At lower levels, wind can cause the aircraft to sway back and forth, but the pilots are well trained for this. As always, airlines and airports will have wind speed limits. If the wind is too strong they will choose not to land or take-off. Simple as that!
With this in mind, horizontal winds (also known as “crosswinds”) in excess of 30-35 kts (about 34-40 mph) are generally prohibitive of take-off and landing. As far as how this happens, it depends on where you are in flight.
Making the flight comfortable for passengers
Strong winds can seriously affect aircraft movement. Most of this is due to clear air turbulence - caused by variations in wind velocity. This happens as the lift produced by the wings will increase and decrease with changes in wind speed or direction.
The only thing a strong wind may do is affect the length of time the flight will take. If you have a strong headwind, it can slow down a flight. The opposite is true of a strong tailwind, and this may mean the flight takes longer than expected.
In general, commercial airlines are designed to handle crosswinds up to 30-40 knots (approximately 35-46 mph), and some planes are capable of landing in even higher winds.
There is no headwind limitation for most commercial aircraft for take-off, and therefore is no maximum overall limit for take-off (or landing). If there was a 100mph wind, all of which was a headwind component, in theory the aircraft wouldn't be restricted from taking off.
Every aircraft has its own stated crosswind limitations. The Boeing 737, for example, has a maximum crosswind component of 35 knots if the runway is perfectly dry, or 15 knots if the runway is wet. The larger Boeing 777 has a maximum crosswind component of 38 knots.
While turbulence can feel scary, airplanes are designed to withstand massive amounts of it. "A plane cannot be flipped upside-down, thrown into a tailspin, or otherwise flung from the sky by even the mightiest gust or air pocket," wrote pilot Patrick Smith on his site, AskThePilot.com.
All planes are designed to fly through thunderstorms and have to comply with safety regulations. A rainstorm is unlikely to cause damage to the aircraft. The only danger of flying during bad weather is the risk of freezing rain, but in this case, your plane will most likely be delayed until the storm passes.
Jet aircraft can safely fly over thunderstorms only if their flight altitude is well above the turbulent cloud tops. The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so en route flights always seek to go around them.
Each type of aircraft—as well as the airlines that operate them—have their own guidelines on the types of winds they can endure before it's unsafe to fly. Crosswinds greater than 50-60 km/h may cause airlines to delay or cancel flights.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Aerophobia is an extreme fear of flying. People with aerophobia might feel intense anxiety before or during a flight. This condition can interfere with your ability to travel for work or pleasure. If aerophobia is affecting your quality of life, talk to your healthcare provider.
Normally, pilots try to avoid areas of heavy turbulence using the weather radar system, which scans the area ahead of the aircraft. The pilots use the radar to fly deviation maneuvers many times, reducing severe turbulence.
The wind can slow down the airplane or make it harder to fly in a straight line. In some cases, the wind can even cause the airplane to crash.
For context, 87% of flights arrived on time during the same period last year, and less than 2% of flights were canceled. So how do you improve your odds of traveling on one of the three-quarters of flights that arrives in good time? And how have flight delays and cancelations become so prevalent?
Even taking off and landing in heavy rain, snow, and fog is possible for aircraft equipped with adequate instruments and automated control systems for the conditions. However, heavy winds and thunderstorms, which often accompany rain, can keep aircraft grounded and result in airline flight cancellations.
I've known pilots who are scared of flying. In the industry, they are known as seagulls because you have to throw rocks at them to get them to fly and, even then, they squawk the entire time. One mate of mine who wasn't keen on flying said he coped by always taking a taxi to the airport.
Pilots are trained to handle all sorts of nerve-racking situations, but that doesn't mean that they don't get scared—especially in these real instances, told by the pilots who experienced them, of serious in-flight fear.
Pilots have a unique viewpoint while flying private or commercial aircraft. They get an unobstructed view of stunning natural sights, such as pink lakes and rectangular-shaped icebergs. Some have reported seeing UFOs, while others have flown over swirling hurricanes.
"If a plane is flying along at a constant speed and height, then suddenly the headwind reduces, or it enters a descending column of air, this can cause the aircraft to suddenly descend," Gratton explained.
From a practical point, no, a modern airliner will not lose a wing due to turbulence. Modern airlines are very tough and designed to withstand extreme turbulence. In theory, it might be possible. But to my knowledge, it has not happened to any jet airliner.
Pilot error is the number one cause of aviation accidents. Piloting an aircraft requires lengthy training, a knowledge of the mechanical components of an aircraft, and hand-eye coordination skills to effectively and safely maneuver an aircraft. Pilots also have to think ahead.
Wind is an important consideration for pilots during a flight, but it may not only be for the reasons you're thinking. Aircraft always try to land and take off into the wind in order to minimize the speeds needed to get airborne or come to a stop.
The average cruising airspeed for a commercial passenger aircraft that flies long distances is approximately 880–926 km/h (475–500 kn; 547–575 mph). Still have questions?
And as it turns out, flying is actually one of the safest forms of transportation. In fact, flying is the safest way to travel long distances, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics – safer than traveling by car, motorcycle, bus, or train.