Ever flown through a thunderstorm and seriously thought you were going to die?

Question

Ever flown through a thunderstorm and seriously thought you were going to die?

Answer 1

no because if theres a thunderstorm the plane wont land...ull have to go in circles until the weather clams down

Answer 2

No.  Can't say that I have.

Answer 3

Planes have onboard radar systems plus air traffic control to let them know.  Ever since the Delta crash in 1985 they have radars in the planes now.  You can see lightening in the distance sometimes and its really cool to see.

Answer 4

You are actually quite safe in an airliner in a thunderstorm.  

The ability to climb above some storms and to quickly evade storm cells as they appear on the weather radar...not to mention the safety precautions built into the design of the aircraft...make air travel in the face of thunderstorms much safer than you would think.  Throw in the intensive training that airline pilots receive in severe weather avoidance and the airline's dispatchers on the ground and air traffic control passing on all kinds of pertinent weather information to the pilots...and you're in good hands.

That said, the airlines avoid flying through thunderstorms whenever possible.

My favorite story involving storms while flying is from a few months ago.  My job allows me to fly in the cockpit observer jumpseat when flying if there are no other seats available in the cabin.  I was riding up front on an Airbus 319 into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in the midst of a storm.  

The pilots were asking my opinion of the radar returns that we were picking up and while we had our eyes focused on the radar screen, we saw this purple light build up in front of us in our peripheral vision.  We all three looked up and out the windshield in time to see a bolt of lightning strike the nose of the aircraft.  It was the brightest and loudest thing I had ever experienced...and possibly the coolest.  

Airliners are equipped with static discharge wicks...little antennae on the trailing edges of the wings and tail...that discharge electricity evenly in the event of a lightning strike.  An inspection is usually required after a strike, but it is not an uncommon occurrence.

So, to answer your question...I've never thought I was going to die because I know what the aircraft and crews are capable of...