flight turbulence forecast

IB137 turbulence forecast

Iberia · Madrid (MAD) to Quito (UIO)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 12:20 Madrid time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air IB137 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

MAD12:20Madrid
11h 10m
UIO17:30Quito
Model run 5 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
MADUIO
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of IB137, 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
11h 10m
Distance
8,927 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A350

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 2h4h6h8h10h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 54mSmooth

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 54m – 2h 55mLight

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.

Cruise2h 55m – 11h 10mSmooth

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 46m and 11h 10m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, some 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 IB137 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 IB137 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

IB137 · Thu 5 NovLanded · 25 min late
Departs · MAD
12:31
Scheduled 12:20 · Terminal 4S
Arrives · UIO
17:47
Scheduled 17:30

Last update 29 min ago

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

The aircraft

What IB137 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A350-900

Type code
A359
Seats on this flight
348
First flew
2013
In service since
2015
Economy seating
3-3-3
Engines
2
Range
15,750 km
Cabin pressure equal to
6,000 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.

Airbus A350 safety record →

The airline

Iberia

Flying since
1927
Alliance
oneworld
Hubs
Madrid-Barajas
Country
Spain

Iberia safety record →

on your lock screen

IB137 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

Madrid (MAD) → Quito (UIO)

Distance
8,927 km
Flight time
11h 10m
Usual departure
12:20 local
Usual arrival
17:30 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent IB137 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 5 Nov A350 Light 25 min late
Wed 4 Nov A350 Light 9 min early
Tue 3 Nov A350 Smooth 46 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 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 IB137 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 IB137

Will IB137 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies IB137?

Recently IB137 has been flown with: Airbus A350. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is IB137?

About 11h 10m gate to gate from Madrid to Quito, a distance of about 8,927 km.

What time does IB137 leave?

IB137 usually departs Madrid at 12:20 local time and arrives in Quito at 17:30 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on IB137?

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 IB137 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.

IB137Light