I fly a 44 because its all I can afford. I've been in some awfully rough air, and just slowed down. I have, however, been pretty damn scared a couple of times when a passenger has bumped the cyclic, trying to take a picture, or get to their cell phone or whatever. If I'd had a little looser grip on the pole I think I'd be dead. I wonder how many of the inexplicable smooth clear air disintegrations are due to that?