How flying works
Holding patterns, slots, turbulence and that map on Flightradar24. What is actually going on, explained from the other side of the radio.
All articles: How flying works
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13 Oct 20261 min read
Flight levels: why planes fly so high
Why airliners cruise at 35,000 feet, what "flight level 350" means and how aircraft flying in opposite directions are kept at different heights.
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13 Oct 20261 min read
Holding patterns: why your plane is flying in circles
Your flight is circling instead of landing. What a holding pattern is, why controllers use them and why it's nothing to worry about.
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13 Oct 20261 min read
Separation: how air traffic control keeps planes apart
The invisible boxes around every aircraft: how far apart planes must stay, sideways and vertically, and why some need more space than others.
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13 Oct 20261 min read
Weather delays: why landing in fog takes longer
Fog, wind and storms don't stop flights, but they slow them down. Why weather cuts how many aircraft can land each hour, and what it means for your claim.
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13 Oct 20261 min read
Turbulence: what we know before you feel it
Why turbulence happens, how pilots and controllers find out where it is before you hit it, and why your seatbelt is the only thing you need to worry about.