flight turbulence forecast

OZ201 turbulence forecast

Asiana Airlines · Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (Incheon) (ICN)

Next departure at its usual time · Sun 8 Nov, 10:10 Los Angeles time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air OZ201 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps on descent. The belt sign will likely come on.

LAX10:10Los Angeles
13h 10m
ICN15:20Seoul (Incheon)
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
LAXICN
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of OZ201, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
13h 10m
Distance
10,269 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
Weather models
2 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A380

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 23mSmooth

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 23m – 2h 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'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 10m – 10h 30mSmooth

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.

Cruise10h 31m – 12h 16mLight

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.

Descent into Seoul (Incheon)12h 16m – 13h 10mModerate

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.

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 3h 18m and 4h 33m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, some on the planned line itself.

The ride line can stay calm with storms nearby. It follows the planned track at cruise height, above most storm tops. Pilots don't fly through storms: the weather radar in the nose shows each one, and the rule is to stay at least 20 nautical miles (about 37 km) away. Usually that means a detour of a few minutes.

The closest of these is within the 20 nm the crew has to keep, so expect a small turn around it. The line on the map is the planned route; the real track will bend around the storm.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add OZ201 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 OZ201 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

OZ201 · Tue 20 OctArrived · 50 min late
Departs · LAX
10:52
Scheduled 10:10 · Terminal B
Arrives · ICN
16:10
Scheduled 15:20 · Terminal 2

Last update 17 days ago

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

The aircraft

What OZ201 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A380

Type code
A380
Seats on this flight
495

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

Asiana Airlines

Flying since
1988
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Seoul Incheon, Seoul Gimpo
Country
South Korea

Asiana Airlines safety record →

on your lock screen

OZ201 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

Los Angeles (LAX) → Seoul (Incheon) (ICN)

Distance
10,269 km
Flight time
13h 10m
Usual departure
10:10 local
Usual arrival
15:20 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent OZ201 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 20 Oct A380 Moderate 50 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
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 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 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 OZ201 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 OZ201

Will OZ201 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sun 8 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps on descent. The belt sign will likely come on. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies OZ201?

Recently OZ201 has been flown with: A380. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is OZ201?

About 13h 10m gate to gate from Los Angeles to Seoul (Incheon), a distance of about 10,269 km.

What time does OZ201 leave?

OZ201 usually departs Los Angeles at 10:10 local time and arrives in Seoul (Incheon) at 15:20 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on OZ201?

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 OZ201 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.

OZ201Moderate