Turbulence in Operations Course
Online course of 300 hours in turbulence in flight operations. 6 modules covering types and origins of turbulence, forecasting products, detection and reporting, in-flight and cabin procedures and risk management, applying ICAO Annex 3 and FAA AC 120-88A, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Differentiate the types of turbulence and how they form.
Interpret turbulence forecast products such as GTG and SIGWX.
Use the EDR metric to quantify intensity.
Apply flight deck and cabin procedures for turbulence.
Assess turbulence risk within the SMS framework.
Analyse turbulence events involving injuries.
Design a turbulence management plan for specific routes.
Who it's for
- Flight dispatchers.
- Aeronautical meteorologists.
- Cabin safety managers.
- Flight data analysts.
- Route planning technicians.
- Cabin crew instructors.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to join airlines.
What you'll work with
- ICAO Annex 3 (meteorological service for international air navigation)
- FAA AC 120-88A (Preventing Injuries Caused by Turbulence)
- ICAO Doc 8896 (Manual of Aeronautical Meteorological Practice)
- FAA AC 00-30C (Clear Air Turbulence Avoidance)
- ICAO Doc 4444 PANS-ATM (air traffic management procedures)
- ICAO Annex 6 (operation of aircraft)
- Regulation (EU) 965/2012 (air operations)
- IATA Turbulence Aware
- Aviation Weather Center GTG
- Python with xarray
- Lido Flight 4D
6 modules
1.1Convective turbulence in thunderstorm clouds1.2Clear air turbulence (CAT)1.3Mountain waves and rotors1.4Low-level mechanical turbulence1.5Wake turbulence from other aircraft1.6Kelvin-Helmholtz instability1.7Jet streams and troughs1.8Turbulence intensity scales1.9Eddy dissipation rate (EDR)1.10Practical exercise: locating CAT on jet stream charts
2.1Ellrod indices and the Richardson number2.2Numerical models and the GTG product2.3WAFS turbulence forecasts2.4Significant weather charts and turbulence SIGMETs2.5Deep convection forecasting2.6Real-time radar and satellite2.7Turbulence applications for crews2.8Forecast reliability and verification2.9Combined use of several products2.10Lab: comparing GTG with real reports
3.1PIREP and AIREP air reports3.2Automatic EDR via datalink3.3Airborne turbulence radar3.4On-board LIDAR sensors3.5The IATA Turbulence Aware programme3.6Reporting to air traffic control3.7Event recording in FDM3.8Quality of turbulence data3.9Data sharing between airlines3.10Workshop: analysing EDR values for a fleet
4.1Route and flight level planning4.2Turbulence penetration speed4.3Use of the autopilot4.4Seat belt sign and announcements4.5Cabin crew procedures4.6Management of in-flight service4.7Communication with passengers4.8Child restraint systems4.9Inspection after severe turbulence4.10Practical exercise: cabin briefing for forecast turbulence
5.1Injuries to passengers and crew5.2Structural loads and design limits5.3Maintenance inspection after the event5.4Operational costs of turbulence5.5Turbulence as an SMS hazard5.6Turbulence event indicators5.7Climate change and the CAT trend5.8Investigation of events with injuries5.9Recommendations from the authorities5.10Case study: severe turbulence event with injuries
6.1Selection of study routes6.2Turbulence climatology on the routes6.3Event data and EDR values6.4Assessment of current procedures6.5Proposal for operational improvement6.6Crew training plan6.7Monitoring indicators6.8Cost-benefit analysis of the measures6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is IATA Turbulence Aware, Aviation Weather Center GTG, Python with xarray and Lido Flight 4D, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: analysing turbulence forecasts against observations, studying a fleet's turbulence events and designing cabin procedures for turbulence. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final project.
Standards covered: ICAO Annex 3, FAA AC 120-88A, ICAO Doc 8896, FAA AC 00-30C, ICAO Doc 4444 PANS-ATM, ICAO Annex 6, Regulation (EU) 965/2012.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with IATA Turbulence Aware, Aviation Weather Center GTG, Python with xarray and Lido Flight 4D, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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