Bigger Aircrafts get less air turbulence?

Question

I remember 7 years ago when I went on holiday, we travelled in quite a big plane. I think it was the boeing 767 which is rather big. I didn't feel any air turbulence going there and coming back to England. Since then, I've only travelled on these smaller planes which have 3 seats each side with only 1 aisle. Don't know what model these planes are but to be honest with you, they shake like no tommorow!

Is this safe? I'm sure it is but I'd prefare to be put on a bigger plane in future!

Answer 1

absolutely safe!

the more mass an airplane (or any object) has the more inertia it has. Simply put, a heavy airplane will be less effected by turbulence than a small plane flying through the exact same conditions.

Think of it like driving a small car down a bumpy road. now take a large bus down the same road, you will feel more of the bumps in the light car.

The airplane you most likely flew on was a 737 or airbus a320.  There are others with the 3 and 3 configuration, but those are the common ones. You should try a flight in a small commuter if you want to see bumpy.  For a commercial plane, I can't think of anything worse (or better, depending on if you like turbulence or not) than an Embraer Brasillia.

Answer 2

It would be scraped if it wasn't safe, besides its like driving a lorry for example on the motorway with high winds, theoretically it will not effect the lorry that much because its larger and heavier there thus creating no difference.

Whereas for example you drove down the motorway in a smart car about 6ft long with the same winds as the lorry, the car would float around more because it is small and light-weight.

Therefore the small plane (smart car) will encounter more turbulence because it is lighter and less stable than the big ones (767, 777 etc.)

I know what you exactly mean because I have traveled mostly half the world and noticed smaller planes such as the 737 family and airbus a319-20 family have more impact on turbulence than bigger jets.

I hope my example helped you gain the answer you were looking for.

Answer 3

Wing loading determines how much an aircraft is affected by turbulence.

Wing loading= Weight of aircraft divided by area of wing.

Higher wing loading, meaning, smaller wings for bigger aircraft, means the wind is less likely to shove the airplane around.

Imagine having a big rock. It has no wings, but a lot of mass. It's hard to push around using just wind alone.

Now, attach a big sail (like from a boat) to the rock, now it has a large light-weight surface area for the wind to act on, and wind can probably blow the rock around.

Answer 4

I should take you up in my cessna 152 on a windy day :D

Answer 5

Bigger aircraft experience the same air currents, but may move or bounce about less. Just as two different-sized boats might each shake or move about differently on a windy day, a larger aircraft may "cut through" the air like the larger boat "cuts through" the waves.

The smaller plane you describe may be any one of several types, I don't have enough information to determine specifically which one you're referring to. You may just have encountered rougher air in the smaller plane. Any size of airplane feels smooth in smooth air, just like small or large sailboats on a calm day.

Turbulence is something you get used to if you fly small planes a lot - you begin to look on it like driving on a bumpy road. Usually turbulence is worst at low altitudes in the summer time afternoons or hottest parts of the day, or when a new weather front is arriving.

You are absolutely safe in a small aircraft in turbulence. Airplanes are made for this. Outside of a flying through a storm, you'd be fine in any turbulence you'd ever be likely to encounter in a small aircraft. Larger aircraft can fly through a reasonably good-sized storm (even a lightning storm) without too much problem (although the ride might be scary for those who aren't seasoned flyers).

The turbulence you feel on a typical passenger flight in a small plane is nothing to worry about, at least as far as the aircraft structure is concerned.

Commercial pilots are very cautious and conservative about flying in weather - they legally have to be. Passenger flights legally can't even take off in anything that might possibly even begin to approach the capability of the aircraft. If the pilot takes off the weather is okay, although the ride might make you a little upset if you're not used to turbulence.

Answer 6

It's not strictly the size of the airplane as much as the wing loading.  This is determined by dividing the aircraft's weight by its wing area.  The bigger the wing, the lower the wing loading.  Planes with a low wing loading value tend to give rougher rides.

There are other factors as well, such as how "stiff" the wings are.  Wings that have more flex or "give" to them tend to absorb more energy than "stiff" winged airplanes, which transfer the energy to the fuselage and your seat.

Any airliner is safe as long as you are belted in.  Comfort is a different matter.