Weather and turbulence are two of the most popular concerns amongst fearful flyers. Anxious flyers are generally interested in four aspects of the weather firstly fog, secondly the wind affecting the take-off and landing, thirdly thunderstorms and then of course; turbulence. Many people wanting to overcome their fear of flying want to know how the weather affects the plane and the flight.

Remember:

• Weather doesn’t affect the way an aircraft flies
• Turbulence may be uncomfortable but is not dangerous
• Aircraft do not drop or plummet thousands of feet because of turbulence

FOG
Modern autopilot systems allow an aircraft to land in very low visibility. The low visibility may be caused by fog or by very low cloud, which amounts to the same thing from the pilot’s point of view.

When landing in fog, the pilot confirms that the autopilot is going through the correct sequence until the aircraft touches down (see a plane landing in bumpy weather). All that has to be done then is for the reverse thrust to be applied, until at a speed of about eighty miles an hour the autopilot is disconnected and then the airplane is taxied to its parking position.

The main difference between landing in fog and in low cloud is that in cloudy conditions it is very likely that the pilot will see the runway before landing. Whenever the visibility or cloud base is below prescribed amounts the pilot is not allowed to fly the aircraft manually, but is required to use the autopilot.

THE WIND
Many fearful fliers believe that the wind has more influence on an aircraft than it really does.
The only requirement, regarding the wind, is that it must not be blowing directly across the runway at more than 50 miles per hour.  

However it is not difficult for an aircraft to take-off or land when the wind is blowing across the runway at these speeds because it is all part of the training that pilots undergo regularly.

On the ground the natural tendency for the aircraft is to turn towards the wind, and as a passenger you may feel the aircraft moving to the left and right slightly as the controls are adjusted to keep to the centre of the runway. When the aircraft is airborne, the wind has no effect other than to influence the direction the plane is travelling in. It does not have any effect on controlling the aircraft or the way it flies. Crosswinds are not difficult to land or take off in in.

THUNDERSTORMS
Aircraft are not allowed, by law, to fly into thunderstorms and when passing them must avoid them by at least 20 miles. For more information see Thunderstorms.

SNOW AND ICE.
Snow and ice does not present a problem for aircraft. All major airports have de-icing facilities available in the form of de-icing trucks or gantries through which the aircraft taxis to have all the ice and snow removed.

TURBULENCE.
Please see the Turbulence which covers turbulence in more depth.