flight turbulence forecast

IB268 turbulence forecast

Iberia · São Paulo (GRU) to Madrid (MAD)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 4 Oct, 14:00 São Paulo time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air IB268 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchSmooth

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

GRU14:00São Paulo
10h 25m
MAD05:25Madrid
Model run 4 Oct, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
GRUMAD
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of IB268, 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
Smooth
Flight time
10h 25m
Distance
8,378 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A330

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 2h4h6h8h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 10h 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

Between 5h 36m and 9h 39m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, the nearest about 100 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 IB268 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 IB268 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A330

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

Iberia

Flying since
1927
Alliance
oneworld
Hubs
Madrid-Barajas
Country
Spain

Iberia safety record →

on your lock screen

IB268 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

São Paulo (GRU) → Madrid (MAD)

Distance
8,378 km
Flight time
10h 25m
Usual departure
14:00 local
Usual arrival
05:25 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
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 IB268 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 IB268

Will IB268 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 4 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.

How long is IB268?

About 10h 25m gate to gate from São Paulo to Madrid, a distance of about 8,378 km.

What time does IB268 leave?

IB268 usually departs São Paulo at 14:00 local time and arrives in Madrid at 05:25 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on IB268?

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 IB268 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.

IB268Smooth