flight turbulence forecast

BA269 turbulence forecast

British Airways · London (LHR) to Los Angeles (LAX)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 15:05 London time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air BA269 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

LHR15:05London
11h 25m
LAX18:30Los Angeles
Model run 6 Nov, 06:00 UTC · checked just now
LHRLAX
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of BA269, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
11h 25m
Distance
8,830 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
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 – 6h 59mSmooth

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.

Cruise6h 58m – 8h 30mLight

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 30m – 11h 25mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add BA269 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 BA269 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

BA269 · Fri 6 NovScheduled
Departs · LHR
15:05
London · Terminal 5
Arrives · LAX
17:59
Scheduled 18:30 · Terminal B

Last update 23 min ago

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

The aircraft

What BA269 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 777-300

Type code
B773
Seats on this flight
299
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

Recently flown with: Boeing 777, Airbus A380.

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

British Airways

Flying since
1974
Alliance
oneworld
Hubs
London Heathrow, London Gatwick
Country
United Kingdom

British Airways safety record →

on your lock screen

BA269 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
8,830 km
Flight time
11h 25m
Usual departure
15:05 local
Usual arrival
18:25 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent BA269 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 27 Oct 777 Moderate 5 min early
Thu 22 Oct A380 Light 19 min late
Sat 10 Oct A380 Light 128 min late

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 a global weather model, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of BA269 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 BA269

Will BA269 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies BA269?

Recently BA269 has been flown with: Boeing 777, Airbus A380. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is BA269?

About 11h 25m gate to gate from London to Los Angeles, a distance of about 8,830 km.

What time does BA269 leave?

BA269 usually departs London at 15:05 local time and arrives in Los Angeles at 18:25 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on BA269?

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 BA269 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.

BA269Light