Less Turbulence on Delta Flights?

[ginkgotree]

General aviation pilot here. I fly a bonanza in the flight levels regularly. There are plenty more data sources than just PIREPS, even in general aviation. Foreflight on an iPad, combined with and ADS-B receiver and a SirrusXM WX subscription are all in active use in my little 40 year old airplane. I say this as an avid Delta frequent flyer, but I highly doubt Delta's competitors are only using PIREPS to navigate turbulence.

[bronco21016]

You certainly may be correct that Delta’s competitors may be using additional or different sources. However, there definitely is not any access to SiriusXM WX or ADS-B weather onboard FAR 121 aircraft. Many airlines are just now getting around to ADS-B out for compliance. When I worked for one of the regional airlines we had just been approved for EFBs (iPads) in 2017. Point is simply that GA is typically significantly further ahead in a lot of technologies these days because 121 air travel has become so incredibly safe that the FAA is very careful and methodical in approving new technology use. That costs money and it’s only been the last 3-4 years or so that airlines have had money to spend.

[base698]

Little airplane, PSSSSH--you try to put 4 people in Mooney.

[ayakura]

This article sounds like an ad, but in any case cutting cost and achieving higher customer satisfaction are all good things so props to Delta for that.

However, I have to wonder why the article makes it seem like only Delta is using data for turbulence avoidance and not other big players. Is this a relatively new thing when it comes to Big Data in airlines?

Edit: This is an ad after all

> This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers

[oliveshell]

If Delta is really serious about customer satisfaction, they’ll hurry up with the retirement of their old MD-80s (and MD-88s).

I’m hardly an aviation buff, but I’ve learned to identify these things by their sound from inside my house, which is 20 miles from the nearest airport (occasional departures fly over at roughly 10,000 feet).

Those old low-bypass JT8D engines make so much damn low-frequency noise. Every time I hear and feel that infrasonic rumble I think “must be an MD80”, and sure enough, if I check Flightradar24 it’s always one of those loud suckers, and always operated by Delta.

[Solar19]

The notice about affiliate links may not have anything to do with Delta. The Points Guy has an affiliate-driven revenue model, so that notice might appear before all of his posts.

[MBCook]

That doesn’t mean it’s an ad. It’s not sponsored content.

It means Delta buys ads on the site.

[iofiiiiiiiii]

Company culture has a lot to do with it! I work with some airlines and Delta are definitely among the most innovative and open minded. Delta also do quite a lot of their systems in-house as custom development, instead of relying on packaged turnkey garbage from oldschool integrators.

[certifiedloud]

As someone who holds a commercial pilots license but works in software development, I'd love to find a hybrid job solving problems I'm aviation with tech.

[JshWright]

I've gotten close to this as a software developer with a paramedic certification working for an EMR company. It's definitely nice...

[starpilot]

You probably don't. Aerospace is horribly conservative and slow, both in the work itself and in office culture. Imagine spending an entire week checking every calculation in a 50 page technical report. It must be correct, and it has to be that way.

[dusanbab]

Any particular area you’re interested in? Hacking on a side project right now with frequent flier miles and points.

[yurishimo]

Southwest is hiring all sorts of software people here in Dallas.

[xxpor]

Boeing must hire software devs?

[CrackpotGonzo]

uAvionix?

[athenot]

I got to tour Delta's OCC (and met the same weather dude with all the screens—nice setup). I didn't know whether their approach was unique among airlines but I did learn that their weather modeling is indeed more accurate than The Weather Company.

Since I was there on a calm day so the big wall screens (shown on the header of the article) were showing a Basketball game... :)

[rwc]

Delta is infamous for reporting “light chop” and seeking other flight levels. It doesn’t just make for a more comfortable flight, it’s good for airframe maintenance to boot.

[mastazi]

Why is an advertorial with a lot of hyperbole and very little content on the frontpage? I am an aviation enthusiast and I'm sure we could find better sources about this subject.

[swasheck]

Now if Delta could only keep their systems online to avoid ground stops. I think it's been two of the last three Autumns that they've experienced major outages.

[thatfrenchguy]

This reads like an ad for Delta more than anything else.

[nammi]

yup, they lost me at "The reason for the increase in avoidance? Lines of code, iPads onboard and a willingness to ditch a century-old way of doing things."

[swasheck]

It _is_ an ad by The Points Guy.

[pdelbarba]

I have no idea what they're referring to in terms of app or model, but Foreflight (most common EFB app on the market at the moment) has had this feature for maybe a year and is IPad only... So is this just a huge Delta ad there they're basically saying "yay, we use Foreflight"?

[ginkgotree]

It does look like they built their own app. But yes, Foreflight has had this for a while. yawn

[Sir_Cmpwn]

Pity - turbulence is one of my favorite parts of flying!

[WalterBright]

A friend told me once when he was flying that the jet hit some severe turbulence. Everyone was white-knuckling the armrests, until some texan towards the front started waving his hat and yelling yee-haw! Which went a long way towards relieving everyone's anxiety.

[danielecook]

It seems to me that there is less turbulence in the last 10-15 years. Does anyone know off hand whether this is the case?

[wahern]

Newer aircraft seem to have higher wing loading. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_loading#Range_of_wing_loa..., especially 767 vs newer aircraft.) Higher wing loading makes for a more stable flight. If your perception is correct, it could be changes in aircraft design rather than actual turbulence.

Personally, I think it may have more to do with pilots more liberally adjusting course to avoid turbulence. High-profile incidents related to turbulence, newer tech, and the padding of flight schedules to game on-time metrics would make it an easier decision for a pilot to avoid turbulence.

[craftyguy]

I'm not sure if there is less turbulance, or if I've just grown accustom to it. I rarely notice bumps/jostles when riding in a car or bus, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

[pdelbarba]

Maybe? PIREPS are not as useless as the article makes them out and systems for in cockpit weather/PIREPS and wind conditions have become much more commonplace in that time period.

[moneil971]

Not on all routes/airlines - on Hawaiian Airlines, we had 2 turbulent flights back to back. But maybe airlines other than Delta have better data tracking!

[hammock]

Global warming!?

[User23]

I like to tell people with a straight face that turbulence was actually introduced as a cost saving measure in the ‘70s.