# If they know the flight will be choppy, why don't they find another route?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-they-know-the-flight-will-be-choppy-why-dont-they-find-another-route/268720>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-they-know-the-flight-will-be-choppy-why-dont-they-find-another-route/268720 "2004-10-11T22:07:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-they-know-the-flight-will-be-choppy-why-dont-they-find-another-route/268720/41 "2004-10-14T14:53:59Z")

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Here’s a thread I posted some time ago after a particularly bad-turbulence flight - got some great answers about how airplanes stay stable: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143687](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143687)

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**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-they-know-the-flight-will-be-choppy-why-dont-they-find-another-route/268720/42 "2004-10-14T20:47:20Z")

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> [@BwanaBob](#):
>
> Many thanks **pilot141** ,
> 
> This is helpful to me. Shocked to find out some of those bumps are only a  
> +/- 10-20 ft. If you would have said 100 I wouldn’t have batted at eye.
> 
> I guess the real heavy duty crap happens with thunderstorms (as you’ve mentioned). I was in a nasty squall landing at Orlando at dusk. We were about 5 minutes from landing when I saw a lightning flash in a cloud to my left and all of a sudden we were in a similar cloud and I’m certain I saw flashes outside.
> 
> We rose and fell like we were a roller-coaster (which incidentally I really hate too),  
> people were moaning/oohing and aaahing; the woman next to me opened her pocketbook and pulled out a pocket bible. I was freaking.
> 
> After we landed, when we exited the plane, it was the first time I saw a pilot “sweaty” and looking like he had a bad day.

I’m normally a pretty calm flier, but I had the flight from hell on a morning flight in May 1999. Tampa, Fl to Detroit, MI there was a line of storms from the Southern tip of Florida all the way up into Canada. So, we were going to ride that bastard all the way to Metro. I have never in my life experienced turbulence like that in my life. I have to admit, I was ready to shit me knickers. They suspended flight service, told us to buckle up. No trips to the bathroom. We had to throw our breakfast trays on the floor. At this point we were over Tennesee. It was like that the rest of the way home, Did I mention how quiet that flight was? Barely anyone was talking. The plane was being tossed about like a ragdoll. After the flight miraculously landed safely at Metro, as I was exiting the plane. I looked at the pilot and he saw the look of horror in my eyes and noticed I was shaking, my sweaty pilot gave my a knowing smile and said “it’s ok” That scared me more than anything. I really wonder how close we were to running into some serious trouble there. Not because of that incident, but I have not been on a flight since. I think when I go, it’s xanax and vodka. Keep 'em coming.

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