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Severe Turbulence over the Pacific

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http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090123_9_hurt_as_isle-bound_flight_encounters_turbulence.html

Anybody have their own stories to tell?
The article says moderate, hmmm. I doubt that.

What's your point? Ever been cruising along and hit CAT while the F/A's are doing their service and pax are up? When your acft has 250 pax and a crew of 10 F/A's more people are going to be up and exposed than a CRJ or Learjet. My experience is NWA has the best turbulence forecasting and most conservative avoidance policies in the industry. Sometimes it just doesn't matter...
 
One of the best parts of the DL/NW merger is that DL will be adopting the NWA turbulence forecasting methodologies lock-stock-and-barrel.
 
The North Pacific gets that way every so often. TC
 
It seems like every so often you hear about an severe turbulence/injury incident between HNL and Japan.
That route gets it more than anyone it would seem.
 
My experience is NWA has the best turbulence forecasting and most conservative avoidance policies in the industry. Sometimes it just doesn't matter...
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I think that "honor" goes to USAirways. Going across a smooth atlantic for 9hrs with the seat belt sign on, and when someone gets up to go to the facilities they get yelled at that the seatbelt sign is still on. Try to go to the galley for a drink and get chased out of there.
I experienced it twice and haven't flown them since. I'm a happy gold-member with NWA now
 
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I think that "honor" goes to USAirways. Going across a smooth atlantic for 9hrs with the seat belt sign on, and when someone gets up to go to the facilities they get yelled at that the seatbelt sign is still on. Try to go to the galley for a drink and get chased out of there.
I experienced it twice and haven't flown them since. I'm a happy gold-member with NWA now

I was referring to NWA's TP (turbulence plotting) system that is part of their meteorology and dispatch. Very aggressive about routing you around turbulence and crew/cabin procedures if it is unavoidable.
 
I jumpseated on my dad's retirement flight a few months ago. He was a NW A330 capt. I was intrigued at how much effort went into plotting and avoiding turbulence. I have never seen another carrier do that.
 
Depending on the TP - we must stay on the route, or must stay on the route AND altitude if it's severe enough.

We frequently have good rides. It's uncommon to be in turbulence for long. Our meteorology department can even re-write governement WX if they come to a different conclusion. And they can write TAF's for airports that aren't normally issued.

My first question was: will you make a TAF better so we can use that as an alternate. The head of meteorology said that would never happen (and he was serious).
 

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