flight turbulence forecast

MU6020 turbulence forecast

China Eastern Airlines · Moscow (SVO) to Shanghai (PVG)

Next departure at its usual time · Tue 6 Oct, 20:25 Moscow time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air MU6020 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Mostly smooth. About 120 minutes of light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

SVO20:25Moscow
9h 10m
PVG10:35Shanghai
Model run 4 Oct, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
SVOPVG
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of MU6020, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
9h 10m
Distance
6,851 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
2 blended
Model agreement
Medium
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 1h2h3h4h5h6h7h8h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 24mLight

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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 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.

Cruise1h 24m – 5h 13mSmooth

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.

Cruise5h 13m – 5h 59mLight

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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 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.

Cruise5h 59m – 8h 8mSmooth

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.

Cruise8h 8m – 9h 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 is the most common kind of turbulence and it never comes as a surprise: it is on the crew's charts, and they slow to a set turbulence speed and let the aircraft 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 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

Around 4h 4m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 50 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 MU6020 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 MU6020 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

MU6020 · Thu 1 OctArrived · 25 min late
Departs · SVO
20:23
Scheduled 20:25 · Terminal C
Arrives · PVG
11:00
Scheduled 10:35 · Terminal 1

Last update 3 days ago

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

The aircraft

What MU6020 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A330-200

Type code
A332
Seats on this flight
234
First flew
1992
In service since
1994
Economy seating
2-4-2
Engines
2
Range
11,750 km
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, but every airliner is built for far more than turbulence produces.

Airbus A330 safety record →

The airline

China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern Airlines operates MU6020.

on your lock screen

MU6020 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

Moscow (SVO) → Shanghai (PVG)

Distance
6,851 km
Flight time
9h 10m
Usual departure
20:25 local
Usual arrival
10:35 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent MU6020 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 1 Oct A330 Light 25 min late

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 2 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 MU6020 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 MU6020

Will MU6020 be bumpy?

For the flight on Tue 6 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 120 minutes of 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 MU6020?

Recently MU6020 has been flown with: Airbus A330. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is MU6020?

About 9h 10m gate to gate from Moscow to Shanghai, a distance of about 6,851 km.

What time does MU6020 leave?

MU6020 usually departs Moscow at 20:25 local time and arrives in Shanghai at 10:35 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on MU6020?

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 MU6020 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.

MU6020Light