flight turbulence forecast

DE1502 turbulence forecast

Condor · Frankfurt am Main (FRA) to Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 05:40 Frankfurt am Main time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air DE1502 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

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

FRA05:40Frankfurt am Main
2h 10m
PMI07:50Palma de Mallorca
Model run 5 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
FRAPMI
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of DE1502, coloured by its own forecast. The shading is the bumpy air and storms forecast at cruise height around the middle of the flight.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
2h 10m
Distance
1,254 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
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.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 1h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

FRA · Take off0m – 20mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

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.

Cruise20m – 31mLight

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.

Cruise31m – 1h 16mSmooth

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 16m – 1h 45mLight

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 Palma de Mallorca1h 45m – 2h 10mSmooth

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 51m and 1h 25m 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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add DE1502 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 DE1502 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

DE1502 · Mon 19 OctArrived · 8 min late
Departs · FRA
05:40
Frankfurt am Main · Terminal 1
Arrives · PMI
07:58
Scheduled 07:50

Last update 18 days ago

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

The aircraft

What DE1502 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A321

Type code
A321
Seats on this flight
220
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.

Airbus A320 family safety record →

The airline

Condor

Flying since
1955
Hubs
Frankfurt
Country
Germany

Condor safety record →

on your lock screen

DE1502 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

Frankfurt am Main (FRA) → Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

Distance
1,254 km
Flight time
2h 10m
Usual departure
05:40 local
Usual arrival
07:50 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent DE1502 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Mon 19 Oct A320 Light 8 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
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 DE1502 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 DE1502

Will DE1502 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some 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 DE1502?

Recently DE1502 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is DE1502?

About 2h 10m gate to gate from Frankfurt am Main to Palma de Mallorca, a distance of about 1,254 km.

What time does DE1502 leave?

DE1502 usually departs Frankfurt am Main at 05:40 local time and arrives in Palma de Mallorca at 07:50 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on DE1502?

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 DE1502 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.

DE1502Light