I have flown over Owen Stanley Range in number of occasions; in most cases I enjoy the scenic views of encrusted greenish carpeted rainforest floors that unremittingly cover the long stretched central mountain chain in Papua New Guinea. There are times when the visibility is so perfect that you can see uneven mountain ranges stretching across the horizon; it could be Mount Victoria the highest range at 4, 072 metres but with my lack of geographical direction I am unable to tell. Occasionally, I have felt a gush of air up my chest, anxiousness feeling almost invading my soul, trying to keep calm; and trusting the pilots for my safe flight. My recent flight from Popondetta to Port Moresby is an example of this experience.
The seat belt sign is immediately switched on and you certainly know instability in the atmosphere that disrupts the flow of the wind, causing gusty, unpredictable air currents is causing this panic. Glad it’s not only me J It’s what’s called the “Clear Air Turbulence” or sometimes referred to as Air Pockets.
What usually happens is when bodies of moving air at widely different speeds meet; at high altitudes of around 7,000–12,000 metres (23,000–39,000 ft) this is frequently encountered around jet streams or sometimes near mountain ranges. What research also say is Clear-air turbulence is impossible to detect with the naked eye and can be very difficult to detect with conventional radar[2], meaning that it is difficult to avoid. However, it can be remotely detected with instruments that can measure turbulence with optical techniques, such as scintillometers or Doppler LIDARs.
Until now till my next flight, I will continue to trust the pilots for my safe flights J
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