Yes, a plane can land in the rain but a captain has to consider many factors before doing so. Generally, moderate rain does not have nearly as much impact on the visibility of the plane than as fog or snow do. The only real danger to flying in heavy rain is the fact that rain can be associated with severe weather.
Clear air turbulence is the most dangerous kind, as it occurs in cloudless skies with perfect visibility—so oncoming turbulence cannot be picked up by weather radar. This leaves little to no time for the flight crew to warn passengers to return to their seats and buckle up.
Namely, the idea that lightning will strike the airplane and cause it to break apart. In fact, every plane you fly has likely been struck by lightning at least once during its lifetime, though lightning won't bring a modern airplane down. Well, they can certainly fly after having been struck by lightning.
The simple answer is: yes, pilots are allowed to fly in hurricanes, provided certain conditions apply. When the wind and weather are within legal and safe parameters, a pilot is allowed to fly the plane while there's a hurricane going on. They just have to make sure certain conditions are met before they take off.
This rise in warm air under or inside of cumulus clouds makes the air bumpy. When this happens you feel it more inside of the clouds since the air rises faster due to what is called the wet adiabatic lapse rate. Clouds do not cause turbulence, they show it.
Jet aircraft can safely fly over thunderstorms only if their flight altitude is well above the turbulent cloud tops. The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so enroute flights always seek to go around them.
The answer to the question “can planes fly in thunderstorms?” is almost always “yes,” and when it's not, pilots (and the people who help them fly) won't even try. All but the most severe weather is completely harmless to modern aircraft, including lightning.
While usually short in duration, summer thunderstorms can strike at any time and delays can happen at a moment's notice. Usually, airlines can avoid delays by working with air traffic control to route flights around thunderstorms. In most cases, flights can begin once the storm moves out.
When lightning hits an aircraft, it arcs through the fuselage, from the wings and nose, and exits through the tail. All wires onboard are grounded or isolated away from the body, and the electric current passes through the conductive outer shell of the aircraft.
But the truth is, according to statistics from the United States government, flying on a plane on average is overwhelmingly safer than driving a car. That comes out to be 1.13 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and nearly 11 people for every 100,000 U.S. residents.
Thunderstorms can cause a plane to lose control and even crash, depending on altitude, pilot skills and what damage was caused to the plane. Generally it's the turbulence that is most dangerous and can toss a plane like a dog with a ragdoll. Some planes can lose a few thousand feet of altitude in extreme downbursts.
If you're a frequent train traveler, you might not like the answer. But trains are still only the second-safest option, with the first-safest option being — you guess it — flying. According to that same study, the number of deaths per billion passenger-miles caused by airplanes is a measly 0.07.
- Etihad Airways. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
- Singapore Airlines. Source: Flickr.
- Cathay Pacific. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
- Emirates. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
- Qatar Airways. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
- British Airways. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
- Korean Air. Source: Flickr.
- All Nippon Airways. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Planes can fly through tornados, but the prefered method of flight is to go around bad weather, especially such as tornados and hurricanes. Normally the distance to miss bad weather woulld be by 20 miles or more.
Rain. Rain doesn't affect a flight that much in itself. Obviously if combined with very heavy winds, it can cause extra considerations and challenges to flight planning – even a change of route or a delay if the conditions are extreme.
With regards to flying through rain clouds, it is not a problem. In normal circumstances these clouds are not turbulent and feel no different to flying through a standard cloud. In more severe storms the clouds may cause a few bumps, but are by no means anything to worry about.
You are nineteen times safer in a plane than in a car. Every single time you step on a plane, no matter how many times you fly, you are nineteen times less likely to die than in your car.
Expect a bumpy flight
Flying through monsoon clouds—especially the curly, cumulonimbus type—will mean bumps, thuds, sudden drops and inexplicable 'lifts'. Understand that it is as normal. Compare this with driving in the monsoon; the potholes are irritating, but your car won't come apart after hitting a pothole.
