Not long ago I was a passenger in a small commuter plane, which was caught in a fierce winter storm. The turbulence was so violent I had to hold on to the seatback in front of me to keep my upper body from being thrown about in spite of the restraining belt. When the pilot tried to climb out of the storm, ice began forming on the wings, increasing the danger. We passengers became even more fearful when the curtain separating the cockpit from the passenger section fell to one side enabling us to see the frantic actions of the pilot and copilot and to hear their words of extreme urgency.
