Why Airplanes Land Harder In Bad Weather

No matter how frequently you travel by plane, you're bound to get a little nervous when you're up in the air, especially during bad weather. While the likelihood of your plane crashing or experiencing some sort of emergency is minimal, recent events in the aviation industry such as crashes and midflight malfunctions may have you on edge. But rest assured, pilots go through intensive training to make sure you get to your destination safe and sound. In fact, flying is the safest form of travel, including traveling by car.

One of the best ways to overcome your flying anxiety is to learn more about how planes work, and what the protocol is for situations such as flying through adverse weather. The bumps that may send you into a panic might actually happen for a reason. For example, you may have observed that landing during rain or snow is much rougher than landing while the sun is out and the sky is clear. As scary as it may seem, that rough landing is intentional. This hard landing prevents the plane from skidding or sliding down the runway, which can cause a serious catastrophe. It's one of the many weird things planes do to ensure the safety of passengers and crews.

This can also be attributed to an illusion called the black hole effect. It happens during landing, usually in shaky weather conditions, when there are few lights surrounding the airport. It makes it difficult for the pilots to see where the runway begins, and can often lead to a rough landing.

Pilots go through specialized training when it comes to landing during adverse weather conditions, and they know techniques to get you to your destination safely even when it's raining or snowing. Modern planes are also equipped with control systems that guide the pilots toward a smooth landing. Further, planes are literally built to withstand harsh weather. Decades of advancement in aviation has made that possible.

And while planes are tens of thousands of feet in the air, they are in near-constant communication with the ground. Pilots work with air traffic control officers to determine the best course of action during a storm, and those same officers will help them when it comes time to land.

If conditions get really bad, which does happen occasionally, the pilots will be directed to circle the airport until it's all clear or divert to a different nearby airport. Safety is the number one priority, and learning more about how aviation works will make you less afraid to fly.