flight turbulence forecast

AA135 turbulence forecast

American Airlines · London (LHR) to Los Angeles (LAX)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 16:55 London time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air AA135 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

LHR16:55London
11h 15m
LAX21:10Los Angeles
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
LHRLAX
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of AA135, coloured by its own forecast. The shading is the bumpy air and storms forecast at cruise height around the middle of the flight.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
11h 15m
Distance
8,769 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
4 blended
Model agreement
Medium
Aircraft
Boeing 777

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 2h4h6h8h10h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 3h 7mSmooth

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.

Cruise3h 7m – 3h 47mLight

Mountain waves

Wind blowing over a mountain range makes waves in the air downstream, the way water ripples over rocks in a stream, and those waves can reach cruising height. They are forecast from the same wind and terrain data used here, so the crew knows where they are before departure.

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.

Cruise3h 47m – 8h 14mSmooth

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.

Cruise8h 14m – 8h 54mLight

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.

Cruise8h 54m – 9h 35mSmooth

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.

Cruise9h 36m – 11h 15mLight

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add AA135 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 AA135 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

AA135 · Mon 26 OctArrived · 16 min early
Departs · LHR
16:50
Scheduled 16:55 · Terminal 3
Arrives · LAX
20:54
Scheduled 21:10 · Terminal B

Last update 11 days ago

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

The aircraft

What AA135 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 777-300

Type code
B773
Seats on this flight
304
First flew
1994
In service since
1995
Economy seating
3-4-3
Engines
2
Range
13,890 km
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.

Boeing 777 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

AA135 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

London (LHR) → Los Angeles (LAX)

Distance
8,769 km
Flight time
11h 15m
Usual departure
16:55 local
Usual arrival
21:10 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent AA135 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Mon 26 Oct 777 Moderate 16 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 4 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 weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of AA135 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 AA135

Will AA135 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies AA135?

Recently AA135 has been flown with: Boeing 777. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is AA135?

About 11h 15m gate to gate from London to Los Angeles, a distance of about 8,769 km.

What time does AA135 leave?

AA135 usually departs London at 16:55 local time and arrives in Los Angeles at 21:10 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on AA135?

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 AA135 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.

AA135Light