Some people have a particular fear of flying in rain, and some days rain can be widespread.  This can leading to a particular feeling of dread  should the forecast for the day of your flight be a little ornery.  Here’s a few thoughts on the topic of flying in rain that I posted recently on the Taking Flight FoF forum…

A few things about flying in rain…

1) it is no problem. The engines run just fine even with water going in the front, and the wing is unaffected.

2) as you might expect, your pilots do have some considerations to make on rainy days with regard to reduced braking effectiveness on the ground, but these factors are well known and applied with large safety margins so for you, as a passenger, it makes absolutely no difference.

3) on humid days (e.g. Raining or foggy) if you are seated at a window near the wing you may notice some condensation clouds over the wing and in the engine air intakes (the front of the engine). Don’t worry… It is not smoke! It is an atmospeheric effect whereby the water in the humid air condenses in areas of lower air pressure. This is most likely at takeoff, but also possible at approach & landing.

4) you can expect, possibly, a few bumps at low altitude until you get above the clouds. It is quite common for the seatbelt sign to stay on for a little bit longer after takeoff until your pilots climb the plane above the clouds.

5) your airplane has weather radar allowing your pilots to see through the cloud and thereby avoid the worst of the bumpy clouds.

6) you are perfectly safe from lightning inside an airplane due to it being a metal can… if you are science-minded, google “faraday cage” for the explanation of why.

7) you will, probably, be above the clouds for much of your flight. If it is a daytime flight this is a most glorious experience, being in the clear sunny sky all the while knowing that the mere mortals below are being rained upon!

Enjoy your flight, and look forward to seeing the sun on a day when the earthings won’t!