flight turbulence forecast

LW432 turbulence forecast

Pacific Wings · Vienna (VIE) to Tenerife (TFS)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 07:30 Vienna time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air LW432 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

VIE07:30Vienna
5h 20m
TFS11:50Tenerife
Model run 6 Nov, 00:00 UTC · checked just now
VIETFS
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of LW432, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
5h 20m
Distance
3,618 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A320 family

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 1h2h3h4h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 2h 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.

Cruise2h 54m – 3h 22mLight

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.

Cruise3h 22m – 5h 1mSmooth

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 Tenerife5h 1m – 5h 20mLight

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.

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 LW432 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 LW432 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

LW432 · Wed 16 DecScheduled
Departs · VIE
07:30
Vienna
Arrives · TFS
11:50
Tenerife

Last update 46 h ago

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

The aircraft

What LW432 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A320

Type code
A320
Seats on this flight
180
First flew
1987
In service since
1988
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Recently flown with: Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737 NG.

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 A320 family safety record →

The airline

Pacific Wings

Pacific Wings operates LW432.

on your lock screen

LW432 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

Vienna (VIE) → Tenerife (TFS)

Distance
3,618 km
Flight time
5h 20m
Usual departure
07:30 local
Usual arrival
11:50 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent LW432 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Wed 4 Nov 737-800 Smooth On time
Sat 31 Oct A320 Light 35 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 LW432 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 LW432

Will LW432 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies LW432?

Recently LW432 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is LW432?

About 5h 20m gate to gate from Vienna to Tenerife, a distance of about 3,618 km.

What time does LW432 leave?

LW432 usually departs Vienna at 07:30 local time and arrives in Tenerife at 11:50 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on LW432?

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 LW432 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.

LW432Light