flight turbulence forecast

AA1068 turbulence forecast

American Airlines · Cancun (CUN) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 12:00 Cancun time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air AA1068 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps on descent. The belt sign will likely come on.

CUN12:00Cancun
3h 3m
DFW15:03Dallas-Fort Worth
Model run 6 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
CUNDFW
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of AA1068, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
3h 3m
Distance
1,659 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A320 family

Bumpiness along the flight

Takeoff on the left, landing on the right. The higher the line, the bumpier the air the forecast expects at that moment.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 1h2h Take off Landing

Where, and why

The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.

Cruise0m – 2h 11mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise2h 11m – 2h 26mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise2h 26m – 2h 37mModerate

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise2h 37m – 2h 51mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Descent into Dallas-Fort Worth2h 51m – 3h 3mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

Coming down means flying back through the low, lively air near the ground: afternoon thermals, gusts around the airport. It is the busiest part of the flight for the crew, and the part they train for most.

Thunderstorms near the route

From 2h 15m to 2h 31m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 60 km from the planned line.

The ride line can stay calm with storms nearby. It follows the planned track at cruise height, above most storm tops. Pilots don't fly through storms: the weather radar in the nose shows each one, and the rule is to stay at least 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) away. Usually that means a detour of a few minutes.

The ride line stays calm here because the route as planned keeps its distance from them.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add AA1068 in FlyBud and you get the full turbulence map along your route, a push when the forecast for your flight changes, live tracking and your flight on the lock screen.

Flight status

The latest AA1068 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

AA1068 · Fri 30 OctArrived · 26 min early
Departs · CUN
11:47
Scheduled 12:00 · Terminal 3
Arrives · DFW
14:37
Scheduled 15:03 · Terminal D

Last update 7 days ago

Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.

The aircraft

What AA1068 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A321

Type code
A321
Seats on this flight
181
First flew
1987
In service since
1988
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, and every airliner is designed for much stronger turbulence than it will meet.

Airbus A320 family safety record →

The airline

American Airlines

Flying since
1926
Alliance
oneworld
Hubs
Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare
Country
United States

American Airlines safety record →

on your lock screen

AA1068 without unlocking your phone

Gate, delay, time to landing and the next bumpy stretch, on the lock screen from boarding to the baggage belt.

The route

Cancun (CUN) → Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)

Distance
1,659 km
Flight time
3h 3m
Usual departure
12:00 local
Usual arrival
15:03 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent AA1068 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Fri 30 Oct A320 Light 26 min early

What each level feels like

Smooth
Calm air. Nothing to notice beyond the hum of the engines.
Light
Gentle ripples and the odd dip. Drinks stay put, and walking to the toilet is fine.
Moderate
Clear bumps. Drinks may slosh and the belt sign comes on. Uncomfortable, but the pilots stay in full control.
Severe
Strong jolts, and loose items can move. This is rare, and it's why the belt sign exists. Crews slow down and change altitude to get out of it.

How this forecast is made

The planned route is sampled from gate to gate at the altitude the aircraft flies, through 3 independent global weather models, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast; nothing here is a guess from the airline's history.

The independent weather models behind this forecast agree on this ride.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of AA1068 over the moving forecast: bumpy air, storms and the winds at cruise height. Scrub through the flight hour by hour.

Why turbulence isn't dangerous

Aircraft are designed for much worse.

Airliners are tested to loads well beyond anything turbulence produces. The wings are meant to flex, so seeing them move is normal.

Crews know where it is.

Your crew has forecasts like this one, live reports from other pilots and their own weather radar, and they change altitude to stay out of bumpy air.

Keep your belt on.

Almost all turbulence injuries happen to people who are standing or not buckled in. Seated with your belt on, turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous.

Is turbulence dangerous? The long answer →

Questions about AA1068

Will AA1068 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps on descent. The belt sign will likely come on. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies AA1068?

Recently AA1068 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is AA1068?

About 3h 3m gate to gate from Cancun to Dallas-Fort Worth, a distance of about 1,659 km.

What time does AA1068 leave?

AA1068 usually departs Cancun at 12:00 local time and arrives in Dallas-Fort Worth at 15:03 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on AA1068?

Turbulence is uncomfortable, not dangerous to the aircraft. Airliners are certified for loads far beyond anything turbulence produces, and crews plan around the bumpy patches with the same kind of forecast as this one. Injuries are almost always to people who were standing or unbuckled, so keep your seatbelt fastened whenever you're seated.

How accurate is this turbulence forecast?

It is a forecast, so it is best within a day or so of departure and improves with every model run. The bumpy patches it finds are usually in the right place, but their timing can shift by a few minutes and the crew may change altitude to avoid them, so the ride you get is often smoother than the forecast.

flybud

Fly AA1068 knowing what's ahead

The turbulence forecast for your exact flight, live tracking, delay alerts and arrival weather. Built for people who'd rather know.

AA1068Moderate