flight turbulence forecast

HV5021 turbulence forecast

Transavia · Rotterdam (RTM) to Malaga (AGP)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 23 Oct, 07:50 Rotterdam time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air HV5021 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps mid-flight. The belt sign will likely come on.

RTM07:50Rotterdam
2h 55m
AGP10:45Malaga
Model run 22 Oct, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
RTMAGP
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of HV5021, 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
Moderate
Flight time
2h 55m
Distance
1,841 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
Medium
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 1h2h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

RTM · Take off0m – 27mLight

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.

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.

Cruise27m – 1h 5mSmooth

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 5m – 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'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.

Cruise1h 41m – 1h 52mModerate

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.

Cruise1h 52m – 2h 13mLight

Mountain waves

Wind blowing over a mountain range makes waves in the air downstream, the way water ripples over rocks in a stream, and those waves can reach cruising height. They are forecast from the same wind and terrain data used here, so the crew knows where they are before departure.

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 Malaga2h 13m – 2h 55mSmooth

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 HV5021 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 HV5021 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

HV5021 · Sun 11 OctArrived · 24 min early
Departs · RTM
07:50
Rotterdam
Arrives · AGP
10:21
Scheduled 10:45

Last update 11 days ago

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

The aircraft

What HV5021 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, and every airliner is designed for much stronger turbulence than it will meet.

Boeing 737 NG safety record →

The airline

Transavia

Flying since
1966
Hubs
Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris-Orly, Rotterdam The Hague, Eindhoven
Country
Netherlands

Transavia safety record →

on your lock screen

HV5021 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

Rotterdam (RTM) → Malaga (AGP)

Distance
1,841 km
Flight time
2h 55m
Usual departure
07:50 local
Usual arrival
10:45 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent HV5021 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sun 11 Oct 737-800 Smooth 24 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
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 weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of HV5021 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 HV5021

Will HV5021 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 23 Oct: Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps mid-flight. The belt sign will likely come on. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies HV5021?

Recently HV5021 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is HV5021?

About 2h 55m gate to gate from Rotterdam to Malaga, a distance of about 1,841 km.

What time does HV5021 leave?

HV5021 usually departs Rotterdam at 07:50 local time and arrives in Malaga at 10:45 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on HV5021?

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 HV5021 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.

HV5021Moderate