So, last week, an Air Canada flight encountered a nasty bit of clear-air turbulence en-route from Vancouver to Sydney. As a result, 37 people were injured, which didn’t need to happen at all. So, please keep your seatbelt fastened at all times!
I’m really glad no one got seriously hurt on Air Canada Flight 33 last week. But, you know what? No one needed to get hurt in the first place.
Keep Your Seatbelt Fastened at ALL Times
You know that message your flight crew is always reminding you’re about? That constant announcement to keep your seatbelt fastened at all times? Your flight crew isn’t telling you that to be mean or annoying. It’s for YOUR safety.
As demonstrated with Air Canada Flight 33, you just never know what might pop up. So while the weather on your flight’s planned route is perfect, things like this can and do happen. And had everyone had their seatbelts fastened, the number of injuries would’ve been greatly reduced; especially when you consider the fact that the bulk of those that were injured was seated.
What is Clear-Air Turbulence?
Clear-air turbulence (CAT), as the phenomena’s name suggests, is turbulence that occurs without any visual cues like clouds. It’s often caused when bodies of air moving at widely different speeds meet. Worst, these interactions often occur between 23,000 and 39,000 ft, which includes the most common cruising altitude for commercial aircraft. However, CAT may also occur at lower altitudes due to mountain ranges interacting with the winds, wind shears, different temperature gradients, and wake turbulence.
Keep Your Seatbelt Fastened at ALL Times, Final Thoughts
If this post hasn’t convinced you to keep your seatbelt fastened whenever seated during a flight, perhaps this will. Scientists generally believe that CAT events will become more frequent and severe thanks to climate change. So, unless your idea of a good time is being thrown into the ceiling of an aircraft, then keep your seatbelt fastened. And yes, that goes for when the seatbelt sign is turned off too. Because you never know, so why take the chance?
So, again, please listen to your flight crew. Keep your seatbelt fastened at all times, unless you’re getting up to visit the lavatory or something.