flight turbulence forecast

NH204 turbulence forecast

ANA · Frankfurt am Main (FRA) to Ota (HND)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 11:35 Frankfurt am Main time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air NH204 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

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

FRA11:35Frankfurt am Main
13h 10m
HND08:45Ota
Model run 6 Nov, 06:00 UTC · checked just now
FRAHND
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of NH204, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
13h 10m
Distance
9,371 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Boeing 787 Dreamliner

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 2h4h6h8h10h12h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 45mSmooth

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 45m – 2h 33mLight

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 33m – 8h 51mSmooth

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.

Cruise8h 51m – 9h 38mLight

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.

Cruise9h 38m – 11h 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.

Cruise11h 1m – 13h 10mLight

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.

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add NH204 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 NH204 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

NH204 · Thu 5 NovScheduled
Departs · FRA
11:35
Frankfurt am Main · Terminal 1
Arrives · HND
08:45
Ota · Terminal 3

Last update 38 h ago

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

The aircraft

What NH204 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 787-9

Type code
B789
Seats on this flight
261
First flew
2009
In service since
2011
Economy seating
3-3-3
Engines
2
Range
15,370 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.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner safety record →

The airline

ANA

Flying since
1952
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita
Country
Japan

ANA safety record →

on your lock screen

NH204 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

Frankfurt am Main (FRA) → Ota (HND)

Distance
9,371 km
Flight time
13h 10m
Usual departure
11:35 local
Usual arrival
08:45 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent NH204 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 5 Nov 787 Moderate On time

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 NH204 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 NH204

Will NH204 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some 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 NH204?

Recently NH204 has been flown with: Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is NH204?

About 13h 10m gate to gate from Frankfurt am Main to Ota, a distance of about 9,371 km.

What time does NH204 leave?

NH204 usually departs Frankfurt am Main at 11:35 local time and arrives in Ota at 08:45 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on NH204?

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 NH204 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.

NH204Light