Can turbulence fear be overcome with more flying?

[JimG]

Yep.

With knowledge of what it is (as has been explained very well here), time and experience in it, you'll get over your fear.

Several years ago, I got CO poisoning (from a cracked manifold) while in IMC and somehow made it to my destination. It was the longest 45 min. of my life.

For well over 2 years after that, I'd still have mild panic attacks almost everytime I flew, especially when I went over 12,000', which is common around here. I'd put a hose up my nose before ever turning the prop on the ground, but that didn't really stop it.

I kept it well hidden, but I could feel my heart racing in my chest. I almost gave up flying.

Now, the tube up my nose is gone (I fly pressurized now) and I'm complaining when controllers won't let me climb high, or keep me below FL200 for traffic, etc.

It just takes time/experience.

 

[AA717driver]

Yep. I almost quit because of it. I was more afraid of not making it in aviation that I was of turbulence.

Lose the instructor. Better yet, someone needs to give him a blanket party in the parking lot!

I was told that turbulence is just like pot holes in the road or burbles in a stream. The problem with that analogy is that you can see the burbles or pot holes. Turbulence just sneaks up on you.

I came to realize that, unless you fly through a level 5 thunderstorm, planes just don't get ripped apart in turbulence. It'll take some time but you will get over it and go on in your career. Good luck.TC

 

[Goose Egg]

Simply put, anyone can do anything they want.

-Goose

 

[rfresh]

There are only two things that can overcome fear:

Knowledge or a lack of it.

Choose wisely.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You may find it very uncomfortable now but later on it will be just plain ass annoying while you try and finish the crossword at cruise.

 

[great cornholio]

Turbulence can be caused by all kinds of things. You can sum it up into cliff notes of about 4 main causes. The first main cause would be the wind and how it reacts with other stuff around it (IE wind blowing in different directions and speeds this is usually found near fronts. Or the wind reacting with the ground. If wind hits a building or hill or something like that then the path of the wind chagnes and you can get waves and burbles and stuff like that. This usually happens in the first few thousand feet above the ground and my guess is thats what happend on your SW flight) The 2nd main cause would be thunderstorms (lots of air moving in all kinds of directions so thats just a whole bunch of nastyness). The 3rd main cause would be wake turbulence (planes moving through the air stir up the air behind it cause burlbes and turbulence). The last main reason is Thermals (this is usually in the summer time and the boiling water is a great example. Usually only get this in the first 5 or so thousand feet or so. But on really hot days with lots of thermal activity you can get it even higher). Turbulence is basically caused by the movement of the air around your plane. There are just a few things that can cause the air movement around the plane to cause bumps. Hope that helps

 

[Gulfstream 200]

how about the jet stream? crossing it where shears are great can cause the greatest turbulence..aside from T-storm penetration! (dont go there)

 

[Lostdog65]

I freakin' hate TX. That said, I've been through so much when I was a freightdawg and working in the fire environment it's become more of a nuisance now.

So...yeah...like everyone says, stick with it. You'll learn to understand where/when it happens and, sometimes, you can avoid it. When you can't, you'll find out just how far you can cinch down your seatbelt and shoulder harness!

Oh yeah...I'll ditto the new instructor deal. Don't need someone scaring newbies out of the business/industry!

Eric

 

[LabMonkey76]

You'll get past it

When I first learned to fly I used to get sick all the time if there were bumps or it was hot. Finally after trying what seemed like every other alternative.... patience, education, flying on less windy days etc My instructor just sat me down and said "Look, you're in a little plane, it bounces around, its going to be hot, this is how this is supposed to work. You're going to have to get past this in order to continue flying." That common sense jar was all it took for me, if that doesn't help you, just stick with it and eventually you'll get used to the bumps. Try to picture the plane your flying from the outside and what it looks like bumping around a lot, its normal for little planes to do that all the time. Like someone said earlier, all they do to me now is disturb my crossword puzzles.

Oh yeah, and don't ever put up with someone you are paying yelling at you. If you're a motivated student and all you want is to learn to fly you deserve much better than that.

 

[SEVEN]

It's the fear of the unknown. You're just not comfortable with it....It happened to me when I was first introduced to stalls. Keep flying if you love it though. Just remember: Turbulence is like bumps in the road in a car....or something along those lines....