Weathering the storm: how aircraft withstand tough weather conditions |
Every day, aircraft encounter turbulence caused by inclement and unsettled weather. While no pilot will voluntarily fly through a storm, aircraft still need to be able to cope with unpredictable weather-related events. Here, the experts at Artemis Aerospace look at how aircraft are engineered to endure difficult conditions and the skills all pilots need to successfully navigate storms.
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Stress testing to the extreme It’s no coincidence that flying is the safest form of long-distance transport. Safety has always been the highest priority for the aviation industry and serious incidents involving aircraft are rare.
The complexity of modern-day aircraft means new planes undergo a series of lengthy and rigorous tests. These tests, which include emulating situations like bird strikes, are constantly evolving to address changes in aircraft design and the potential hazards an aircraft might encounter.
Past incidents caused by technical faults, fatigued fuselage and thunderstorms have also contributed greatly to the development of aircraft engineering and maintenance procedures, triggering major technological advances to ensure similar incidents never occur again.
In addition to the extensive and extreme testing aircraft undergo before they make it into the air, commercial aircraft are also subject to maintenance and visual inspections from engineers and pilots during each flight turnaround as well as undergoing basic maintenance inspections every two days and more thorough inspections every few years. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services are an essential element of ensuring aircraft remain safe and ready to fly at all times.
Tackling turbulence If you’ve been on an aircraft, then the chances are you have experienced turbulence. While it can be nerve-racking, turbulence, put simply, is an irregular flow of air. Much like the waves of an ocean, which can sometimes be big and erratic, the bumpiness and drops of turbulence aren’t necessarily dangerous.
There are three types of turbulence that aircraft encounter: shear (when two adjacent areas of air are moving in different directions), thermal conditions (a clash between warmer and cooler air) or mechanical, caused by a variation in the landscape – for example, flying over a large mountain.
Wings that bend Wings on modern-day passenger jets are extremely bendy, making them highly resistant to turbulence.
To test their resilience, wings are bent to nearly 90 degrees using a specialist rig – far more flex than any aircraft is ever likely to encounter.
Wings and fuselage are also subject to load tests of up to 1.5 times higher than they would be subjected to during a flight.
Snap tests are also performed on wings to determine their breaking point and ensure it is well beyond the predicted level.
Stormy waters Large amounts of water caused by heavy rain could spell disaster for aircraft. Therefore, aircraft are put through a series of thorough water tests, including having to taxi through specially made water troughs, or forcing a steady stream of water or firing loosely compacted ice into the engines to mimic rain and hail. This enables engineers to establish how the engines, thrust reversers and braking systems will function following water exposure and how this would affect an aircraft having to contend with bad weather.
Wild wind People from all over the world were captivated by Big Jet TV’s coverage of aircraft struggling to land at Heathrow Airport during Storm Eunice.
For passengers and spectators on the ground, strong winds, which cause aircraft to sway back and forth, can seem alarming and feel precarious for those onboard. Pilots are experts in navigating turbulence and poor weather conditions. Regular flight simulator training sessions mean pilots are well-versed in every type of situation they might encounter during a flight, including stormy weather or landing in windy conditions.
Airlines and airports will also have their own set wind speed limits in place – if the wind is too strong, then aircraft will not be allowed to take-off or land. Indeed, many flights from Heathrow were cancelled during Storm Eunice while others had to perform go-arounds or diversions. Airport operations are strictly regulated to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew.
While there is no single maximum wind limit, as it depends on the direction of wind and phase of the flight, a crosswind (winds perpendicular to the runway) above 40mph and a tailwind of more than 10mph are considered problematic. Limits will also depend on aircraft type, runway direction and general weather conditions.
During the testing phase, aircraft will be subjected to specially made wind tunnels to assess their strength in extreme conditions. For example, Boeing’s Test and Evaluation department’s tunnel can test speeds between 60 and 250 knots (70 and 290mph). This facility simulates many kinds of rain, ice and cloud conditions that aircraft might come across.
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Friday, 1 July 2022
How aircraft withstand tough weather conditions

Thursday, 19 May 2022
Let's go inside the world of aircraft simulator creation.....
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Photo Artemis Aerospace |
Since simulators were first used to assist pilots with mastering simple aircraft manoeuvres in the early 1900s, they have evolved into the fully equipped and highly technical pieces of kit that are used worldwide today.
