flight turbulence forecast

DL129 turbulence forecast

Delta Air Lines · Barcelona (BCN) to New York (JFK)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 3 Oct, 10:55 Barcelona time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air DL129 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Mostly smooth. About 80 minutes of light bumps on descent. Barely moves your drink.

BCN10:55Barcelona
8h 51m
JFK13:46New York
Model run 1 Oct, 00:00 UTC · checked just now
BCNJFK
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of DL129, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
8h 51m
Distance
6,157 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Aircraft
Boeing 767

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 1h2h3h4h5h6h7h8h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 5h 51mSmooth

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.

Cruise5h 51m – 7h 9mLight

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.

Cruise7h 10m – 8h 51mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add DL129 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 DL129 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

DL129 · Tue 29 SepArrived · 92 min late
Departs · BCN
10:57
Scheduled 10:55 · Terminal 1
Arrives · JFK
15:18
Scheduled 13:46 · Terminal 4

Last update 36 h ago

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

The aircraft

What DL129 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 767-400

Type code
B764
Seats on this flight
233
First flew
1981
In service since
1982
Economy seating
2-3-2
Engines
2
Range
11,070 km
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, but every airliner is built for far more than turbulence produces.

Boeing 767 safety record →

The airline

Delta Air Lines

Flying since
1925
Alliance
SkyTeam
Hubs
Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis–St Paul
Country
United States

Delta Air Lines safety record →

on your lock screen

DL129 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

Barcelona (BCN) → New York (JFK)

Distance
6,157 km
Flight time
8h 51m
Usual departure
10:55 local
Usual arrival
13:46 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent DL129 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 29 Sep 767 Light 92 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 a global weather model, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of DL129 over the moving forecast: bumpy air, storms and the winds at cruise height. Scrub through the flight hour by hour.

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.

Is turbulence dangerous? The long answer →

Questions about DL129

Will DL129 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 3 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 80 minutes of light bumps on descent. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies DL129?

Recently DL129 has been flown with: Boeing 767. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is DL129?

About 8h 51m gate to gate from Barcelona to New York, a distance of about 6,157 km.

What time does DL129 leave?

DL129 usually departs Barcelona at 10:55 local time and arrives in New York at 13:46 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on DL129?

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 DL129 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.

DL129Light