Pilot reveals where the best place to sit on a plane to avoid turbulence

Turbulence will always be an unwanted, but unavoidable part of air travel – but there is one thing passengers can do to help reduce it.

Jimmy Nicholson is an airline pilot and former star of The Bachelor Australia, and he shared his “hot tip” for people looking to avoid a bumpy flight.

According to his viral TikTok clip, people who specifically choose seats at the front of the aircraft will always experience less turbulence than people who sit at the back.

"If you sit in front of the aircraft, you are going to experience less turbulence," but if you're in the back, it's going to be a bit more bumpy," Nicholson said.

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Choosing to demonstrate the effect with his pet cat, he said: “Picture this, the rear of the aircraft will swing more. The front will swing less. So if you are scared of flying or feel sick when you experience turbulence, sit up the front of the aircraft. That would be my hot tip."

Speaking about the nature of turbulence, he added: “Remember, the aircraft is not going to fall out the sky. You’re all good, it’s just an annoying thing that hopefully will only last for a matter of minutes.

"If you do feel sick when you’re flying, look for a visual reference. Look at the window and stare at the horizon. Hopefully it will help you as well. Hopefully there won’t be turbulence for long. We will either climb, descent or try to get you out of the turbulence.”

So there you have it – nervous flyers should look to book tickets at the front wherever they can.

While it’s true that it’s an unavoidable part of flying, but what exactly is turbulence?

Writing for Business Insider, pilot Patrick Smith recently explained what the "rough air" is and why you don't need to worry about it.

“Every flight, every day, will encounter some degree of rough air, be it a few light burbles or a more pronounced and consistent chop that sometimes gets your coffee spilling and the plates rattling in the galley,” he said.

“From a pilot’s perspective, garden-variety turbulence is seen as a comfort and convenience issue, not a safety issue per se. It’s annoying, but it is not dangerous.”

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