Recent Airliner Turbulence on the Rise?

Recent Airliner Turbulence on the Rise?

news.yahoo.com

The terrifying incident saw the Airbus A330-300 issue a mayday call when it suddenly changed altitude during a flight from Singapore to Perth, Qantas said.

It was the latest in a series of incidents that have tarnished the safety record of Qantas, which has long boasted a reputation of being one of the world's safest airlines.

"A number of passengers and crew sustained injuries, including fractures and lacerations, on board QF72 this afternoon en route from Singapore to Perth following a sudden change in altitude," the airline said.

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Related News Links:
www.faa.gov
www.turbulenceforecast.com
www3.interscience.wiley.com
cgi.cnn.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
QANTAS emergency landing - forced change in altitude. WHY?

Well, my first posted thread is related to my ongoing post traumatic stress from a personal scare with my wife and 5 year old daughter on a Jetblue flight from Tampa to BOS (Boston) on New year's Day 2007. We flew through a 1200 mile thunderstorm front stretching from Texas to Maine, called a '20 year aberration' the next day in the weather media.

Around 8:30pm over Delaware's east coast (and I am getting tachycardic and faint just now typing this), the plane violently dropped and rolled/yawed about 30 degrees, as if struck by a silent air-air missile. I felt my pounding pulse in my throat. We held on for dear life, and after the 25 seconds of sheer terror, moderate turbulence ensued for the next, solid 75 minutes. Most passengers were pale, and the plane was silent, even on landing. This was probably an "air pocket" of low pressure - thunderstorms are best avoided as we all know.

The jackass pilots - who likely saved our lives due to their skill and experience - managed to joke "you all awake now?" as we deplaned. Christ. Even the surgeon wife was very shaken.

So, i have kept "and eye on the skies" and even our tropical hurricane center over the next year, trying to determine if our atmospheric turbulence is revving up as part of the larger world changes. And now i think it has. From reports of increased turbulence in the skies, to subtle but increased meteoric activity, continued increased hurricanes i believe that change is at hand.

One day i will post my thoughts on the current solar minimum - Mauser like - that i have chatted about email wise with several international geophysical scientists (it helps to be a radiology physician who can speak "physics").

If anyone else can chime in about recent turbulence - or the general funny feeling that airline trips have become more turbulent (than not) over the last 5 years in particular - please do!

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 10/7/2008 by drphilxr]

Please redirect your replies to this thread on the same subject already in progress.

Thanks for your posts. Closed

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