flight turbulence forecast

FR101 turbulence forecast

Ryanair · Thessaloniki (SKG) to Berlin (BER)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 2 Oct, 09:50 Thessaloniki time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air FR101 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Mostly smooth. About 25 minutes of light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

SKG09:50Thessaloniki
2h 30m
BER11:20Berlin
Model run 1 Oct, 00:00 UTC · checked just now
SKGBER
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of FR101, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
2h 30m
Distance
1,503 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Boeing 737 NG

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.

Cruise0m – 1h 15mSmooth

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.

Cruise1h 15m – 1h 41mLight

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.

Descent into Berlin1h 41m – 2h 30mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add FR101 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 FR101 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

FR101 · Tue 29 SepArrived · 18 min early
Departs · SKG
09:47
Scheduled 09:50
Arrives · BER
11:02
Scheduled 11:20 · Terminal 2

Last update 17 h ago

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

The aircraft

What FR101 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 737-800

Type code
B738
Seats on this flight
189
First flew
1997
In service since
1998
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, but every airliner is built for far more than turbulence produces.

Boeing 737 NG safety record →

The airline

Ryanair

Flying since
1984
Hubs
London Stansted, Dublin, Milan Bergamo
Country
Ireland

Ryanair safety record →

on your lock screen

FR101 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

Thessaloniki (SKG) → Berlin (BER)

Distance
1,503 km
Flight time
2h 30m
Usual departure
09:50 local
Usual arrival
11:20 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent FR101 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 29 Sep 737-800 Smooth 18 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
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.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of FR101 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 FR101

Will FR101 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 2 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 25 minutes of light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies FR101?

Recently FR101 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is FR101?

About 2h 30m gate to gate from Thessaloniki to Berlin, a distance of about 1,503 km.

What time does FR101 leave?

FR101 usually departs Thessaloniki at 09:50 local time and arrives in Berlin at 11:20 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on FR101?

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 FR101 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.

FR101Light