Turbulence Is Under Mother Nature's Control

It is easy to think anything which you don't control is a danger to you. The
idea that turbulence is something totally out of control frightens anxious
fliers.

Turbulence is not out of control. Turbulence is controlled by Mother Nature.
Think about the temperature of the air outside. Some days it reaches
almost 100 degrees, and some days it is below freezing. But, though the
temperature - like turbulence - is not controlled by you or me, it
always falls within a certain range. In the U.S., it rarely goes below
minus 25 or above plus 125.

Because we know the temperature falls within a certain range, and that
range is limited, we have learned how to deal with all the temperatures
we may encounter. The same is true of turbulence. It is never above a
certain level. But I suspect an anxious flier doesn't really understand
this, and thinks it might become so great it could threaten the plane.

No way! We know the most intense turbulence can become and we build
airliners with twice as much strength as is needed for the most intense
turbulence possible.

So you understand WHY turbulence is limited, consider this. Turbulence
- the kind you get at cruise altitude - is called Clear Air Turbulence,
or CAT. It is caused when the jetstream, which is a stream of
fast-moving air, scrubs alongside air that is not moving. The speed of
the jetstream is limited. How? Consider what causes the jetstream: the
earth's rotation. Since the earth's rotation is constant, the maximum
speed of the jetstream is restricted to what that constant speed of
rotation can produce. And, since turbulence is caused by the
interaction of fast-moving air and air that is not moving fast, the
amount of turbulence has to fall within a certain range, a range that
is not controlled by humans, but is in fact controlled by the earth.

That certainly should help you understand that turbulence is, in a way,
very much controlled, and thus is not a threat.

But understanding - alone - will not stop the reaction you have to turbulence.
To stop the reaction, you will need to learn and use the Strengthening Exercise.

You can learn what causes the feelings you - at present - are unable to control
and how automatic control of them can be established. That makes it possible
to fly without worry about a panic attack.

See the video at http://www.fearofflying.com