Their use in modern aircraft training is now crucial for pilots and airlines. When incidents in the air occur, it's largely the actions of the pilot that determine whether a flight lands safely or becomes a fatal situation. Simulators allow pilots to safely train for every possible eventuality, including engine failures, tyre blowouts, difficult weather conditions and bird strikes.
Most recently, this was demonstrated following the famously flawless landing of US Airways Flight 1549 by Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, and first officer Jeffrey Skiles. Sully and Skiles ditched their aircraft in New York's Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board, after a freak bird strike took out both engines. In the months that followed, investigators used simulator re-enactments that helped to eventually prove the pilots had made the correct decision to land on water rather than attempt to return to a nearby airport. This shows how invaluable simulator training is for pilots and how essential it is to investigating incidents in the sky.
Early simulators were basic. One of the best-known devices was the Link Trainer, produced by Edwin Link in the US in 1927. This comprised a basic metal frame painted in blue with a pneumatic motion platform driven by inflatable bellows to provide pitch and roll cues.
Initially, little interest was shown in simulators until World War II, when the Link Trainer became the principal pilot trainer. Around 10,000 were produced to train more than 500,000 pilots from the allied nations.
In 1954, the first of four simulators produced by Curtiss-Wright were bought by United Airlines at a cost of US$3 million. Similar to early models, these simulators had the added benefit of visuals, sound and movement. They became the first examples of the modern flight simulators used for commercial aircraft.
Standardising flight simulators
Initially, flight simulators weren't regulated and, even for the same aircraft type, there were no two identical simulators. This issue caused concern for pilots and regulators, eventually leading to a technical committee being set up under the umbrella of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) and an internationally recognised system of simulator standards and certifications was subsequently put in place.
Types of simulators
Depending on the purpose there are three types of simulators: ATD (Aviation Training Device), FTD (Flight Training Device) and FFS (Full Flight Simulators). Pilots are required to test their skills in various situations regularly.
Artemis Aerospace looks inside the world of aircraft simulator creation
Since simulators were first used to assist pilots with mastering simple aircraft manoeuvres in the early 1900s, they have evolved into the fully equipped and highly technical pieces of kit that are used worldwide today.
Their use in modern aircraft training is now crucial for pilots and airlines. When incidents in the air occur, it's largely the actions of the pilot that determine whether a flight lands safely or becomes a fatal situation. Simulators allow pilots to safely train for every possible eventuality, including engine failures, tyre blowouts, difficult weather conditions and bird strikes.
Flight simulators can also assist investigators, helping them to make sense of accidents after they occur while providing evidence that pilots were not at fault and did their utmost to protect passengers and crew.
Most recently, this was demonstrated following the famously flawless landing of US Airways Flight 1549 by Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger, and first officer Jeffrey Skiles. Sully and Skiles ditched their aircraft in New York's Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board, after a freak bird strike took out both engines. In the months that followed, investigators used simulator re-enactments that helped to eventually prove the pilots had made the correct decision to land on water rather than attempt to return to a nearby airport. This shows how invaluable simulator training is for pilots and how essential it is to investigating incidents in the sky.
Early simulators were basic. One of the best-known devices was the Link Trainer, produced by Edwin Link in the US in 1927. This comprised a basic metal frame painted in blue with a pneumatic motion platform driven by inflatable bellows to provide pitch and roll cues.
Initially, little interest was shown in simulators until World War II, when the Link Trainer became the principal pilot trainer. Around 10,000 were produced to train more than 500,000 pilots from the allied nations.
![]() |
Photo Artemis Aerospace |
In 1954, the first of four simulators produced by Curtiss-Wright were bought by United Airlines at a cost of US$3 million. Similar to early models, these simulators had the added benefit of visuals, sound and movement. They became the first examples of the modern flight simulators used for commercial aircraft.
Standardising flight simulators
Initially, flight simulators weren't regulated and, even for the same aircraft type, there were no two identical simulators. This issue caused concern for pilots and regulators, eventually leading to a technical committee being set up under the umbrella of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) and an internationally recognised system of simulator standards and certifications was subsequently put in place.
Types of simulators
Depending on the purpose there are three types of simulators: ATD (Aviation Training Device), FTD (Flight Training Device) and FFS (Full Flight Simulators). Pilots are required to test their skills in various situations regularly.
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