flight turbulence forecast

CI82 turbulence forecast

China Airlines · London (LHR) to Taoyuan (TPE)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 21:15 London time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air CI82 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

LHR21:15London
14h 25m
TPE19:40Taipei
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
LHRTPE
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of CI82, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
14h 25m
Distance
9,793 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.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 2h4h6h8h10h12h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

LHR · Take off0m – 56mLight

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.

The first minutes are flown through the lowest, liveliest air. Sun-warmed ground sends up thermals and wind bends around hills, so a bump or two while climbing is normal. It fades as the aircraft climbs into the smoother air above.

Cruise56m – 11hSmooth

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.

Cruise11h – 12h 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'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.

Cruise12h 16m – 14h 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 CI82 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 CI82 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

CI82 · Fri 5 FebScheduled
Departs · LHR
21:15
London
Arrives · TPE
18:25
Taoyuan

Last update 15 days ago

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

The aircraft

What CI82 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A350-900

Type code
A359
Seats on this flight
306
First flew
2013
In service since
2015
Economy seating
3-3-3
Engines
2
Range
15,750 km
Cabin pressure equal to
6,000 ft

Recently flown with: Airbus A350, A350.

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 A350 safety record →

The airline

China Airlines

China Airlines operates CI82.

on your lock screen

CI82 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) → Taoyuan (TPE)

Distance
9,793 km
Flight time
13h 40m
Usual departure
21:15 local
Usual arrival
17:50 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent CI82 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 3 Nov A350 Light 86 min early
Sat 31 Oct A350 Light 58 min early
Fri 30 Oct A350 Light 79 min late
Mon 26 Oct A350 Light 58 min late
Wed 21 Oct A350 Moderate 7 min late
Mon 19 Oct A350 Moderate 23 min early
Wed 14 Oct A350 Moderate 10 min early
Mon 12 Oct A350 Moderate On time
Sat 10 Oct A350 Moderate 31 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 CI82 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 CI82

Will CI82 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies CI82?

Recently CI82 has been flown with: Airbus A350, A350. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is CI82?

About 13h 40m gate to gate from London to Taoyuan, a distance of about 9,793 km.

What time does CI82 leave?

CI82 usually departs London at 21:15 local time and arrives in Taoyuan at 17:50 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on CI82?

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 CI82 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.

CI82Light