Scientists ground flight turbulence

Reading Evening Post, p 14, 8 October 2008

New research from The University of Reading could help to ease flight fright as turbulence could become a thing of the past.

Scientists at the university's Walker Institute have come up with a way to better forecast clear-air turbulence during flights - the bane of many a nervous flier.

Until now weather forecasters and pilots have been unable to predict when clear-air turbulence will strike, but the university's new method is based on a mathematical model of the physical process in which the waves in the atmosphere that cause the turbulence are detected.

Dr Paul Williams, one of the researchers, said: "Our new method for predicting clear-air turbulence significantly outperforms the approach used currently, which dates back to the 1960s.

"I hope it can be used operationally as soon as possible, and that it leads to smoother flights and a reduction in human injuries and aeroplane damage."