Great story though, coming into DAL this morning, we were preceeded by a corp jet that reported "Severe" turbulence coming down through the descent...do any of you know what "severe" turbulence really is?!?!? We had to correct him and let him know it was only continuous light to occassional moderate, nowhere near severe. Oh well, i guess there are those out there who think even the smallest bump is "severe"...wimps.....:laugh:
You may or may not have experienced severe turbulence before, but it's awfully arrogant of you to "correct" another report of severe turbulence. Were you on the other aircraft? Didn't think so.
It's getting severe when you can't read the instrument panel any more, when you no longer are in control of the aircraft, when your wings crack and when your flight engineer gets ejected from his seat. Been there, done that, for many, many hours on end. In fact, I've spent a good portion of my career in severe turbulence, or greater.
One thing I don't beleive I've ever had the arrogance to do is to correct another pilot who reports a condition encountered in flight. I can report what I find, but I've been aloft a good many times when I found dead calm and the other guy got slammed, or visa versa, or I got severe icing and the other guy got none. Who's to say what the other guy got.
I was on approach in a Lear, late one night. The tower reported that the crew ahead of me had reported some significant shears. It was dead calm. I should have paid attention to the difference in the surface winds, but I justified myself into disbelieving. At 300,' the sound of airflow over the cockpit changed radically, and it appeared to become very quiet. The airplane rolled right and full left aileron was required along with takeoff thrust.
I had been about to report negative shear (though I wouldn't have had the audacity to "correct" the other crew), and it shut me up post haste.
Next time you feel like correcting a report wrought by another crew, perhaps you should shut up post haste and think for a minute that they may have experienced something you have not.