flight turbulence forecast

FR1954 turbulence forecast

Ryanair · Birmingham, West Midlands (BHX) to Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 4 Oct, 19:35 Birmingham, West Midlands time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air FR1954 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Mostly smooth. About 20 minutes of light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

BHX19:35Birmingham, West Midlands
2h 30m
PMI23:05Palma de Mallorca
Model run 4 Oct, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
BHXPMI
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of FR1954, 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 30m
Distance
1,475 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Boeing 737-800

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 – 49mSmooth

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.

Cruise49m – 1h 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.

Cruise1h 8m – 2h 30mSmooth

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 FR1954 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.

The aircraft

What FR1954 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 737-800

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

The airline

Ryanair

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

Ryanair safety record →

on your lock screen

FR1954 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

Birmingham, West Midlands (BHX) → Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

Distance
1,475 km
Flight time
2h 30m
Usual departure
19:35 local
Usual arrival
23:05 local

Forecast any other route →

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 FR1954 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 FR1954

Will FR1954 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 4 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 20 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.

How long is FR1954?

About 2h 30m gate to gate from Birmingham, West Midlands to Palma de Mallorca, a distance of about 1,475 km.

What time does FR1954 leave?

FR1954 usually departs Birmingham, West Midlands at 19:35 local time and arrives in Palma de Mallorca at 23:05 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on FR1954?

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 FR1954 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.

FR1954Light