Some travelers, like myself, enjoy turbulence - it almost makes the flight seem like a fun roller coaster. Others, however, are easily frightened and bad turbulence could turn a vacation into a nightmare. According to newscientist.com, "The existing method of warning pilots of clear air turbulence (CAT), called Graphical Turbulence Guidance, relies on pilot reports and observations of the atmosphere, including lightning data, but is not particularly accurate."
Paul Williams at the University of Reading, UK, and his colleagues created a model that focuses on the cause of turbulence. The model uses wind speed measurements to predict where turbulence lies and how to avoid it. In a 144-day test, it correctly predicted 83 percent of reported incidents.
Looks like this may be the end of the road for bumpy skies.
-Michael Strachan
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