flight turbulence forecast

CA168 turbulence forecast

Air China · Ota (HND) to Beijing (PEK)

The forecast for its last flight, Sat 10 Oct

We have no upcoming CA168 departure on record, so this is the forecast its most recent flight carried.

Bumpiest stretchSmooth

Smooth all the way. Sit back and enjoy the view.

HND19:10Ota
4h
PEK21:40Beijing
Model run 10 Oct, 06:00 UTC
HNDPEK
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of CA168, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Smooth
Flight time
4h
Distance
2,094 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A330

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 1h2h3h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 4hSmooth

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 CA168 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 CA168 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

CA168 · Sat 10 OctArrived · 35 min early
Departs · HND
19:10
Scheduled 19:15 · Terminal 3
Arrives · PEK
21:40
Scheduled 22:15 · Terminal 3

Last update 27 days ago

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

The aircraft

What CA168 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A330-300

Type code
A333
Seats on this flight
301
First flew
1992
In service since
1994
Economy seating
2-4-2
Engines
2
Range
11,750 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.

Airbus A330 safety record →

The airline

Air China

Air China operates CA168.

on your lock screen

CA168 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

Ota (HND) → Beijing (PEK)

Distance
2,094 km
Flight time
4h
Usual departure
19:15 local
Usual arrival
22:15 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent CA168 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sat 10 Oct A330 Smooth 35 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 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 independent weather models behind this forecast agree on this ride.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of CA168 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 CA168

Will CA168 be bumpy?

Forecasts for CA168 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 CA168?

Recently CA168 has been flown with: Airbus A330. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is CA168?

About 4h gate to gate from Ota to Beijing, a distance of about 2,094 km.

What time does CA168 leave?

CA168 usually departs Ota at 19:15 local time and arrives in Beijing at 22:15 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on CA168?

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 CA168 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.

CA168Smooth