LX138 turbulence forecast
SWISS · Zurich (ZRH) to Hong Kong (HKG)
Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 22:30 Zurich time
This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air LX138 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.
Smooth most of the way, with occasional light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.
- Bumpiest stretch
- Light
- Flight time
- 12h 5m
- Distance
- 9,291 km
- Cruise altitude
- 37,000 ft
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777
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.
Where, and why
The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.
Cruise0m – 5h 17mSmooth
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.
Cruise5h 16m – 6h 2mLight
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.
Cruise6h 3m – 9h 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 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.
Cruise9h 25m – 10h 8mLight
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.
Cruise10h 8m – 12h 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.
This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.
A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add LX138 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 LX138 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.
Last update 10 days ago
Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.
The aircraft
What LX138 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.
Boeing 777
- Type code
- B777
- Seats on this flight
- 340
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.
The airline
SWISS
- Flying since
- 2002
- Alliance
- Star Alliance
- Hubs
- Zurich, Geneva
- Country
- Switzerland
The route
Zurich (ZRH) → Hong Kong (HKG)
- Distance
- 9,291 km
- Flight time
- 12h 5m
- Usual departure
- 22:30 local
- Usual arrival
- 16:35 local
Recent LX138 flights
The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.
| Date | Aircraft | Forecast | How it ran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 26 Oct | B777 | Light | On time |
| Sat 17 Oct | B777 | Light | 5 min late |
| Tue 13 Oct | B777 | Light | 10 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 a global weather model, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast.
Planned route · timing and conditions may change.
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.
Questions about LX138
Will LX138 be bumpy?
For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional 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 LX138?
Recently LX138 has been flown with: B777. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.
How long is LX138?
About 12h 5m gate to gate from Zurich to Hong Kong, a distance of about 9,291 km.
What time does LX138 leave?
LX138 usually departs Zurich at 22:30 local time and arrives in Hong Kong at 16:35 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.
Is turbulence dangerous on LX138?
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.
Fly LX138 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.