NWA Invented it! Delta Buried it?
Singapore Airlines hit severe turbulence at 7:45 today, and everyone is asking, “How could this happen?” “Why is there no technology to identify turbulence?” The answer is:”It Does Exist!”
In 1957, Dan Sowa, a Northwest Airlines meteorologist, invented such technology to avoid clear air turbulence. And it worked! TPAWSTurbulence Prediction and Warning System
Because of this technology, Northwest dispatchers flight planned their aircraft around the turbulence, even at the added fuel expense. Never did I experience such an unexpected surprise as Singapore Airlines, at NWA. Then we merged with Delta and they, the proud owners of this technology, decided not to use it. Why? Because, it’s far more expensive to flight plan an aircraft 200 miles around something (clear air turbulence) that can’t be seen. Money over safety appears to be an industry standard.
What we don’t know, won’t hurt us, right?
Until it does!
Never had I experienced unexpected turbulence at NWA, but I did twice at Delta. I was on one flight when unexpected wind slammed us so hard the airspeed shot to redline. The captain, pilot flying, pulled the speed brake so fast, that he captured it. Another time, we were many thousands of feet above the cloud tops that looked like a valley below, the moon illuminating hundreds of miles in each direction. A quite and peaceful night. Nothing forecast, that we knew about. And without warning it felt like a sledgehammer slammed into our plane. As fast as I could, the seatbelt sign went on, and we shook for only a few moments, and then everything felt silent. Thankfully nobody was hurt. But we flew on edge, the remainder of the night, wondering what else was out there.
TPWA was invented in 1957 and improved upon as the years passed, as all good technology is. But after the merger with Delta, overnight we were flying into turbulence that we had never experienced at NWA. The question was why. But those from NWA knew that answer.
A Message To The Public:
Don’t let Anyone Fool You…
There is technology to see and avoid turbulence.
Whether or not they use it, is another story.
And if they simply flew through a Thunderstorm, they had the technology to avoid that too!
Enjoy the Journey and remember to buckle up!
Dr. Karlene Petitt
PhD. MBA. MHS.
A350, B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727
