Montana Has One of the Most Turbulent Airports in the US

I'm sure your family is just like mine. Some of us enjoy flying, while others are terrified at the thought of getting on an airplane. My parents, for example, do not enjoy the experience at all. My dad would rather drive 14 hours than get on a plane.

Turbulence is one of the things that can make even the most frequent flyers among us a bit nervous. When that giant aluminum tube full of 300 people starts bumping around as it zips through the sky at 500 miles per hour, it can be unnerving. Perhaps even more so when you're coming in for a landing.

Odds are likely that your Montana flight was bumpy.

If you've ever flown in or out of Montana, there is a good chance that at least one leg of your journey to Big Sky Country was a bumpy flight. According to data compiled by Daily Passport, Bozeman Airport is the 2nd most turbulent airport in the nation.

Gate A3 at BIL. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

It's not just Bozeman.

"Great, I'll just fly into Missoula or Billings instead!" says the nervous flyer, hoping to avoid a bumpy landing. But here's the issue: most commercial flights to anywhere in Montana go through Denver or Salt Lake.

The TSA line on an early morning flight at BIL. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

Denver and Salt Lake airports are notoriously turbulent.

In fact, DIA is the most turbulent airport in the US, and SLC ranks #4 on the list. So, one way or another, you'll probably have a rough flight coming to Montana.

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Turbulence can be frightening, but injuries are thankfully quite rare. Out of the thousands of domestic flights each year, official figures from the Federal Aviation Administration show that fewer than 60 people are seriously injured by turbulence.