Air turbulence is one of the reasons that prompts some people to give up air travel.
Tesla chief Elon Musk recently explained why air turbulence is not a big deal and why one should never fear a turbulent flight.
Air turbulence occurs when an aircraft flies through colliding bodies of air moving at widely varying speeds. It is usually nothing more than a bumpy ride, however, it is still a reason that drives some people to give up air travel.
Now, responding to a video showing airplane wings during turbulence, Elon Musk Said that no one should be afraid of disturbance as the plane is not going to crash. He also explained that the wings of a commercial airliner can withstand extremely powerful forces and can bend “crazy amounts”.
People should never be afraid of unrest. Commercial airliners can handle insane amounts of wing bending.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 14 October 2022
Mr Musk’s remarks immediately caught the attention of many Twitter users.
One user wrote, “@elonmusk is absolutely right here. In general, aircraft structure and wings can handle a lot more turbulence and forces than the human body, so moving the wings isn’t a problem.” “Everyone should watch the take-off of the B-52. Those wingspans can go up and down more than 3 feet. Impressive! Take-off of the 1950s!” another pair.
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Meanwhile, speaking of air turbulence, scientists recently reported how global climate change could also make flight more turbulent in the near future. Paul Williams, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading in the UK, highlights a type of turbulence known as “clear air turbulence”. He said that unlike turbulence caused by thunder or clouds, apparent air turbulence comes on suddenly and is difficult to avoid.
Mr Williams predicted that “clear-air turbulence” would increase significantly around the world by the period 2050–2080, particularly along the busiest flight routes, and the strongest types of turbulence would increase the most. However, he also said that this does not mean that the flight will be less safe. He explained that the average duration of the disturbance would only increase.