Worst turbulence you've experienced?

Caporegime
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I just read that a few people have been injured during turbulence on a flight from New York to Dublin. While I'm not a nervous flyer myself I really do feel uncomfortable during turbulence (I think the noise is the most alarming thing) and am a bit fascinated by it. I'd be interested in other people's horror stories.

The worst turbulence I experienced was on a flight from Edinburgh to Gatwick last year as we flew over NW England the pilot said it was coming in across the Irish sea. First and only time I've seen cabin crew stop serving drinks - would that be classed as moderate turbulence?
 
On a plane that was struggling to land in Koh Samui in a particularly rough storm. People were crying and throwing up. There was a big bang at one point... me joking that the landing gear had probably jammed didn't raise a single smile. :p
 
Worst is going from Philly to Florida I believe it was and although I've experienced bad turbulence before this was literally swaying the plane to the point another few feet would have been diagonal...to top it off the guy next to me start asking what I'm in Florida for, have i been before etc etc!! lol
 
Ive had it pretty rough,, cabin crew had to strap themselves in.

Worst was a helicopter though, one of those little glass bubble ones, that was genuinelyffrightening, it was all over the place!
 
A few rough flights and a drink come out of a cup but nothing to be afraid of. Don't worry if the wing starts to shake as it won't come off. :p
 
A friend of mine was on that flight that featured on the news a few years back where the aircraft hit a "pocket" of air turbulence and dropped, god knows how far, in a few seconds. He alluded to it being like the vomit comet, anyone not belted in literally hit the roof.

But if you follow the correct guidelines and your on a well maintained aircraft, with a good crew, turbulence is nothing to worry about. A modern aircraft can take a load of punishment before things start going south.
 
Once had turbulence where the plane just suddenly dropped by what must've been 10ft+ or something, felt like I was on one of those theme park rides that suddenly lets you drop in free-fall for a few seconds.

Otherwise nothing more than the shaking/jumping around stuff really :)
 
Flying from Bangalore to Dubai, the cabin crew were falling all over the place trying to get their seats. Trolleys flying down the aisles etc.
 
Not in flight turbulence but crosswind on landing. Coming in to land at Dublin airport, plane rocking side to side. Looked like the wing was about to hit the ground. Plane hit the deck really hard and then the engines roared like I have never heard, the plane took off again almost instantly... Pilot come on the intercom (in a very calm west Ireland accent) "we'll have to come round and have another crack at it" :D

I'm no nervous flyer for sure, but I was gripping the arm rest tightly. Guy next to me cracked open a bottle of whiskey when we landed :p
 
and your on a well maintained aircraft, with a good crew,

Sadly, this is the part which is totally out of your hands and can cause the problems :p

I've never been through particularly bad turbulence but I've experienced a few heavy landings where the pilot obviously flared a little too early and dropped the plane a little too far :D
 
A friend of mine was on that flight that featured on the news a few years back where the aircraft hit a "pocket" of air turbulence and dropped, god knows how far, in a few seconds. He alluded to it being like the vomit comet, anyone not belted in literally hit the roof.

But if you follow the correct guidelines and your on a well maintained aircraft, with a good crew, turbulence is nothing to worry about. A modern aircraft can take a load of punishment before things start going south.

I have a friend who experienced something similar on a flight to Australia, apparently the plane suddenly dropped a couple thousand feet, he's a nervous flyer as it is so i can imagine he must have been bricking it :p
 
Worse turbulence was probably during a skydive lift which caused the spotter (chap who lines up where we jump out of) to fall out of the plane (fortunately we were high enough).

In a commercial flight - the worse experience I have had (not that it scared or bothered me) but that caused me to wake up and not allow me to have a coffee, actually popped open some overhead luggage compartments - it didn't trigger the oxygen supply though as we only dropped a couple of hundred feet according to the captain (I asked him once we had landed).

It really isn't that scary, but for those who are nervous flyers, I can imagine it being hell on earth (or in the air) as for those people it is undoubtedly really disconcerting.

I'm a very passive flyer. I guess after spending 6-7 years of my life travelling weekly around the place you get used to it.

Unlike Will Gill who'd rather be lamped before getting on the plane :p
 
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I'm sure I've probably been in worse turbulence then most of you! It never concerned me tho. We do our best to avoid it, usually by changing altitude. Unfortunately on some days it is everywhere!

It is never a problem, the aircraft are able to cope with far far more then you (and me!) have ever experienced.

I've flown into Dublin a lot and yes it can be a very rough approach with strong gusty winds from the south coming over the Wicklow mountains. Again it is just uncomfortable and still perfectly safe, great fun when your flying it though! :)
 
After watching that Horizon program and seeing how much force wings on a plane can withstand I don't think I'll worry about it again. Flight back from Ibiza had turbulence practically all the way back and some people looked pretty worried, only thing that annoyed me was I couldn't sleep through it.
 
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