Factors of the Environment that Affect Flight

 Factors of the Environment that Affect Flight

      Aircraft of all shapes and sizes must deal with the environmental struggles that come with flying. The Earths atmosphere can be very harsh and can create many problems when it comes to flying. Rain, hail, snow, lighting, different types of clouds, and many more things can have huge impacts on airplanes. Thunderstorms are one of the highest causes of airplane accidents. They are harsh and dangerous for airplanes to fly through. The largest problem with thunderstorms is the high turbulence they create. Turbulence is caused by unusual waves of air that care unpredictable and dangerous to aircraft. Storms create large amounts of turbulence making them unsafe to travel in or around. Turbulence not only happens in the storm itself, but the surrounding area as well. Thunderstorms can also cause icing. Icing to the wings and plane makes the plane significantly heavier which cause disturbances in the machines used to read aircraft status. These discrepancies cause false information to be sent to the pilot adding on to the already dangerous situation.
      Since thunderstorms are so dangerous pilots do there best to avoid them. Pilots can use on board weather detection systems to help avoid dangerous weather. Their flight plans are also modified by plane dispatchers to help redirect them and avoid hazardous airspace. Flight can be very safe as long as the necessary precautions are taken. 


 


Donahue, M. (2021, February 10). Turbulence, facts and information. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-turbulence-explained

Jalli, A. (2021, January 26). Lightning strikes aircraft more often than you thought. Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://medium.com/the-shadow/lightning-strikes-aircraft-more-often-than-you-thought-7a6dbb7da609

Thunderstorm dangers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://www.experimentalaircraft.info/flight-planning/aviation-hazards-4.php





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