In reply to the original question turbulence is less nearer the poles than the equator, less over flat land than over mountains, less when the ground temperature is cold rather than hot, and less away from weather systems and fronts.

Transpacific flights tend to be nearer the equator than Transatlantic ones, hence the things that happen more often there.

Also there is the Jetstream, a narrow belt of fast moving air that runs round the world at about 35,000 feet and at 40-50 degrees north and south (but it varies widely day by day). It is great to give a boost of 100 mph-plus when travelling east (say US to Europe, it can lead to 1 hour early arrivals), but has turbulence round the edges you feel as the aircraft goes into it.

Come up in my little Cessna and you can look down at the ground and work out which feature is causing the turbulence you are suddenly flying through. And if you are a glider pilot you become expert at knowing where the air goes up and where it does not.

Being afraid of turbulence is a bit like being afraid of a thunderstorm, or of riding a roller coaster - irrational, but just something some people are upset by. The aircraft can actually take far more movement than you ever could. The only thing that concerns me is if adjacent passengers are going to throw up!!


[This message has been edited by WHBM (edited 08-31-2003).]