Clear air turbulence CAT

[Britboater]

I'd never heard of this and I wasn't really aware that it existed, but boy do I now!!!

I know there's a few pilots on here, and it's probably every day for you guys, but my wife and I experienced CAT last week while on a short break to Menorca, a small Spanish island in the Med. I'm not often spooked, but I've never experienced anything like it, the plane was actually dropping but more unusual it was pitching left to right.
Hats off to the pilot, he was very informative and did reduce height in order to find clean air, but from what I've read CAT can come from turbulent air off mountains, so being so close to the Alps might explain it, but we fly regular and have never, and never want to experience CAT again.

 

[Big Shasta]

I fly a lot and haven't had to experience it....Sounds like I'm glad I haven't. About 100-150,000 miles a year on Delta (4-5 international flights a year) and have never had more than a few bumps of turbulence.

 

[Julian]

Been through 2 pretty extreme CAT events....definitely no fun! Great way to test your heart and adrenaline function though!

 

[cwoav8r]

Ha, I rarely fly above 1000' in my line of work... and I don't fly commercial much... this sounds like it is right up @txav8r 's alley.

 

[jawsf16]

CAT is not a very big deal in fighter size aircraft. When I hear airliners asking for different altitudes, I ask to go where they were so I can get direct without issue. Now, in the airliners, CAT can be downright deadly. Those big wings produce a great amount of lift, but they like to share the roughness of the air with all aboard. I was shocked how significant turbulence is in a 737 when I first started flying them, compared to my years in T38 and F16 jets.

When th pilots tell you to sit, do it. It may end up,being nothing, but it also,may save you from injury...

 

[Big Shasta]

I envy every one of you pilot types. I keep saying I'm going to get my PPL but you know how that is, life always gets in the way. If I could just go back 25 years and do it all over again.

I fly in navy helicopters (MH53E) as a technical advisor for they system they are operating but it just makes me want to be a pilot more.