Ual747 From United States, joined Dec 1999, 6526 posts, RR: 36 Posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 17969 times:
I was wondering if there are certain areas of the world where turbulence is pretty much a constant. Here in the US, flying over the Rockies almost always produces some light to moderate chop. The weather at MIA seems to be a big producer of turbulence, and probably the worst is the plains states in spring with all the storm clouds everwhere.
Ual747 From United States, joined Dec 1999, 6526 posts, RR: 36 Reply 3, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 17607 times:
Both flights I've had over the Swiss alps have been very bumpy as well. Denver approaches are probably some of the worst. I have also encountered a lot of turbulence around Japan on HKG-USA flights, and on decent into NRT.
Pilottim747 From United States, joined Jul 2001, 1607 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 17561 times:
The North Pacifc can be quite the ride I believe. I've only flown through it a couple times but last time on a flight from HKG to SFO we hit some good turbulence over Japan with a strong weather system. On that flight we we're at FL330 when it hit (we had be warned ahead) but had to stuff it out for a little until we had burned off enough fuel to climb to a higher altitude (I think we ended up at FL370).
pilottim747
Aviation Photographers & Enthusiasts--Coordinate your life.
MCIB757 From United States, joined Jul 2003, 280 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 17440 times:
LAX gets hit by the Santa Ana winds during part of year and that makes it pretty rough around there. Also watch out for those pop-up thunderstorms in the midwest during the spring.
BlackJackLV From United States, joined Sep 2001, 39 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 17408 times:
I've flown in and out of Reno (RNO) several times and I've almost always had a rough ride. The winds over the Sierra Nevada's always make for fun trip into Reno/Tahoe.
JpetekYXMD80 From United States, joined Jul 2003, 3455 posts, RR: 38 Reply 11, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 17397 times:
Rockies, last month YX912 SFO-MCI encountered bad turbulence resulting in 2 FA's with broken legs and an emergency landing at DEN. It always gets a little bumpy there atleast.
This year I have been flying three times between Zurich and Singapore, and I have notice that in Bay of Bengal near Andaman Islands it was every single time turbulent, but normally.
But during the flight of end of May, the whole area south of Himalayas, between Pakistan and Andaman Islands was turbulent with only very short breaks. It was for the first time in my life that I had to experience such a long bumpy flight, so long that I began to have a pain in my stomach.
Was it due to the approach of the monsoon in Indian Subcontinent ?
QANTAS747-438 From United States, joined Jan 2001, 1106 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 17277 times:
I'd say that an area that gets a ton of turbulence is around the equator in the Pacific. All the winds and pressures rise up at the equator and travel to their respective poles. I flew LAX-SYD-LAX and it's notoriously bumpy with lightning storms and pockets of turbulence that appear to come out of nowhere. It threw our 744 up and down quite hard a few times.
Milesrich From United States, joined Jul 2003, 801 posts, RR: 6 Reply 15, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 17134 times:
Mt. Fuji Japan. A BOAC 707-436 was literally torn apart in clear air turbulence there in the early 60's.
As previous writers pointed out, flying into RNO and DEN can be pretty rough. There is often a mountain wave that rolls down the east side of the Rockies at DEN. But for a wild ride, try TVL. When Air Cal and PSA flew Electras in their in the mid and late 70's, both take off and landing could be quite turbulent.
7E7 From Australia, joined Aug 2003, 159 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 17102 times:
Kilavoud, indeed Bay of Bengal near Andaman Islands is one of a hell place to fly through. On an earlier trip with EK last year on a B773 (I think EMS) I actually saw the tea flying out of the cup in mid-air (10-15cm high and I would not be exagerating), then splashing back inside of it.
With EK also, on an A330 few months back, my mate spilled his coffee all over his clothes as he lifted the cup as the FA was backing up dinner trays.
Same area, two years ago, with GF on a A340 (A4O-LF) similar things happened.
Another mate of mine had also some 'sickening' trip (over the same region) when he flew with MH from KUL to DXB early this year.
Sq_ek_freak From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2000, 906 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 16997 times:
For me the areas where moderate turbulence seem always to be present is in the areas of Japan, as I fly over it (on the way to HKG/SEL) or as we descend into NRT, KIX or NGO. There was a time flying from SIN-NRT on Singapore Airlines when we hit bad turbulence as we were just commecning our descent into NRT. The plane just dropped catching people unaware. The seat belt sign went on in a flash as we started veering left right and center and dropping up and down. An FA fell over as she was walking and into a lav. The poor FAs tried to get their pre landing procedures done as the plane became a roller coaster. The American captain later apologized sincerly both to his passengers and to his crew. Also, flying over the northern Pacific on the way to the US from Asia usually yields some turbulence as well.
The Bay of Bengal can also equate tons of turbulence, most harshly during the monsoon season. The worst I had encountered was with SQ on their A310 on a Dhaka to SIN run. The plane was bouncing all over the place from take off and the crew couldnt even start meal service until about two and a half hours into the flight.
These two areas consistently give turbulence, though the worst I have experienced was on a flight from BNE to Port Moresby on Air Niugini. Bags falling all over the place, the crew going haywire in the forward galley...what an experience.
JumboBumbo From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 16978 times:
Flights into DEN on summer afternoons always seem to be pretty rough. This is due to the convective storms that usually for on summer afternoons in the Rockies and then move out east over the plains.
I would imagine that turbulence is typically pretty bad over most mountain ranges. This is due, in part, to the way in which topography disrupts movement of weather patterns over the land surface... a phenomena known as orography or orographic lifting.
I would be curious as to what is driving the turbulence over places like the Bay of Bengal. Kilavoud might be on to something when he suspects the approach of the Monsoon is the culprit.
TNboy From Australia, joined Mar 2002, 1131 posts, RR: 27 Reply 20, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 16922 times:
One of the complaints with SQ using the A340 on flights to Europe was that, with the long, slow climb, there was always a long period of turbulence over the Bay of Bengal.
I've always found the equator bumpy on SYD-LAX flights, as well as around Fiji; and North Pacific runs can be like travelling on padded corrugated iron at times. Around Singapore can be bumpy, although ATC is pretty good at manoeuvering flights around the worst of it; Japan can be bumpy a lot of the time, and the west coast of Australia can get buffetted by winds quite often, not to mention cyclones. I've had some pretty bumpy trips across the Rockies also.
The Pacific runs are also generally at night, which makes it a bit worse. But the trick is to keep the seat belt fastened, relax, and trust the integrity of the aircraft, the systems and the crew. And have a drink!
Cheers
Bill
Jcs17 From United States, joined Jun 2001, 7590 posts, RR: 52 Reply 21, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 16822 times:
I dont think flying in the Rockies is too bad. I flew DEN-ASE this summer on a 146, and it was a relatively smooth flight. In fact, the worst turbulence occured while we were still over the Denver area and not over mountainous terrain (downsloping winds, perhaps?).
StevenUhl777 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 16791 times:
I'm surprised no one mentioned flying over Iceland/Greenland? I've flown between LHR/LGW and SFO/LAX a few times and it's almost always bumpy in that area.
I flew a DEN-ABQ in July 1991, and even though it was only an hour or so, it was bumpy the ENTIRE way, right up until touchdown.
Vimanav From India, joined Jul 2003, 1394 posts, RR: 18 Reply 23, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 16775 times:
Bay of Bengal gets my vote. I have overflown that area at almost all times of the year and each time there was some chop from moderate to severe. My pilot friends definitely have a thing or two to say about the area though there are other areas around the globe as well including the notorious Mt. Fuji area in Japan. (there is a saying in Japan that when the sky is clear, Mt. Fuji is angry!!) - lots of CAT.
Coming back to Bay of Bengal - a lot of aircraft have been lost in that area. Its most famous victim being Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
Pilottim747 From United States, joined Jul 2001, 1607 posts, RR: 7 Reply 25, posted (6 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 16649 times:
Here's a little explanation of the Bay of Bengal turbulence experiences from An excerpt from FLYING THE HUMP by Otha C. Spencer: The world’s most violent weather comes into Asia because it is the meeting place of three turbulent air masses: low pressure from the west moves along the main range of the Himalaya between Tibet and India to the Hump, where warm, wet high pressure systems from the Bay of Bengal clash with frigid low pressure from Siberia. The polar vonex, and the heat rising from the jungles of Burma, intensify the weather movement.
pilottim747
Aviation Photographers & Enthusiasts--Coordinate your life.
26 EGFFbmi: I would say maybe the areas off the coast of Ireland and the UK are bad especially in Winter when we have severe storms! EGFFbmi
27 Buckfifty: Japan can experience severe chop from westerlies flowing over mountainous terrain, and from the jet streams as you're travelling en-route overhead. Th
28 Goose: I've heard that flying over the Sea of Japan can be fun, especially during storm season.......
29 DeltaRules: One I didn't see above- All three times I've flown into DCA, it's been a rough ride. I don't understand why this is....anybody know? DeltaRules
30 Syncmaster: Let me put it this way, my first time flying in and out of DEN (From SBN to SEA) in June was the most turbulent flight(s) I have been on, particularly
31 Copenhagenboy: Correct, but I also feel some waterarea like the Biscayen and the Indian Sea can give some heavy turbulence aswell. Indian Sea=Bay of Bengal, just to
32 Jetdeltamsy: it's like riding in on a bucking bronco. those hills around the field sure whip things up.
34 Flyboyaz: TUS-PHX in the summer....barf city! Low altitude flying with hot temps.....HANG ON!
35 JetRanger2000: I always get a very rough descent and takeoff into SLC.
36 FlyboyOz: Yeah! I remembered that I hate to fly across between Australia and New Zealand and also on the way to US. I have encounted the worst turbulence I've e
37 BCAInfoSys: I agree with JetRanger, SLC can be quite a ride.
Sponsor Message: 
From United States, joined Dec 1999, 6526 posts, 
From Denmark, joined Sep 2001, 506 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Australia, joined Aug 2003, 159 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Aug 2003, 1633 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2000, 906 posts, 
From India, joined Jul 2003, 1394 posts, 
From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 490 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
