'due to extremely high winds'
Apr 11, 2008 | 2:15 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,964
'due to extremely high winds'
....'please close all window shades immediately' 
34,000 feet, polar route, I was dozing and I thought that I misheard the German announcement initially, but passengers suddenly scrambled to comply. I then listened to the announcement in English but the person making the announcment (purser, I believe) had quite poor English (not Germisch!) that I wasn't sure if he said that in English.
Has anyone had that experience? I have never heard that request before in my flying history and found it unusual.
34,000 feet, polar route, I was dozing and I thought that I misheard the German announcement initially, but passengers suddenly scrambled to comply. I then listened to the announcement in English but the person making the announcment (purser, I believe) had quite poor English (not Germisch!) that I wasn't sure if he said that in English.
Has anyone had that experience? I have never heard that request before in my flying history and found it unusual.
Apr 11, 2008 | 2:45 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2002
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Don't you close your shutters at home when there are strong winds?
Sorry, kidding. I also had two pretty turbulent flights over the polar route last month, but haven't heard such an announcement.
But many people woke up and opened the sunshades when the plane was shaking (me too, just for looking what was going up outside...) - while it was daylight outside and night in the cabin. So maybe they just wanted to avoid that too many people were bothered because of the daylight?
Sorry, kidding. I also had two pretty turbulent flights over the polar route last month, but haven't heard such an announcement.
But many people woke up and opened the sunshades when the plane was shaking (me too, just for looking what was going up outside...) - while it was daylight outside and night in the cabin. So maybe they just wanted to avoid that too many people were bothered because of the daylight?
Apr 11, 2008 | 2:52 pm
#3
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I was wondering if it was somehow prompted by the gusty wind landing? I assume that the new tersely worded extra speech about seatbelts to be fastened whenever one was seated was due to the recent turbulence incident (but come to think of it, I only had that on one of my flights today)
Perhaps I just had an extra anxious crew on that flight?
But I imagine that it would make the nervous flyer more nervous - the thought of windows cracking or flying out at 34,000 feet!
Perhaps I just had an extra anxious crew on that flight?
But I imagine that it would make the nervous flyer more nervous - the thought of windows cracking or flying out at 34,000 feet!
Apr 11, 2008 | 3:09 pm
#4
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My flight was three weeks after the incident at HAM - and quite incomfortable (the bottles at the bar in front of 4E remained at their place, though). I think it was "light to moderate turbulence".
Was your flight a day- or a nightflight, and what about the daylight outside?
There is for sure no rule to close the sunshades just because the flight is a bit bumpy. Such a rule doesn't just make sense.
Apr 11, 2008 | 3:56 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Happened to me once on a LX day flight ZRH-JFK , very strong winds it felt quite uncomfortable (although I fly a lot and do not mind turbulences). FA asked everybody to close shades.
The pilot started changing engine thrust constantly, where sometimes it felt like he shut them off as it was very silent, while then going full throttle the next moment and the engine sound was as loud as when the airplane is taking off. It was quite unusual. no further explanation give by the FA or pilot, all FA's were in their jumpseats.
The pilot started changing engine thrust constantly, where sometimes it felt like he shut them off as it was very silent, while then going full throttle the next moment and the engine sound was as loud as when the airplane is taking off. It was quite unusual. no further explanation give by the FA or pilot, all FA's were in their jumpseats.
Apr 11, 2008 | 5:45 pm
#6
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This is just the impression you got in the cabin. When the direction of the winds you are flying thru changes, the sound is carried towards or away from you. (remember the doppler effect?)
Apr 11, 2008 | 6:20 pm
#7
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Apr 12, 2008 | 1:57 am
#9
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Apr 12, 2008 | 3:44 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Perhaps they were talking about solar wind? This is a problem on polar flights. Closing the window shades might reduce the dose of radiation that you receive.
The Frequent Flier And Radiation Risk
The Frequent Flier And Radiation Risk
Apr 12, 2008 | 3:52 am
#12
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The increased risk posed by the trivial increased chance of barfing (no horizon reference for window pax) is probably orders of magnitude greater than the lowered risk from any conceivable decrease in radiation exposure.
Apr 12, 2008 | 3:53 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 297
Def not the case. The doppler effect would not come into play during a localized wind shift with the noise source so close to the listener. Not to mention, the source of the sound is not moving toward or away from the listner and thereby negating the doppler shift. It very well could be the case that the engine went to idle and the back to a high power setting. It has happened to me on a few rough approaches in the 747 during gusty/high wind conditions.
Last edited by jwillett13; Apr 12, 2008 at 10:36 am
Apr 12, 2008 | 5:44 am
#14
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My flight was three weeks after the incident at HAM - and quite incomfortable (the bottles at the bar in front of 4E remained at their place, though). I think it was "light to moderate turbulence".
Was your flight a day- or a nightflight, and what about the daylight outside?
There is for sure no rule to close the sunshades just because the flight is a bit bumpy. Such a rule doesn't just make sense.
Was your flight a day- or a nightflight, and what about the daylight outside?
There is for sure no rule to close the sunshades just because the flight is a bit bumpy. Such a rule doesn't just make sense.
And it was still the start of meal service, daylight outside, and I was about the only person in C sleeping (or trying to) at that point, I believe. Still, it did result in shades closed for longer than usual at least.
