Go Back
Tropical Storm Arlene strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico. Click to see where it is headed. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

89°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

89°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

Top Stories AccuWeather Early AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Climate Travel Health Recreation Business Sports
Air Quality Alert

News / Weather News

For the nervous passenger: 5 flying myths debunked

By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

Millions fly around the globe every day, yet some don’t trust advances the aviation industry has made.

Experts expose the myths believed by so many uneasy passengers.

Myth: Turbulence can cause a plane crash

For many fliers, experiencing turbulence is the worst part of flying; however, pilots compare turbulence to bumps in the road. Planes are built to withstand turbulence and severe winds.

Patrick Smith, curator and host of AskThePilot.com and Author of Cockpit Confidential, said turbulence is not something he sees as a safety issue. He said it is a “very hands off situation” because pilots aren’t fighting turbulence with the controls.

“From a pilot’s perspective in all but the most unusual circumstances, we see turbulence as a comfort and convince issue but not a safety issue per say,” Smith said.

Technology is so advanced; pilots know the plane will not be impacted, only passengers' moods.

“During a flight, turbulence can have a large effect on the comfort of the flight, as strong turbulence can lead to a bumpy flight and large changes in altitude,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve Travis said.

Turbulence, unsteady movement of air, is caused by winds and changes in air masses. Flight attendants, passengers with unfastened seat belts and lap children are at risk during turbulence.

Myth: Lightning strikes cause damage

Because lightning is loud, bright and unexpected, fear of lightning is common. Smith said planes are built to withstand a lightning strike, including protection to electrical equipment and the fuel tank.

Smith has been in planes struck by lightning several times.

My flight yesterday flew into lightning. The most terrifying flight of my life! Happy to be alive— Fiona Co (@FionaLCo) September 14, 2016

About to get on a flight in the middle of a lightning storm. Feels like a bad idea.— Willa Gebbie (@willagebbie) September 17, 2016

“Lightning is not something that passengers should get worried about,” Smith said. “The average commercial plane is hit by lightning about once every two years.”

Smith said thunderstorms are the one thing in which he doesn’t enjoy flying.

“I’ve felt uneasy different times crossing the ocean and having to deal with a line of thunderstorms.”

Thankfully technology has improved greatly, so extreme weather is more foreseen.

“Downdrafts and updrafts occur with every thunderstorm, so those are more predictable,” Travis said.

Myth: Autopilot does the pilot's job

There are many misconceptions about how frequently pilots use autopilot. Even with autopilot, pilots manually input a lot of information.

Pilots have it easy as they just have to use their autopilot while on a fly. #airlineuk— Sam (@Samishlol) January 7, 2014

Smith said pilots still need the expertise.

“Automation in a high tech cockpit helps pilots the way automation in a high-tech operating room helps a surgeon, it makes the job easier,” Smith said.

Autopilot is rarely used during takeoff and landing. It is primarily used while the plane is cruising. However, the pilot always keeps a close eye on it and makes adjustments as needed.

Do weather-related flight delays really save lives?
4 ways weather can leave you stranded in airports
WATCH: Lightning strikes plane over London
Myth: Flight diversions are unavoidable

Sometimes diversions are avoidable, especially for fuel. Some airlines have found ways to skim on fuel to save money. Now, some nonstop flights divert only to stop for fuel.

“Then, that becomes a huge scheduling issue for airlines,” Smith said.

This doesn’t mean the planes are in danger of running out of fuel and crashing, Smith said.

650x366_10031315_top-5-causes-for-aircraft-delays
Myth: Pilots follow all the rules

It is hard for pilots to follow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules when they don’t know them all.

“There’s so much stuff that every pilot, on paper, is supposed to know by heart, and really it’s impossible to know,” Smith said.

To pass the private pilot exam, pilots need to score a 70 percent or higher, leaving a 30 percent leeway. However, pilots are fully equipped with extensive flight hours, classes and training.

<section><h2>Are you a nervous flier?</h2></section><section><h2>No, I love flying!</h2></section><section><h3>Yes, flying makes me uneasy.</h3></section>
Report a Typo

Weather News

Severe Weather

Risk of severe storms to linger across central US

Jun. 2, 2023
Astronomy

June’s short nights to bring plenty of stargazing opportunities

May 31, 2023
Weather Forecasts

Chicago summer forecast: AccuWeather calling for more heat than 2022

May 31, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

Top Stories

AccuWeather Early

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Climate

Travel

Health

Recreation

Business

Sports

Top Stories

Hurricane

Tropical depression forms in Gulf of Mexico

8 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Dramatic cooldown to follow surge of warmth

6 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

AccuWeather’s 2023 Europe summer forecast

2 days ago

Health

Wildfire smoke not entirely to blame for poor air quality in Northeast

2 days ago

Hurricane

AccuWeather's 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast

1 day ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Your Local Asthma Forecast

Featured Stories

Travel

Search suspended for Va. man who went overboard from cruise ship

1 day ago

Live Blog

Astronomy news: New record set during private SpaceX mission

LATEST ENTRY

17 humans briefly orbited Earth at the same time

1 day ago

Sports

Dramatic rescue caught on camera after woman falls into raging rapids

3 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News For the nervous passenger: 5 flying myths debunked
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK