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Aviation vocabulary · Aviation Weather

Turbulence

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/ˈtɜːrbjələns/nounCore term

In aviation, turbulence means: Irregular, often sudden movement of the air that makes an aircraft bump, shake or drop. It is usually reported as light, moderate or severe.

In Turkish: türbülans

How it is used

Pilots ask ATC and other aircraft for reports about turbulence and request a different level to avoid it. Cabin crew hear it with commands such as 'Cabin crew, take your seats' and explain it to passengers in announcements.

Example sentences

  1. We are expecting some turbulence for the next twenty minutes, so the seat belt sign is on.

  2. Fastair 345, moderate turbulence at flight level 340, request flight level 380.

Common collocations

  • light turbulence
  • moderate turbulence
  • severe turbulence
  • clear air turbulence
  • encounter turbulence
  • seat belt signAn illuminated sign above the passenger seats that tells passengers to fasten their seat belts and stay seated. The pilots switch it on and off.
  • cumulonimbusA very tall, dense thunderstorm cloud that can bring lightning, hail, heavy rain, severe turbulence, icing and wind shear. Pilots avoid flying into it.
  • wind shearA sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, which can make an aircraft quickly lose speed and height close to the ground.
  • flight levelA cruising level used above the transition altitude, measured with the standard pressure setting of 1013 hPa and given in hundreds of feet: FL350 is about 35,000 feet.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Aviation Weather

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