flight turbulence forecast

HV6442 turbulence forecast

Transavia · Manises (VLC) to Rotterdam (RTM)

Fri 23 Oct · departs 10:05 Manises time

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with some moderate bumps after takeoff. The belt sign will likely come on.

VLC10:05Manises
2h 20m
RTM12:25Rotterdam
Model run 22 Oct, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
VLCRTM
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of HV6442, 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 20m
Distance
1,439 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 1h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

VLC · Take off0m – 40mLight

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.

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.

Cruise40m – 58mModerate

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.

Cruise58m – 1h 10mLight

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 10m – 1h 59mSmooth

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.

Descent into Rotterdam1h 59m – 2h 20mLight

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.

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

From 1h 43m to 2h 8m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms on the planned line itself.

The ride line can stay calm with storms nearby. It follows the planned track at cruise height, above most storm tops. Pilots don't fly through storms: the weather radar in the nose shows each one, and the rule is to stay at least 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) away. Usually that means a detour of a few minutes.

The closest of these is within the 20 nm the crew has to keep, so expect a small turn around it. The line on the map is the planned route; the real track will bend around the storm.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add HV6442 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 HV6442 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

HV6442 · Fri 23 OctScheduled
Departs · VLC
10:05
Manises
Arrives · RTM
12:25
Rotterdam

Last update 3 h ago

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

Weather on arrival

12° and clear in Rotterdam around landing time.

The aircraft

What HV6442 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 737-800

Type code
B738
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

HV6442 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

Manises (VLC) → Rotterdam (RTM)

Distance
1,439 km
Flight time
2h 20m
Usual departure
10:05 local
Usual arrival
12:25 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
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 HV6442 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 HV6442

Will HV6442 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 23 Oct: Smooth or light most of the way, with some moderate bumps after takeoff. 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 HV6442?

Recently HV6442 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is HV6442?

About 2h 20m gate to gate from Manises to Rotterdam, a distance of about 1,439 km.

What time does HV6442 leave?

HV6442 usually departs Manises at 10:05 local time and arrives in Rotterdam at 12:25 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on HV6442?

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 HV6442 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.

HV6442Moderate