On 13 Dec 2004 14:49:38 -0800, wrote in
.com::

Okay, that really concerns me.

How bad is flying out of Phoenix (or Vegas) in a small plane?

I've never had a problem, but I don't fly when convective turbulence
is predicted. It's more common in the summer. You can get a 7-day
forecast he http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/forecasts.php#zone

The talk of unstable air makes it sound extremely dangerous.

Unstable air is humid air. It's what causes thunderstorms. It's
easily predictable, so there is only potential danger if the pilot
fails to factor weather briefing information into his decisions.
Those sort of pilots usually don't last to long. :-)

It's usually more about comfort and speed. Flights in the morning and
evening are usually much less affected.