A Pilot’s Done A Huge Q&A About Flights Including How To Spot When Mad Turbulence Is Coming

turbulence flights pilot

A pilot has hopped on Twitter to answer a heap of burning questions folks have about flying and the miraculous yet horrifying nature of those big metal birds we rely on to take us places. The highlight of this little Q&A however is a bit of tea on how to spot if your flight is going to be hit with some wild turbulence.

Dave Wallsworth (known as Captain Dave on Twitter) has been a pilot for British Airways for more than 30 years now. According to him, he’s been commandeering planes up in the sky for over 21,000 hours. That’s almost two and a half years spent in the sky, and here I am frightened by my 55min flight to Canberra (is it the flying or the destination — I can never tell).

Captain Dave decided to share some of his wisdom with the rest of us in a Q&A and if you’re anxious about flying, his words will actually give you a sense of calm.

Strap in folks and please open your windows — every question you’ve ever had about planes is probably about to be answered.

First up, some tea about turbulence. According to Captain Dave, if you see the cabin crew putting their seatbelts on, that’s when you know things are about to get CHOPPY.

Although wild turbulence isn’t common, Dave says the pilot’s main worry is for the safety of the passengers, not the aircraft. Well, that’s a relief!

Other questions he answered included why TF passengers are required to switch their phones to “airplane mode”.

As a hot and sexy model citizen who would never disobey a command, I’m always too afraid that if my phone isn’t on airplane mode the whole plane is going to take a direct flight straight to Hell.

According to Captain Dave however, airplane mode really helps the pilot! A+ for my flying etiquette I guess. “He was a pleasure to have in the plane,” the pilots will say.

Captain Dave also answered a query about “full power takeoff”, which is what my boyfriend has to do when I demand a piggyback ride to the kitchen for a snack.

And then there was a question about looooong descensions and whether the pilot sleeps.

My brain is positively teeming with flight facts now. Next time I hit the skies I reckon I’ll be calm as a rock. A rock that’s flying across the oceans. So basically a meteor. I’ll be calm as a meteor…

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