IF you saw the recent footage of the Hawaiian Airlines flight that injured 36 passengers because of extreme turbulence, you’ll no doubt feel a little bit more anxious about flying.
I completely understand it – it’s a hot topic among us flight attendants too at the moment, and my colleagues and I were all delighted we weren’t on board that plane.
Untidy passengers could be a risk to others if the plane hits turbulence
But we are trained and ready for such eventualities and you can be prepared too.
In this, my latest weekly blog post for Sun Online Travel, I’ll reveal why turbulence like that isn’t as scary as it may first appear and how you can minimise your chances of injury.
Firstly, it’s worth noting that turbulence isn’t much of a risk to the plane from the outside. The likelihood of it actually bringing the plane down is so small, you really shouldn’t worry about it.
So while it can be terrifying to be on board in those moments, it’s worth remembering that it will pass, and you’ll likely get through it unscathed.
That said, turbulence can still be really dangerous – as was clear from the footage of the Hawaiian Airlines flight.
But what few people realise is that the biggest risks to passengers come from within the cabin, rather than the outside.
When the plane is shaking violently as it sometimes does during turbulent spells, items that aren’t properly stowed or secured can very quickly become projectiles.
So think about that before you take your shoes off on your next flight. Not only are your feet annoying others on board, but you could also end up getting a trainer to the face if you encounter some bad turbulence.
This is why we have to store everything properly and make sure it’s latched, so it doesn’t fly through the cabin.
For instance, big bottles of booze that we use in business and first class could be lethal if the plane gets a good shaking from the outside, so we have to secure them into the trolley, which is then secured in the galley.
Passengers can’t do the same with their own items, which is why messy people really annoy us. If you’ve got everything out of your bag, spread across your own seat and the empty one next to you, it’s a real hazard.
So please, tidy up after yourself and put as much as you can in a bag that is then stowed away somewhere safely. Otherwise, you could be responsible for someone getting an iPad to the head.
The other thing you need to secure in situations like that is yourself. Obviously putting items somewhere safe is important, but strapping yourself in is vital.
I know colleagues who have got concussions after being thrown against the roof of the plane unexpectedly, or broken limbs because they were walking through the aisle during bad turbulence.
Some people think that we put the seatbelt sign on for no real reason at all, but if we do, it’s worth following the rules and strapping in.
Humans can be sent flying through the plane, just as easily as a mobile phone, or a shoe.
Lastly, we’d really advise you to travel light with your hand luggage.
We get that you might want to bring as much as you can in your carry-on to avoid paying for excess baggage, but overloading your bag can be quite dangerous.
We’ve seen people struggle to get their cases up into the overhead compartments, where the latches are far from unbreakable.
If it’s too heavy for you to lift up into the overhead, imagine how it would feel dropping out of the bins on top of you, or even another passenger.
We’d advise going through your hand luggage and making sure everything you’ve packed is important for your journey and taking out anything you probably won’t need, especially if it’s heavy.
So please, travel light, travel tidily and be aware of how easily your items could become a hazard in case of an emergency.
It doesn’t take a second to put something back in your bag when you’re no longer using it, but it could be the difference between you getting off the plane safely, or with a serious injury.
Meanwhile, this pilot used jelly to explain why turbulence isn’t that scary.
And this is how to use a pen and paper to keep calm during a bumpy flight.
GettyObjects inside the cabin are more dangerous than turbulence on the outside of the plane[/caption] Read More