flight turbulence forecast

BC1 turbulence forecast

Skymark Airlines · Tokyo (HND) to Fukuoka (FUK)

Next departure at its usual time · Mon 9 Nov, 06:20 Tokyo time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air BC1 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

A gentle ride. A few light ripples at most, the kind that barely move your drink.

HND06:20Tokyo
1h 55m
FUK08:15Fukuoka
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
HNDFUK
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of BC1, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
1h 55m
Distance
882 km
Cruise altitude
33,000 ft

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 1h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 43mLight

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 Fukuoka1h 42m – 1h 55mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add BC1 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.

The aircraft

What BC1 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

The aircraft for the next BC1 is assigned closer to departure.

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.

The airline

Skymark Airlines

Skymark Airlines operates BC1.

on your lock screen

BC1 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

Tokyo (HND) → Fukuoka (FUK)

Distance
882 km
Flight time
1h 55m
Usual departure
06:20 local
Usual arrival
08:15 local

Forecast any other route →

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 BC1 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 BC1

Will BC1 be bumpy?

For the flight on Mon 9 Nov: A gentle ride. A few light ripples at most, the kind that barely move your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

How long is BC1?

About 1h 55m gate to gate from Tokyo to Fukuoka, a distance of about 882 km.

What time does BC1 leave?

BC1 usually departs Tokyo at 06:20 local time and arrives in Fukuoka at 08:15 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on BC1?

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 BC1 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.

BC1Light