CA1338 turbulence forecast
Air China · Shenzhen (SZX) to Beijing (PEK)
Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 21:00 Shenzhen time
This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air CA1338 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.
A gentle ride. A few light ripples at most, the kind that barely move your drink.
- Bumpiest stretch
- Light
- Flight time
- 3h 10m
- Distance
- 1,959 km
- Cruise altitude
- 35,000 ft
- Weather models
- 3 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.
Where, and why
The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.
Cruise0m – 1h 10mSmooth
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.
Cruise1h 10m – 1h 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.
Cruise1h 52m – 2h 8mSmooth
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 8m – 3h 10mLight
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 1h 6m and 3h 10m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, some on the planned line itself.
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.
This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.
A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add CA1338 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 CA1338 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.
Last update 44 h ago
Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.
The aircraft
What CA1338 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.
Airbus A321
- Type code
- A321
- Seats on this flight
- 185
- 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.
The airline
Air China
Air China operates CA1338.
The route
Shenzhen (SZX) → Beijing (PEK)
- Distance
- 1,959 km
- Flight time
- 3h 10m
- Usual departure
- 21:00 local
- Usual arrival
- 00:10 local
Recent CA1338 flights
The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.
| Date | Aircraft | Forecast | How it ran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 4 Nov | A320 | Light | On time |
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 weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.
Planned route · timing and conditions may change.
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.
Questions about CA1338
Will CA1338 be bumpy?
For the flight on Sat 7 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.
What plane flies CA1338?
Recently CA1338 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.
How long is CA1338?
About 3h 10m gate to gate from Shenzhen to Beijing, a distance of about 1,959 km.
What time does CA1338 leave?
CA1338 usually departs Shenzhen at 21:00 local time and arrives in Beijing at 00:10 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.
Is turbulence dangerous on CA1338?
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.
Fly CA1338 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.