Everything you never heard about air holes...

If you've flown several times, you've probably experienced more or less sudden jolts felt in the cabin. You may even have likened them to air holes. This concept, also known as "air pockets", is of the utmost concern to victims of fear of flying. However, there are often major misconceptions about it! This article sets the record straight on the subject of air pocketing.

Preconceived ideas about air holes

Air holes are one of the most common misconceptions among air travellers! Horizontal jolts are said to be caused by so-called "holes in the air". This would be a pocket of vacuum in the atmosphere that would cause the plane to fall a few meters, or suck it upwards, causing a sudden movement in the cabin. This is the same phenomenon sometimes described as an "air pocket".

Is there such a thing as an air pocket?

Actually, there isn't! We couldn't be clearer on the subject: air holes don't exist... It's physically impossible to have a vacuum pocket in the Earth's atmosphere. There are no more air holes in the sky than there are water holes in a lake. The sky is a continuous mass of matter, in which aircraft float continuously thanks to glide ratio (we explain the concept in detail at this address).

So why do so many people still believe in air holes? It's because the expression is particularly eloquent. It embodies a very real phenomenon, that of turbulence, which has nothing to do with "empty air pockets".

Air holes vs. turbulence on a plane

While there's no such thing as an air pocket, we've all experienced turbulence during air travel. It's turbulence that causes the cabin of an airplane to shake more or less slightly.

Turbulence can cause the aircraft to move sharply upwards, downwards or sideways, shaking passengers and objects in the cabin. They are keenly felt by passengers: they sometimes give the impression that the aircraft has moved several meters, or even ten meters! In fact, turbulence only alters the plane by a few centimetres. The most significant turbulence (and the rarest) doesn't exceed ten centimetres!

But the feeling is there. This is the origin of the fear of air holes, or air pockets... In fact, turbulence and air holes are almost synonymous in everyday language. And they're nothing to worry about, as long as your seat belt is fastened properly.

What is turbulence?

Turbulence is caused by the movement of air masses in the atmosphere. These movements are mainly due to the temperatures of these masses: warm air tends to rise, cold air to fall. Sometimes, air masses change position because they encounter mountainous terrain. These phenomena generate winds at altitude, over hundreds or thousands of kilometers.

The turbulence hits the aircraft and is felt in the cabin, but this is nothing exceptional. Despite how it feels, the tremors are actually very slight! They are similar to the jolts of a car driving over a pothole or on a paved road.

Should we be afraid of turbulence?

Absolutely not! Turbulence poses no risk to the aircraft. From two-seaters to long-haulers, all aircraft have been designed to withstand these perfectly normal flight events. In fact, as Nicolas Coccolo (pilot and trainer on fofly.com courses) reminds us, "no crash has ever occurred due to turbulence. Turbulence poses no danger to either the cabin or the instruments.

Air holes or turbulence are no more dangerous to a boat than gentle waves. At most, they cause discomfort for passengers, which is why pilots try to avoid them as much as possible.

And they know all about them: 95% of turbulence is anticipated before take-off, thanks to weather preparation. A lot of turbulence is linked to geographical location: you're more likely to encounter it in Southeast Asia, during the monsoon season, than in Europe, for example.

Mountainous terrain or "bowls" can cause turbulence, particularly near airports. Marseille-Marignane airport, for example, is close to a mountain that can cause some turbulence on take-off.

Finally, air safety is also working to improve turbulence detection. Pilots are already able to avoid most of them. For the rest, the only risk is that of injury if you're not strapped in. So all you have to do is fasten your seatbelt securely, and you'll have nothing to fear from "air holes"!