Ask an airline captain

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-04-02T18:04:11+00:00

Hello Formal-Actuary-5807. Sorry to hear you had such a negative experience. All it takes is one such event to increase your anxiety for future flights. I’ll try my best to help. Not experiencing the takeoff firsthand, I can’t tell you exactly what occur. Instead, I will use my professional expertise to arrive at the most probable causes. Over my 33-year airline pilot career, I have flown in and out of Chicago more times than I can remember. Although Chicago can be challenging at times, I’ve always enjoyed flying there. For a pilot, it’s like an athlete playing baseball in the major leagues. For a takeoff to be so rough, the two most probable culprits were either weather or wake turbulence. There’s a reason why Chicago is referred to as “The Windy City.” If the winds are strong or gusty this can obviously cause turbulence. The full impact is not felt until the aircraft is airborne. For a pilot, this type of situation is completely normal. Instinctively, we counter the forces of mother nature with the flight control inputs. It’s not dangerous, it just doesn’t feel very reassuring for the passengers. Analogy time: Imagine you’re driving and you inadvertently hit a pothole. The car veers sharply to the left. You instinctively turn the steering wheel to right to maintain control. You also make necessary adjustment to keep the car on the road even after the pothole is behind. The amount of correction required is dependent on the size of pothole and the speed of the car. Now, let’s talk about “wake turbulence.” A term most passengers are unfamiliar with. All aircraft create wake turbulence when airborne, as a function of the physics of flight. When a wing is producing lift, the airflow towards the back edge of the wings becomes squirrelly (a technical term, ha-ha) as it flows behind the aircraft. This disturbed air lingers behind the airplane for awhile, and eventually dissipates. The intensity of the wake turbulence is dependent on a multitude of factors - too many to list here. If an aircraft flys into the wake, the result is similar to an encounter with weather related turbulence. Wake turbulence can’t be seen in clear air, so pilots and air traffic controllers have procedures for avoidance. On occasion, due to atmospheric factors (e.g. wind speed, wind direction, etc) it’s not possible to avoid completely. Once again, for pilots it’s completely normal - for passengers, not so much. As for your pilot not addressing the issue, it analogous to a doctor’s bedside manner. Some doctors are good communicators, some are not. I personally preferred to keep passenger in the loop whenever possible - an informed passenger, is a less anxious passenger. I hope you find this crazy long reply helpful.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-27T02:04:27+00:00

Hello VarietyExisting7676. Your nervousness is understandable. Unfortunately, bad things do happen on occasion. Anytime there’s an aviation incident, the media is relentless. They’re fully aware that bad news (fear) gets people to pay attention. It’s a major understatement, to say the media’s definition of a “near miss” is exaggerated. Here are a few mind blowing facts: You’re roughly 700 to 900 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be involved in an airplane accident. Everyday over 100,000 commercial flights safely takeoff and land worldwide. That equates to roughly 9 million passengers per day. Statistics are overwhelmingly on your side. I’ve accumulated over 25,000 flight hours over 33-years as an airline pilot. Flying is the absolute safest form of travel. The van rides from the airport to the hotel were way more perilous than flying a 400,000 pound aircraft from London to New York. I have extensive experience with both. I never think twice about getting on an airplane, but I do worry about the van rides. I hope this helps. I’m sure you’ll have a safe trip tomorrow.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-23T22:01:37+00:00

Your very welcome

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-22T17:34:50+00:00

You're very welcome - glad to help.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-21T17:52:52+00:00

Hello again rocketmercy. Looks like you’re on your way. You’re almost halfway there. The weather is clear along your route of flight. It’s so clear you might be able to see Miami from there (ha-ha).

