CA846 turbulence forecast
Air China · Barcelona (BCN) to Beijing (PEK)
Tue 6 Oct · departs 12:30 Barcelona time
Mostly smooth. About 15 minutes of moderate bumps mid-flight. Belt sign on, built for far more.
- Bumpiest stretch
- Moderate
- Flight time
- 11h 10m
- Distance
- 8,813 km
- Cruise altitude
- 37,000 ft
- Weather models
- 3 blended
- Model agreement
- High
- Aircraft
- Airbus A350
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 – 4h 14mLight
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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 river of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast maps exactly where those edges sit.
Cruise4h 14m – 4h 57mModerate
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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 river of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast maps exactly where those edges sit.
Cruise4h 57m – 8h 30mSmooth
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 river of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast maps exactly where those edges sit.
Cruise8h 30m – 9h 16mLight
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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 river of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast maps exactly where those edges sit.
Cruise9h 16m – 11h 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 river of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast maps exactly where those edges sit.
Thunderstorms near the route
Between 7h 6m and 7h 37m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, the nearest about 30 km from the planned line.
Storms and a calm ride line are not a contradiction. The line follows the planned track at cruise height, above most storm tops, and pilots never fly through a storm: the weather radar in the nose paints every one, and the rule is to give it at least 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) of room. What a storm usually costs you is a few minutes of detour, not bumps.
The closest of these sits inside the 20 nm the crew has to leave, so what it costs is a small turn around it — the line you are looking at is the plan, not the track they will fly.
This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.
A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add CA846 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 CA846 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.
Last update 16 min ago
Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.
The aircraft
What CA846 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.
Airbus A350
- Type code
- A350
- Seats on this flight
- 312
Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, but every airliner is built for far more than turbulence produces.
The airline
Air China
Air China operates CA846.
The route
Barcelona (BCN) → Beijing (PEK)
- Distance
- 8,813 km
- Flight time
- 11h 10m
- Usual departure
- 12:30 local
- Usual arrival
- 05:40 local
Recent CA846 flights
The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.
| Date | Aircraft | Forecast | How it ran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 5 Oct | A350 | Light | 32 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
- Distinct bumps. A drink might slosh and the belt sign comes on. Uncomfortable, and the aircraft is in full control throughout.
- Severe
- Strong jolts, and loose items can move. Rare, and the reason 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.
Why the bumps are only bumps
Built for it.
Airliners are tested to loads far beyond anything turbulence produces; the wing flexing you can see is by design.
Seen in advance.
Your crew flies with forecasts like this one, live reports from other pilots and their own weather radar, and they change altitude to stay out of the bumpy air.
The belt is the whole story.
Turbulence injuries almost always involve someone standing or unbuckled. Seated with the belt on, it is a bumpy road and nothing more.
Questions about CA846
Will CA846 be bumpy?
For the flight on Tue 6 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 15 minutes of moderate bumps mid-flight. Belt sign on, built for far more. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.
What plane flies CA846?
Recently CA846 has been flown with: A350. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.
How long is CA846?
About 11h 10m gate to gate from Barcelona to Beijing, a distance of about 8,813 km.
What time does CA846 leave?
CA846 usually departs Barcelona at 12:30 local time and arrives in Beijing at 05:40 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.
Is turbulence dangerous on CA846?
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 CA846 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.