對于經常乘坐飛機的人來說，氣流的增加意味著什么

對于經常乘坐飛機的人來說，氣流的增加意味著什么

Severe turbulence like the episode that injured dozens on a recent Air Canada flight to Hawaii is becoming more frequent. Though the experience would certainly be unsettling, what does it really mean for air travelers?

加拿大航空公司最近飛往夏威夷的航班遭遇了嚴重的氣流顛簸，造成數十人受傷，這種情況正變得越來越頻繁。雖然這種體驗肯定會令人不安，但它對航空旅客來說究竟意味著什么呢?

There's more shaking, rattling and rolling going on up there. (Photo: UMB-O/Shutterstock)

Scientists with the World Meteorological Organization say the amount of turbulence in the air is going to at least double by 2050. That means flying is going to get a lot more bouncy, but not necessarily a lot more dangerous.

世界氣象組織的科學家們表示，到2050年，空氣中湍流的數量將至少增加一倍。這意味著飛行將變得更有彈性，但不一定更危險。

Veteran pilots and aeroengineers claim there's little reason to believe a plane will crash because of turbulence. Planes are made to withstand even the most extreme weather scenarios and climate conditions. (Many aerospace companies use facilities like the McKinley Climatic Laboratory to test parts and aircraft.) And for pilots, navigating through turbulence isn't a particularly scary proposition.

資深飛行員和航空工程師表示，沒有理由相信飛機會因為氣流而墜毀。飛機甚至可以承受最極端的天氣情況和氣候條件。(許多航空公司使用麥金利氣候實驗室等設施來測試零部件和飛機。)對于飛行員來說，在湍流中航行并不特別可怕。

As the seatbelt sign flashes and the cabin crew is asked to take their seats, Patrick Smith, who writes the Ask The Pilot blog, says the concern in the cockpit is usually more about spilling a glass of orange juice than about anything aeronautically serious.

《飛行員博客》的作者帕特里克·史密斯說，當安全帶指示燈閃爍，乘務員被要求就座時，駕駛艙里最讓人擔心的通常不是什么嚴重的航空問題，而是打翻一杯橙汁。

Pilots do take turbulence seriously, but technology and forecasting are so far advanced that "bumps" are predicted and planned for well in advance. That's why a good pilot often gives a heads-up report even before takeoff, or just minutes after.

飛行員確實很重視湍流，但技術和預測都非常先進，“顛簸”的預測和計劃都提前了很長時間。這就是為什么一個優(yōu)秀的飛行員經常在起飛前或起飛后幾分鐘就會給出一個預先報告。

Sometimes, it's best not to look down. (Photo: Darika Sutchiewcharn/Shutterstock)

To avoid bumpy air, it's best to fly when it's cooler during wintertime or during early morning hours or later at night.

為了避免顛簸的空氣，最好在冬季、清晨或夜間較涼爽的時候飛行。

Still, turbulence isn't all just hot air. Mountain ranges, the jet stream and stormy weather can all bring about turbulence.

不過，湍流并不僅僅是熱空氣。山脈、急流和暴風雨天氣都會造成湍流。

The vast majority of people injured during flight turbulence are hurt because they aren't wearing seat belts; that's reason enough to mind that seat belt sign.

絕大多數在飛機顛簸中受傷的人受傷是因為他們沒有系安全帶，這給了我們足夠的理由來注意安全帶標志。

If those facts don’t quite tame your nerves, here’s a statistic that should provide some comfort: Only 34 people of the nearly 800 million airline passengers who travel each year get injured on account of turbulence — and remember, the majority of them are flight attendants.

如果這些事實還不能完全平息你的緊張情緒，下面的一項統(tǒng)計數據應該能給你一些安慰:每年乘坐飛機旅行的近8億名乘客中，只有34人因亂流受傷——記住，他們中的大多數是空乘人員。