re: Most Turbulent Flight You've Experienced?

Flew from IAH to Bakersfield. We were the last flight out and had to fly down to Brownsville trying to go around the storm complex. No dice so we just went through it. OMG! We got thrown around so bad that it felt like were in a dive several times. We finally came out of the complex near Phoenix. A few minutes later the co-pilot came on, (with a very heavy Arab accent, this was 2003) and said we almost had to land in Phoenix for fuel but they "thought" we could make it on into Bakersfield. Holy crap, we all voted Phoenix. Anyway, we made it. Called my wife and cancelled my next two flights home. Scared the crap out of me.

Other time was flying from Bakersfield to LAX in a prop plane we went through the wake turbulence of a 747. Felt like we hit a wall, everyone on board screamed, I grabbed the seat in front of me which was now filled with the girl's hair sitting there. She gave me a dirty look when we landed. Oops.

For what it's worth, I am retired Air Force and a former air traffic controller. It is nearly impossible for turbulence to bring down a plane. You'd have to be in a terrible thunderstorm. Doesn't make the experience any more enjoyable though.