Rough Skies

A few weeks ago there was a story in the media about a Canadian airline that experienced moderate turbulence. The plane dropped several hundred feet (or according to the guy on the news, thousands and thousands of feet) and nine people were hurt. When I first heard about it I was wee bit shaken up, then worried about the passengers and crew and then angry. I was angry because I spend a good portion of everyday at work making announcements about the seatbelt sign, checking to see that everyone is where their seatbelt, explaining to people why it's important that they do wear it and so on. Almost without exception someone gives me a hard time about wearing their seatbelt or about having to put their child in a seatbelt.

When the plane experienced the unforeseen turbulence, passengers were upset that we gave them no warning whatsoever and seemed to feel that it was the airlines fault for the turbulence in the first place. Week after week I fight with people to wear their seatbelts for this very reason and then it happens and they are angry because felt they had no warning. This made me wonder if maybe most people don't know about clear air turbulence, or if they do, they don't understand the frequency in which aircraft's experience it. I figured I would ask the only pool of sane people I know, you guys...

So, here are my questions;

When you are out there traveling the skies do you wear your seatbelts even if the sign is off? Do feel like turbulence is a real threat? Do you think that there is enough information out there (ie: are they announcements enough?)