A new video from airline Captain Steeeve offers one of the clearest, most reassuring explanations of turbulence that passengers will find anywhere. With calm delivery and simple language, he breaks down exactly what turbulence is, why it happens, and why modern aircraft are built to handle far more than anything passengers ever feel in flight.

Steeeve begins by explaining that turbulence is simply movement of air—no different from driving on a bumpy road. While it can feel unsettling inside the cabin, it has little effect on the airplane’s ability to fly safely. Pilots encounter turbulence regularly and are trained extensively to manage it.

He outlines the three most common types of turbulence that passengers experience on commercial flights. Each type has a different cause, whether it’s weather patterns, temperature changes, or the airplane moving through invisible currents of air. Importantly, none of these conditions pose a threat to the aircraft’s structural integrity. Airplanes undergo rigorous testing and are engineered to withstand forces drastically stronger than anything felt during routine flights.

Steeeve also shares what pilots do behind the scenes during turbulence—slowing the aircraft when necessary, adjusting altitude, coordinating with air traffic control, and communicating with other pilots to find smoother air. Much of this work happens quietly and efficiently, long before passengers even realize what’s going on.

For nervous fliers, Steeeve offers practical advice to help reduce anxiety: keep your seatbelt fastened when seated, trust the aircraft’s design, and remember that turbulence is a normal and expected part of flying. The more you understand it, he says, the less intimidating it becomes.

The video ultimately reinforces a message every traveler should hear: turbulence may be uncomfortable, but it is not dangerous. Pilots train for it, aircraft are built for it, and flights remain completely safe even when the ride gets bumpy.