why do we feel turbulence in an aircraft when going through clouds formed in the air, but not when walking through clouds formed at the surface?
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On the ground we have an anchoring point at our feet from which we can counter gusts of wind (eg people walking into a strong wind will naturally lean forward more than usual as they walk). It’s like how if you wade in a river you won’t get pushed along unless there’s an especially strong current, but if you float on it or tread water you’ll most likely drift.
It’s also worth noting that humans do not come in very aerodynamic shapes. Planes on the hand are designed specifically to catch the air around them. If you’ve seen someone’s umbrella fly off on a windy day or even just a newspaper flapping around, that’s probably a better indication. Also, if you’re talking about in clouds specifically, most of the time clouds/mist/fog only gather at surface level when it’s relatively not windy – in strong winds they normally dissipate very quickly unless you’re up a mountain or something like that.
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