by findingbackroads

Turbulence!

Hi, I feel I’ve come back from the dead. Pristine and I left sunny and fair weathered Dubai last Thursday night and expected out flight to be smooth and uneventful. I was worried about the food (I didn’t want to be too bloated on day 1 of the trip) but it turned out that is was the least of my worries.

Dubai-Singapore flight was ok for the first 2-3 hours but when the plane was above the Indian Ocean? Lightning struck in the frequency of about 5 times per minute, nearly missing the wing section. The whole plane shook a little but it was ok.

Singapore-Japan flight was a nightmare.

The double decker plane Airbus380 that we were on met a storm head-on. Meals weren’t served until the plane stabilized, we were prevented from going to the washroom so many times. When the plane was approaching Narita airport, plane shook very badly, suddenly dropped to several meters at once causing a little chaos for everyone on board. It was shaky and so bumpy for two whole hours!!

During one of the several sudden descends and tilts, the pilot asked that we would make our seats upright, put on our shoes (what the hell!?) and prepare for a rough landing (shit!). But he added that we should be alright considering the size of the plane (I wasn’t convinced and just prayed).

I realized something during that flight. When on the verge of death, people are so calm and quiet. Nobody said a word and just bowed down their heads. No panic, chaos or commotion. We were just all listening to the engine and bearing all the shaking.

I’ve been on a plane for more than 50 times but this was the first time I thought it’d go down. No joke.

[Top Photo Credit]

30 Comments

  3. Grace, I am so glad that all of you are safe and on the ground. On our plane ride home from Disney World in May we hit horrible turbulence as well. It seems like more and more people are encountering this where it really jolts the plane around. I hope you are able to relax some now and enjoy.
    .-= TheAngelForever´s last blog ..Name that virus =-.

    Like

    Reply

  7. Thank God you made it to Japan safely. I know how scary it must’ve been especially since you had Pristine with you.

    Turbulence during flights never used to bother me until 3 years ago when the domestic flight headed to my province experienced some extreme turbulence and the oxygen masks came tumbling down. The plane had to turn back to Manila, flying at a very low altitude that I was terrified that we’d crash into a mountain, because something went wrong with it after the drop. Since then, I’ve become really jittery every time I get on a plane. 😦
    .-= CandyQ´s last blog ..of heroes =-.

    Like

    Reply

  10. Wow that must have been so scary!! I hate turbulence on planes and feel like I am having an anxiety attack whenever we hit bumps. I was on a flight last week and it was so bumpy and we kept circling the airport before we could land. I thought we were never going to land. Glad that you were ok though!
    .-= Stacie´s last blog ..Halloween Giveaway at Whimsy Couture =-.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Oh man, that would have made me a little concerned! And I would have freaked out about the lighting! I am glad you made it safe, though.

    When we came back from Denmark we hit some bad turbulence, and while everyone else was white-knuckled, Emma was laughing and when it was over she asked “can we do that again??”
    .-= Jacki´s last blog ..Yep, I’m still here. =-.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Pristine was sleeping the whole time. I know it sounds weird but I was thinking: at least if we die, we’ll be together, no one will be left without the other.

      BUT of course, I hoped we’d both survive!

      Like

      Reply

  17. Turbulence is the what makes me dread flying now. I can’t stand it. I’m a nervous wreck during takeoff and landing, and whenever the plane hits a pocket of bad turbulence and it takes a big drop, I break out in a sweat. Whenever we fly, it’s always about a four hour trip, and the entire time I’m nervous. I hate it. I hope your trip back is much, much smoother.
    .-= Desert Songbird´s last blog ..I Need to Fire my Scheduling Secretary =-.

    Like

    Reply

  18. OMG, that must have been horrific. We had a turbulent flight coming to Japan during the summer as well, I was so happy when we landed. I’ve had the expereince of the plane just dropping out of the sky so I know what thats like, but unforunately I was the flight attendant at the time. Unlike the Asians who sit quietly during turbulence, the Caribbean people will scream and pull out their life vests!
    Glad to know you are safe. Enjoy the rest of your stay.
    .-= Anuan´s last blog ..Business As Usual =-.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment