Alaska Airlines pilot shares her take on Boeing, turbulence and safety

Here’s what an airline pilot thinks about turbulence, safety and Boeing

What you probably already know: There have been many reports about air turbulence increasing, making some flights more uncomfortable for passengers lately. Combine that with some of the issues Boeing has had with its jets, and that has many people concerned about flying — even when they know that driving is statistically much more dangerous. So when we sat down with Alaska Airlines Base Chief Pilot Julie Thiele to talk about recruiting more women and people of color to the job, we also asked her a bit about her take on these recent headlines. Here’s what she had to say:

On increased turbulence: Thiele isn’t buying the research that suggests turbulence is increasing. She just thinks social media means more people know about the turbulence so it feels more prevalent. “When we do hit some rocky turbulence, (some passengers) are going to report it right away,” she said. “It really hasn’t changed on the pilot side of it.” The big thing that has changed, though, she said is the technology pilots have now that helps them avoid turbulence or get out of it quickly if they do hit a patch. And, she said, they don’t put the seatbelt sign on unless they have a report that turbulence is coming, so listen up and buckle up.

Best plane to fly: “I work for Alaska Airlines, so if it ain’t Boeing, I’m not going,” Thiele said, quoting an old Boeing marketing slogan from the late 1950s that’s still popular with many pilots. The Boeing 737s are the largest jets Thiele has ever flown and she remains a fan of all of the 737 models she’s flown, despite the challenges the company has had. “It’s my absolute favorite jet to fly,” she said. “I love the Boeing aircraft and I believe in it.”

Favorite destination: While she doesn’t have a favorite, per se, she’s enjoying Alaska’s new routes to Central America and was able to fly to Belize several times, as well as Havana, Cuba. “I have yet to get to the Bahamas,” she said. “I’m looking forward to that at some point.” But one her favorite destinations right now is a small town in Alaska called Red Dog, which is a zinc and lead mine in a remote part of the state. “It’s a self-sufficient city out there,” she said. “There’s no layovers, no hotels, no restaurants. They do everything themselves.” It was so unique, she said, she really enjoyed getting the chance to fly in and check it out.

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