flight turbulence forecast

B61621 turbulence forecast

JetBlue · London (LHR) to Boston (BOS)

The forecast for its last flight, Fri 16 Oct

We have no upcoming B61621 departure on record, so this is the forecast its most recent flight carried.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

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

LHR08:38London
7h 39m
BOS11:13Boston
Model run 16 Oct, 06:00 UTC
LHRBOS
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of B61621, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
7h 39m
Distance
5,245 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
4 blended
Model agreement
Medium
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 1h2h3h4h5h6h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

LHR · Take off0m – 28mLight

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.

The first minutes are flown through the lowest, liveliest air. Sun-warmed ground sends up thermals and wind bends around hills, so a bump or two while climbing is normal. It fades as the aircraft climbs into the smoother air above.

Cruise28m – 4h 58mSmooth

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.

Cruise4h 59m – 5h 29mLight

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.

Cruise5h 29m – 6h 30mModerate

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.

Cruise6h 30m – 7h 39mLight

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 4h 5m and 7h 39m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, the nearest about 30 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 closest of these is within the 20 nm the crew has to keep, so expect a small turn around it. The line on the map is the planned route; the real track will bend around the storm.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add B61621 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 B61621 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

B61621 · Fri 16 OctArrived · 6 min early
Departs · LHR
08:38
Scheduled 08:40 · Terminal 2
Arrives · BOS
11:13
Scheduled 11:19 · Terminal E

Last update 22 days ago

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

The aircraft

What B61621 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A321 NEO

Type code
A21N
Seats on this flight
138
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

JetBlue

Flying since
1998
Hubs
New York JFK, Boston, Fort Lauderdale
Country
United States

JetBlue safety record →

on your lock screen

B61621 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) → Boston (BOS)

Distance
5,245 km
Flight time
7h 39m
Usual departure
08:40 local
Usual arrival
11:19 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent B61621 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Fri 16 Oct A320 Moderate 6 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 B61621 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 B61621

Will B61621 be bumpy?

Forecasts for B61621 open about three days before departure. Until then no weather model reaches far enough ahead to say anything honest about the ride.

What plane flies B61621?

Recently B61621 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is B61621?

About 7h 39m gate to gate from London to Boston, a distance of about 5,245 km.

What time does B61621 leave?

B61621 usually departs London at 08:40 local time and arrives in Boston at 11:19 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on B61621?

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 B61621 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.

B61621Moderate