flight turbulence forecast

FR123 turbulence forecast

Ryanair · London (LGW) to Dublin (DUB)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 2 Oct, 18:25 London time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air FR123 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchSmooth

Smooth all the way. Sit back and enjoy the view.

LGW18:25London
1h 25m
DUB19:50Dublin
Model run 1 Oct, 00:00 UTC · checked just now
LGWDUB
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of FR123, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Smooth
Flight time
1h 25m
Distance
484 km
Cruise altitude
33,000 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 Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 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 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

From 59m to 1h 7m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 110 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 ride line stays calm here because the route as planned keeps its distance from them.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add FR123 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 FR123 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

FR123 · Thu 17 SepArrived · 9 min early
Departs · LGW
18:25
London · Terminal S
Arrives · DUB
19:36
Scheduled 19:50 · Terminal 1

Last update 14 days ago

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

The aircraft

What FR123 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

FR123 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 (LGW) → Dublin (DUB)

Distance
484 km
Flight time
1h 25m
Usual departure
18:25 local
Usual arrival
19:50 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent FR123 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 17 Sep 737-800 Smooth 9 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 FR123 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 FR123

Will FR123 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 2 Oct: Smooth all the way. Sit back and enjoy the view. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies FR123?

Recently FR123 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is FR123?

About 1h 25m gate to gate from London to Dublin, a distance of about 484 km.

What time does FR123 leave?

FR123 usually departs London at 18:25 local time and arrives in Dublin at 19:50 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on FR123?

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 FR123 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.

FR123Smooth