What is the difference between turbulence and air pockets?

July 18, 2025

Okay, let’s talk about it — turbulence. You know, that moment in a flight when your calm disappears, your stomach lurches, and you're convinced the plane is about to fall out of the sky. And someone says, “It’s just an air pocket.” Cool. What the hell is an air pocket? And why does it feel like death? Let’s break down the difference between turbulence and air pockets.

Turbulence: The Sky Being a Jerk

Talking about turbulence and air pockets, turbulence is just… bumpy air. That’s literally it. The sky is full of moving air currents — hot air rising, cold air dropping, jet streams zipping around — and when a plane flies through all that, it bounces a bit. It’s the sky equivalent of hitting a pothole. Annoying? Yes. Dangerous? Not really. Got Fear of Air Turbulence? It is natural. Pilots? They see turbulence all the time. It's part of their day. They know when it's coming, they know how to fly through it, and the plane is built for it. You might be panicking in row 14, but up front in the cockpit? They're calm. Probably sipping coffee.

So What’s an Air Pocket?

Ah, yes — “air pocket.” The term people use when the plane suddenly drops, and your soul temporarily leaves your body. Here’s the truth: there’s no such thing as an actual “pocket” of air missing from the sky. That dip? It’s a downdraft — a quick blast of air pushing downward that makes the plane feel like it just dropped 50 feet in half a second. It’s still turbulence. Just more dramatic. So when people say “we hit an air pocket,” what they really mean is “we hit a part of the sky that made the plane drop and now I’m reevaluating my life choices.”

Why the Fear of Air Turbulence Feels So Awful

Because your brain hates uncertainty. You're 35,000 feet in the air, you can't see what’s happening, and your body suddenly moves in a way you didn’t ask for. Of course, your brain says “panic.” But here’s the truth: the fear of air turbulence is built on how it feels, not how dangerous it actually is. And how does it feel? Freaky. But how dangerous is it? Not very. Not even close. Planes are overbuilt to handle turbulence. Pilots are trained to avoid the worst of it. The thing that causes most injuries during turbulence? People are not wearing seatbelts.

So What Can You Actually Do?

Talking about turbulence and air pockets, if you hate turbulence — like, really hate it — here are a few things that actually help:

• Pick a seat over the wings – It’s the most stable part of the plane.
• Wear your seatbelt – Always. Even if the sign’s off.
• Don’t over-caffeinate – Coffee + anxiety = sweaty, shaky mess.
• Breathe slowly – No, really. Count to 4 as you breathe in and 6 as you breathe out.
• Watch the flight attendants – They’ve seen it all. If they’re chilling, you can chill too.
• Tell someone you’re anxious – No shame. Flight attendants are trained to help nervous flyers.

And if all else fails, put on headphones, close your eyes, and pretend you’re on a bus. A flying bus. With snacks.

Real Talk to End On

Turbulence and air pockets are part of flying. They feel weird, sometimes scary, but they’re not signs that something’s going wrong. Your plane isn’t broken. It’s just moving through messy air. And you? You’re going to be fine. You might clench the armrest a few times. You might whisper “oh my god” once or twice. That’s okay. It’s normal. But you're not in danger. You’re in the air. Safely. On your way to wherever you’re going. And you’re not alone if you have a Fear of Air Turbulence — we’ve all been there. Head to our website, run a quick search, and see what’s out there.