SOURCE: Travel Advice by news.com.au
SOME of the most popular flight paths used by Australians have been named by experts as being among the world's most turbulent air routes.
Atmospheric researchers say the routes from Melbourne to Christchurch and Sydney to Los Angeles were notorious for the amount of turbulence frequently experienced by airlines.
University of Melbourne turbulence expert Todd Lane said any plane that flies over a mountainous region - which wreaks havoc with air flow - was more likely to have a "bumpy ride".
Dr Lane said the final stretch of the flight from Melbourne to Christchurch usually experienced turbulence due to the mountains surrounding the New Zealand city.
Flying over the Himalayas - as many flights from Australia to Europe do - was also a "common source" of turbulent activity, according to Dr Lane.
And trans-Atlantic flights during winter were notoriously bumpy.
"There's almost twice as much turbulence experienced in the winter months than in summer ... over Greenland," he said.
Pacific flights not so peaceful
Frequent storm activity over the Pacific Ocean has also
caused problems for pilots.
"The Pacific route between Australia and the US is another (hotspot for turbulence)... that occurs almost all year round," Dr Lane said.
If anyone wanted to fly around the US during summer, they should do it in the morning, Dr Lane said.
"The US is terrible in the (northern) summertime because of storms.
"I'd always try to fly in the mornings ... storms predominately occur in the afternoons (in the US)."
But he said flying through turbulence was smoother on heavier planes.
No flight immune from turbulence
One of the world's foremost experts on turbulence, Larry
Cornman from the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research, said no flight was immune to the phenomenon.
"If we knew where and when turbulence would occur ... we'd be out of work," Dr Cornman said.
"Nevertheless, we can make some general statements based on climatologies of aircraft encounters.
"Most commercial aircraft have on-board weather radars, so they typically avoid the 'main' parts of the thunderstorm; however, turbulence can occur in regions where the radar is not seeing much, but where there is visible cloud.
"Turbulence can also occur in the clear air on the sides and above rising thunderstorms ... (and this) seems to be a source of some very severe encounters - especially at night, when the pilot does not have any visual clues."
Danger of turbulence-related injures
More than 150 injuries caused by turbulence on
Australian flights have been recorded in the last decade, according to the latest figures from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
"About a dozen in-flight turbulence injuries are reported in Australia each year to the ATSB, and many more go unreported," an ATSB report said.
"Some of these injuries are serious, and have resulted in broken bones and head injuries.
The ATSB described one incident that resulted in broken bones to passengers:
"In 2000, a Boeing 747 encountered clear air turbulence en route from Sydney to Osaka, Japan.
"When the (turbulence) struck, the seat-belt sign was not illuminated and people were moving about the cabin.
"During the turbulence two passengers sustained broken ankles… both of those passengers had been out of their seats during the turbulence."
SOME of the most popular flight paths used by Australians have been named by experts as being among the world's most turbulent air routes.
Atmospheric researchers say the routes from Melbourne to Christchurch and Sydney to Los Angeles were notorious for the amount of turbulence frequently experienced by airlines.
University of Melbourne turbulence expert Todd Lane said any plane that flies over a mountainous region - which wreaks havoc with air flow - was more likely to have a "bumpy ride".
Dr Lane said the final stretch of the flight from Melbourne to Christchurch usually experienced turbulence due to the mountains surrounding the New Zealand city.
Flying over the Himalayas - as many flights from Australia to Europe do - was also a "common source" of turbulent activity, according to Dr Lane.
And trans-Atlantic flights during winter were notoriously bumpy.
"There's almost twice as much turbulence experienced in the winter months than in summer ... over Greenland," he said.
Pacific flights not so peaceful
Frequent storm activity over the Pacific Ocean has also
caused problems for pilots."The Pacific route between Australia and the US is another (hotspot for turbulence)... that occurs almost all year round," Dr Lane said.
If anyone wanted to fly around the US during summer, they should do it in the morning, Dr Lane said.
"The US is terrible in the (northern) summertime because of storms.
"I'd always try to fly in the mornings ... storms predominately occur in the afternoons (in the US)."
But he said flying through turbulence was smoother on heavier planes.
No flight immune from turbulence
One of the world's foremost experts on turbulence, Larry
Cornman from the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research, said no flight was immune to the phenomenon."If we knew where and when turbulence would occur ... we'd be out of work," Dr Cornman said.
"Nevertheless, we can make some general statements based on climatologies of aircraft encounters.
"Most commercial aircraft have on-board weather radars, so they typically avoid the 'main' parts of the thunderstorm; however, turbulence can occur in regions where the radar is not seeing much, but where there is visible cloud.
"Turbulence can also occur in the clear air on the sides and above rising thunderstorms ... (and this) seems to be a source of some very severe encounters - especially at night, when the pilot does not have any visual clues."
Danger of turbulence-related injures
More than 150 injuries caused by turbulence on
Australian flights have been recorded in the last decade, according to the latest figures from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)."About a dozen in-flight turbulence injuries are reported in Australia each year to the ATSB, and many more go unreported," an ATSB report said.
"Some of these injuries are serious, and have resulted in broken bones and head injuries.
The ATSB described one incident that resulted in broken bones to passengers:
"In 2000, a Boeing 747 encountered clear air turbulence en route from Sydney to Osaka, Japan.
"When the (turbulence) struck, the seat-belt sign was not illuminated and people were moving about the cabin.
"During the turbulence two passengers sustained broken ankles… both of those passengers had been out of their seats during the turbulence."
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