The questions nervous flyers ask us most, answered in plain words.
For an airliner, no. It's a comfort issue. Planes are built to carry at least 1.5 times the biggest loads expected in service, and pilots plan around rough air. The real risk is being unbelted in a sudden bump, so keep your seat belt fastened whenever you're seated.
No. Wings are certified for at least one and a half times the biggest loads expected in service and are bent far upwards in test rigs before a new type flies passengers. Wings flexing in flight is normal: they're designed to bend.
Usually, yes. The rear of the cabin tends to move most, so seats over the wing or towards the front feel smoother.
Airliners can fly and land safely on one engine, and pilots train for it in the simulator at least once a year. Even with no engines at all, an airliner glides a long way: well over ten kilometres for every kilometre of height.
A minute or two after take-off the pilots reduce from take-off power to climb power, often as part of a noise-reduction procedure. It's planned and normal.
On Airbus A320-family jets, a dog-like barking sound, often heard when only one engine is running, is a normal part of the hydraulic system called the power transfer unit (PTU).
No. In flight, cabin pressure presses the doors firmly into their frames with a force of several tonnes, so they can't be opened in cruise.
Airliners are designed for it. Lightning usually travels along the outside skin and leaves again, and the aircraft is inspected afterwards.
Yes. Kilometre for kilometre, flying is far safer than driving.
A go-around is when the pilots stop an approach and climb away to try again, for example because the runway isn't clear yet. It's a normal, practised manoeuvre and a sign of a careful crew.
Learn what's normal on a flight, practise slow breathing (in for 4, out for 6), face flying step by step rather than avoiding it, and talk to your GP if the fear is severe: talking therapies like CBT work well.
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