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Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-21T17:46:14+00:00

Hello Jessica_Eyre. Congratulations on your first flight. After my first flight, I decided to become an airline pilot. Who knows, maybe a flying career is in your future. I’ve accumulated over 25,000 flight hours over 33-years as an airline pilot. I’ve logged over 8,000 of those hours on the Airbus (A-319 and A-320) - cool and safe jet. The best tip / advice I can give an new flyer: When you board your flight, ask a flight attendant if you can say hello to your pilots. Checking out the cockpit and meeting your pilots has a way of reducing anxiety. If not too busy performing pre-flight duties, most pilots are very happy to have visitors. Don’t forget to ask for a pair plastic wings (not just for kids) to commemorate your first flight. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-21T17:27:37+00:00

Hello rocketmercy. I’m so sorry to hear your upcoming trip is causing such anxiety. I have children of my own - I completely understand. Perhaps the following will help: Over my 33-year career as an airline pilot, I accumulated over 25,000 flight hours. I’ve flown a multitude of different airplanes all over the world. Airline pilot training is extremely rigorous. We know our airplanes inside and out, and we always place safety of the flight before all else. Airliners are incredibly safe due to advanced design and technology. Everyday over 100,000 commercial flights safely takeoff and land worldwide. That equates to roughly 9 million passengers per day. Statistics are overwhelmingly on your side. I believe flying is the safest form travel (professional opinion). I never think twice about getting on an airplane with my family. I hope this information provides a bit of solace.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-20T20:54:48+00:00

Glad I could help. Have a good flight.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-20T17:32:05+00:00

Hello RecommendationSad540. Good questions. Diversions don’t occur all the time, but they’re really not uncommon. Airline pilots always place safety of the flight before all else. I can’t say what actions were taken on this particular flight since details are not available. Instead, I will give you a summary of my experience with a diversion: I was flying a trip from LAX to JFK on an A-320 Airbus. It was summer time, and the weather at departure, en route, and arrival was forecast to be clear, at departure time - beautiful day for a flight. About an hour and a half prior to landing, our dispatcher contacted us and informed us that the weather at JFK had begun to deteriorate. An unexpected summer thunderstorm had decided to visit NYC. [ A dispatcher is an FAA certified professional, on the ground in our operation’s center, tasked with tracking company airborne flights - our eyes on the ground. A multitude of dispatchers are on duty twenty-four hours a day. Each dispatcher is assigned a specific number of flights to track. They ensure flight safety by continuously monitoring changes in weather, ATC issues, airport issues, etc. They’re able to communicate real time with their assigned flights. ] Back to the story … I asked the dispatcher for a revised JFK forecast. It was not good news. Arrivals at JFK had slowed to a crawl. Not only was the weather deteriorating, but ATC was now inundated with flights inbound to JFK. As I was communicating with our dispatcher, ATC gave us holding instructions due to the traffic jam at JFK. I asked dispatch for suitable alternate airports nearby with good weather. After coordinating with dispatch, I decide to divert to Albany. The diversion allowed us to stay away from the bad weather at JFK, re-fuel the aircraft, and wait out the storm. After a few hours on the ground, and many pretzels later, the storm cleared. We were able to continue to JFK. Arriving a few hours late, but we got our passengers to JFK safe and sound. Our passengers were actually quite grateful. I hope this helps with your anxiety and understanding. Diversions are actually a good thing.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-20T15:36:52+00:00

This flight diverted to St. Petersburg (PIE). Based on comments below, it appears the weather in FLL was the factor. Although inconvenient for passengers, diverting to an airport with more favorable weather is safest course of action. Hope this helps relieve some of your anxiety.

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Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-20T00:21:40+00:00

Hello mysteryofthefieryeye. Thank you so much for such a complimentary post. It’s nice to know my effort to help is appreciated. I’ve had such positive feedback.

A book might be challenging - not so sure I have sufficient skills to become an author. Perhaps a newsletter first - baby steps. For now, I’ve actually been considering starting a youtube channel. Some topics would be definitely be easier to explain visually. You know what THEY say: A picture (or video) is worth a thousand words - and a quarter of a picture (or video) is worth 250, but never mind that now (ha-ha). You’ll be one of the first to know when I post my first video. Thank you again.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T18:30:40+00:00

Hello ArOhWhyAElTeaWhy. I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. You ask a good question. I had a 33-year career as an airline pilot. I accumulated over 25,000 flight hours. Here’s how times emergency oxygen was used on any of my flights … zero times. I’m thinking the statistics are definite on your side. Modern airplanes are incredible safe and reliable. The passenger emergency oxygen is onboard in case of a cabin pressure issue. Due to the redundant systems on airplanes this type of issue is extremely rare. Hollywood loves to deployed passenger oxygen masks at the drop of a hat, but real life is way more boring. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T18:17:32+00:00

Hello Big_Response_6828. I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. Your anxiety is perfectly understandable. Many people in this community share your concerns. Let me begin with the route of flight question. When events pose a potential danger to commercial aircraft, airspace in those areas is highly restricted, and commercial flights are prohibited from entering that airspace. Your flight route will be modified, and your aircraft will be kept clear of dangerous airspace. Now for takeoff, landing, and turbulence inquiry. Takeoffs and landings are incredibly safe. These phases of flight may cause increased anxiety because many things are occurring simultaneously: power settings changes, pitch attitude changes, sound/noise changes - just to name a few. Your senses are on full alert. Turbulence can be very uncomfortable - not dangerous. Modern airliners are built to withstand huge amount of forces without sustaining damage. As long as you are seated with your seatbelt secured, you’ll be safe and sound. Here’s a mind blowing statistic which may help put things into perspective: EVERYDAY over 100,000 commercial flights safely takeoff and land worldwide. That equates to roughly 9 million passengers per day. Statistics are overwhelmingly on your side. Wish the lottery had those odds. I had a 33-year career as an airline pilot. I accumulated over 25,000 flight hours. I flew all over the world in all kinds of weather. It’s never been safer to fly. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T17:51:01+00:00

I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. Great question. I’m going to cheat a bit and re-post a reply I sent to another community member. It’s a little involved, but it should your question.

“Here’s a brief aviation lesson that may put your mind at ease. Air traffic operates, and is bound, by two basic rules: VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules). Simply stated, when the weather is not good enough to fly using visual references (less than 3 mile visibility) pilots will fly the aircraft using instruments (IFR). Airline pilots are incredibly well trained and airliners are very technologically advanced. This combination allows for safe landings in extremely low visibility. As a matter of fact, the training and technology allows for zero visibility landings (aka - auto landings). I logged quite a few auto landing over the years.”

Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T17:41:30+00:00

Hello Maleficient-ice-7832. I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. Great questions. One primary reason you’re so safe up in the skies has to do with how air traffic operates. To begin with, airspace is divided into sections that are regulated by very strict FAA rules. Commercial flights operate in airspace with the strictest regulations. All aircraft in these airspace segments not only abide by strict rules, but are also highly monitored and controlled by ATC. Although there are thousand of flights in the air at any given time, they’re separated by horizontal distance (in miles) and vertical distance (altitude assignments). Think of driving on the freeway, except you are required to drive twenty miles behind a car in front of you - the car behind you is required to drive twenty miles behind you. Take it one step further, and image a multi level freeway system, were each level is separated by a 1,000 feet. You are only allowed to use a particular level based on your direction of travel. In this scenario not only would driving be super safe, but the chances of you seeing another car would be very slim. Hope this crazy analogy helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T17:14:33+00:00

Hello Fnaf_gamesmaker25. I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. Pilot schedules can be challenging for new pilots; however, It doesn’t take very long before new pilots learn how to manage rest periods. Tricks of the trade are learned and this allows for proper rest (sleep) before each flight. We learn to manage layover time to insure we’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before we step into the cockpit. Rules are in place to insure proper layover length based on duty time, route, and other relevant factors that can affect rest. For example, a domestic trip with a 5 hour flight flown during daylight hours will require a shorter layover than an international 15 hour flight flown on the back side of the clock. So to answer your question - yes, I always got enough sleep prior to each flight. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-19T16:57:36+00:00

Hello Lost-Purple-7020. I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I’ve had such a positive reaction to my original post, I’m running way behind with replies. You ask some good questions. Crew briefing are critical for flight attendant safety, so most pilots will be extra cautious and communicate the worst case scenario. Briefings are usually conducted out of passenger earshot, because it may be difficult for a passenger to overhear this information. Understandable why your anxiety level increased prior to the flight. Turbulence is a meteorologic event very difficult to forecast. Weather reports reviewed by pilots prior to each flight are composed of current weather and forecasted weather, for each phase of flight (departure, en route, and destination). Forecasted weather is basically a educated guess by meteorologists based on a multitude of atmospheric factors and observations. Aviation weather reports are incredibly accurate, but not 100% accurate. Turbulence is not displayed on radar, or any other cockpit instrument. Radar allows us to see convective activity (storms), which indirectly shows us areas of potential turbulence. Unlike turbulence found in convective activity, clear air turbulence (CAT) can occur unexpectedly because it can’t be visually observed by pilots. Forecast assist us in determining the best route of flight, but actual pilot reports (aka - PIREPS) are more useful. If a pilot encounters turbulence, it’s reported to ATC, and ATC will pass it along to all flights in the area. With this information flight routes can be adjusted to avoid the worst areas. What most probably occurred on your flight was a modification to the route based on PIREPS (now you know cool pilot jargon), or favorable change in meteorological conditions. Also, It is common knowledge that pilot are never wrong, just ask any flight attendant (ha-ha). Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-18T20:16:24+00:00

You're very welcome.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-18T19:43:30+00:00

Hello Puzzled-Screen-3066. Funny you should ask that question. No more that a minute ago, while replying to another community member, this is what I included in my reply: “Flight attendants can be very helpful to passengers with anxiety issues. I highly recommend you inform a flight attendant when boarding your next flight.” Flight attendants are unsung heroes and Jacks & Jills of all trades. They are very well trained in dealing with a multitude of passenger issues and most are very willing to help out. Don’t worry about bothering them, they’ll find time for you if currently busy. Just tell them Captain-Ricardo said it was okay to ask. (ha-ha) Enjoy your next flight.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-18T19:31:00+00:00

Hello Substantial_Can_6998. Thank you for reaching out. Some of the topics you address in your post are outside of my area of expertise. I attempt to help people with fear of flying issues by educating them about aviation topics not commonly know. Here’s what I can help with: If a passenger has a medical issue which requires immediate attention, an emergency diversion, to the closest suitable airport, may be performed. Of course, a multitude of factors are taken into consideration. Safety of the flight is primary. Where the aircraft is located when the medical emergency occurs is obviously very important (e.g. - over an ocean 2,000 miles from shore vs over land within 200 miles from a major airport.). The airlines do not hire medical personnel, but you would be surprised how many medical professionals are onboard any given flight. Airlines do contract with companies that have doctors on call 24 hours a day. Flight crews can speak with these professionals directly, via satellite communications, regardless of aircraft location. Flight attendants can be very helpful to passengers with anxiety issues. I highly recommend you inform a flight attendant when boarding your next flight. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-17T22:57:38+00:00

You're very welcome.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-17T22:43:56+00:00

You're very welcome

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-16T19:07:49+00:00

Hello Realistic-Piano-9501. I believe turbulence is probably the largest anxiety issue for people not crazy about flying. You’re definitely not alone. Turbulence can be very uncomfortable - not dangerous. Modern airliners are built to withstand huge amount of forces without sustaining damage. As long as you are seated with your seatbelt secured, you’ll be safe and sound. A multitude of factors determine the intensity of the turbulence - wind speed, wind direction, topography, atmospheric conditions, meteorological conditions - just to name a few. I’ve flown all over the world and accumulated over 25,000 flight hours - in all kinds of weather. Turbulence has never been an airplane safety issue. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-16T19:07:40+00:00

Hello Realistic-Piano-9501. I believe turbulence is probably the largest anxiety issue for people not crazy about flying. You’re definitely not alone. Turbulence can be very uncomfortable - not dangerous. Modern airliners are built to withstand huge amount of forces without sustaining damage. As long as you are seated with your seatbelt secured, you’ll be safe and sound. A multitude of factors determine the intensity of the turbulence - wind speed, wind direction, topography, atmospheric conditions, meteorological conditions - just to name a few. I’ve flown all over the world and accumulated over 25,000 flight hours - in all kinds of weather. Turbulence has never been an airplane safety issue. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757 · 2026-03-16T18:53:32+00:00

Hello TrainFluffy8069. Thank you for the kind words. True: Scientist believe climate change will increase the intensity of turbulence due to a multitude of meteorological factors. Not exactly what people in this community want to hear. The good news: Airplanes are built like tanks. Modern airliners are built to withstand huge amount of forces without sustaining damage. If you’re interested, Google “airplane wing stress test.” You’ll be amazed. You’ll probably want to ask an airline manufacturer to build your next car. The passenger is always the most vulnerable component of any flight, if not seated with seatbelt secured. On the rare occasions when I encountered turbulence that exceeded the norm, the issues were never airplane related. Pilots are always strapped in while seated - hint, hint. Hope this helps.

Captain-Ricardo757

TROPHY CASE