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Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

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Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#31

Post by wahern »

danielecook wrote: post #8

It seems to me that there is less turbulence in the last 10-15 years. Does anyone know off hand whether this is the case?

Newer aircraft seem to have higher wing loading. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_loading#Range_of_wing_loa..., especially 767 vs newer aircraft.) Higher wing loading makes for a more stable flight. If your perception is correct, it could be changes in aircraft design rather than actual turbulence.

Personally, I think it may have more to do with pilots more liberally adjusting course to avoid turbulence. High-profile incidents related to turbulence, newer tech, and the padding of flight schedules to game on-time metrics would make it an easier decision for a pilot to avoid turbulence.

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#32

Post by moneil971 »

danielecook wrote: post #8

It seems to me that there is less turbulence in the last 10-15 years. Does anyone know off hand whether this is the case?

Not on all routes/airlines - on Hawaiian Airlines, we had 2 turbulent flights back to back. But maybe airlines other than Delta have better data tracking!

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#34

Post by base698 »

ginkgotree wrote: post #7

General aviation pilot here. I fly a bonanza in the flight levels regularly. There are plenty more data sources than just PIREPS, even in general aviation. Foreflight on an iPad, combined with and ADS-B receiver and a SirrusXM WX subscription are all in active use in my little 40 year old airplane. I say this as an avid Delta frequent flyer, but I highly doubt Delta's competitors are only using PIREPS to navigate tur…

Little airplane, PSSSSH--you try to put 4 people in Mooney.

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#35

Post by ginkgotree »

base698 wrote: post #34
ginkgotree wrote: post #7

General aviation pilot here. I fly a bonanza in the flight levels regularly. There are plenty more data sources than just PIREPS, even in general aviation. Foreflight on an iPad, combined with and ADS-B receiver and a SirrusXM WX subscription are all in active use in my little 40 year old airplane. I say this as an avid Delta frequent flyer, but I highly doubt Delta's competitors are only using PIREPS to navigate tur…

Little airplane, PSSSSH--you try to put 4 people in Mooney.

Barn doors!! Love em. But you got a few knots on me

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#36

Post by bronco21016 »

ginkgotree wrote: post #7

General aviation pilot here. I fly a bonanza in the flight levels regularly. There are plenty more data sources than just PIREPS, even in general aviation. Foreflight on an iPad, combined with and ADS-B receiver and a SirrusXM WX subscription are all in active use in my little 40 year old airplane. I say this as an avid Delta frequent flyer, but I highly doubt Delta's competitors are only using PIREPS to navigate tur…

You certainly may be correct that Delta’s competitors may be using additional or different sources. However, there definitely is not any access to SiriusXM WX or ADS-B weather onboard FAR 121 aircraft. Many airlines are just now getting around to ADS-B out for compliance. When I worked for one of the regional airlines we had just been approved for EFBs (iPads) in 2017. Point is simply that GA is typically significantly further ahead in a lot of technologies these days because 121 air travel has become so incredibly safe that the FAA is very careful and methodical in approving new technology use. That costs money and it’s only been the last 3-4 years or so that airlines have had money to spend.

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#37

Post by WalterBright »

Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #33

Pity - turbulence is one of my favorite parts of flying!

A friend told me once when he was flying that the jet hit some severe turbulence. Everyone was white-knuckling the armrests, until some texan towards the front started waving his hat and yelling yee-haw! Which went a long way towards relieving everyone's anxiety.

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#38

Post by WalterBright »

nammi wrote: post #4
thatfrenchguy wrote: post #2

This reads like an ad for Delta more than anything else.

yup, they lost me at "The reason for the increase in avoidance? Lines of code, iPads onboard and a willingness to ditch a century-old way of doing things."

I don't think there were airliners in 1918.

Re: Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

#40

Post by iancarroll »

oliveshell wrote: post #30
ayakura wrote: post #3

This article sounds like an ad, but in any case cutting cost and achieving higher customer satisfaction are all good things so props to Delta for that. However, I have to wonder why the article makes it seem like only Delta is using data for turbulence avoidance and not other big players. Is this a relatively new thing when it comes to Big Data in airlines? Edit: This is an ad after all > This post contains reference…

If Delta is really serious about customer satisfaction, they’ll hurry up with the retirement of their old MD-80s (and MD-88s). I’m hardly an aviation buff, but I’ve learned to identify these things by their sound from inside my house, which is 20 miles from the nearest airport (occasional departures fly over at roughly 10,000 feet). Those old low-bypass JT8D engines make so much damn low-frequency noise. Every time I…

If you look at the photos they actually track pilot efficiency on the MD-88 in a separate metric than the rest of the pilots. I thought that was pretty funny.
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