Title: Flying Through Clouds – Why Are They So Dangerous? | Southern Wings
Headings: Flying Through Clouds – Why Are They So Dangerous?
Flying Through Clouds – Why Are They So Dangerous?
Types Of Clouds
Turbulence When Flying Through Clouds
What Happens In Severe Turbulence?
How Do Planes Fly Through Clouds?
What Makes Flying Through Clouds So Dangerous?

Content: More or less lift and the difference between these changes is what causes the aircraft to lurch and jump about during flight, or turbulence as it is called within the industry. While most encounters with turbulence are fairly routine (due to careful planning and skill), and aeroplanes are designed to cope with the forces and pressures placed upon them during these minor occurrences, it is the unpredictable nature combined with the low visibility that makes them a danger to pilots, aircraft and passengers. What Happens In Severe Turbulence? If a pilot is not skilled enough or experiences extreme levels of turbulence, this can cause them to lose control of the aircraft during flight. This is a particular concern around Cumulonimbus clouds (thunderstorm clouds) which can be concealing severe turbulence, strong vertical motions, severe icing, thunderstorms and hail. This is why pilots do not choose to fly through clouds if they are avoidable and plan their flight path in order to avoid certain weather patterns involving large and dangerous cloud formations (for larger passenger aircraft this means flying up above the cloud base). How Do Planes Fly Through Clouds? Even though clouds are dangerous it is not always possible to avoid them during flight, so how do planes fly through clouds? First we need to understand the difference between flying using visual versus instrument based skills. When training to be a pilot there are two sets of regulations that determine how and when pilots are able to fly their aircraft.