands in your lap; turbulence is the leading cause of in-flight injuries. There are countless reports of passengers who were hurt while moving about the cabin when clear air turbulence was encountered.
In the past, airlines have used weather forecasting-style predictions to try to avoid the trouble but commercial flights still encounter severe turbulence more than 5,000 times a year.

The Georgia team have adopted a completely different mathematical formula. It’s complicated, but basically the system allows researchers and flight crews to predict invisible disturbances in the atmosphere called gravity waves, which are responsible for the turbulence. They say this will not only lead to smoother flights but will also increase fuel efficiency.

The formula proved successful in a five-month analysis and the researchers hope it can be used operationally as soon as possible.

by Andy Moreton

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