Pilot shares advice on which seats to book to lower turbulence effects

A pilot has revealed a possible solution for passengers terrified of turbulence. The aviation professional shared footage from an A320 simulator and revealed a technique that makes turbulence feel far less severe during a flight - if you plan ahead.

Savina Paül, who goes by @savinapauls on TikTok, urged travellers to "choose your seat carefully," noting that "the closer you are to the aircraft's centre of gravity, the better." This, she explains, can dramatically "change your perception of movement" whilst airborne, reports the Express.

She posed a question to her followers, asking: "Did you know that a plane moves more or less depending on where you sit? Yes, sitting at the tail is not the same as sitting near the cockpit.

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"On commercial aircraft, the centre of gravity is not exactly in the middle of the plane. It's actually a bit further forward, close to the wing area."

Breaking down what the centre of gravity means, she went on: "It's the point around which the aircraft rotates whenever there is any movement, including turbulence. Imagine a ruler balanced on your finger, but your finger is closer to one end than the other. If you move the far end of the ruler, it will always move much more than the end near your finger.

"The same thing happens on a plane: the further away you are from the centre of gravity, the more you'll notice any movement. Conversely, the closer you are to this point, the less you'll feel it. For example, from the cockpit, which is closer to this point, sometimes we don't even notice turbulence. Meanwhile, our colleagues at the back of the plane alert us because they feel much more movement."

If you're someone who worries about turbulence, despite knowing it's a routine aspect of air travel, the pilot encourages you to attempt her approach for a calm journey - if you can select your seats, of course.

Should you do this, you'll experience turbulence "much less." She concluded: "Remember, even if there's movement, the plane continues to fly safely."

What causes turbulence?

Turbulence is a common atmospheric condition that refers to irregular movements of air that lead to sudden shifts in an aircraft’s altitude or orientation, according to the Flightradar24 Blog. There are a variety of turbulence types that all depend on where you're flying to, when, and what you are flying over such as mountains.

The flight website said: "Whilst turbulence can feel unsettling, especially to nervous flyers, it is important to emphasise that severe turbulence events are generally quite rare. Pilots carry out an extensive weather brief before a flight which identifies areas of known turbulence en-route, which are avoided if possible."