flight turbulence forecast

PR428 turbulence forecast

Philippine Airlines · Metro Manila (MNL) to Tokyo (Narita) (NRT)

Next departure at its usual time · Mon 9 Nov, 07:40 Metro Manila time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air PR428 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

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

MNL07:40Metro Manila
4h 10m
NRT12:50Tokyo (Narita)
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
MNLNRT
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of PR428, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
4h 10m
Distance
3,055 km
Cruise altitude
37,000 ft
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 1h2h3h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 2h 16mSmooth

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 16m – 4h 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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add PR428 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 PR428 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

PR428 · Fri 30 OctArrived · 22 min late
Departs · MNL
07:58
Scheduled 07:40 · Terminal 1
Arrives · NRT
13:12
Scheduled 12:50 · Terminal 2

Last update 8 days ago

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

The aircraft

What PR428 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A321 (Sharklets)

Type code
A321
Seats on this flight
199
First flew
1987
In service since
1988
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 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.

Airbus A320 family safety record →

The airline

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines operates PR428.

on your lock screen

PR428 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

Metro Manila (MNL) → Tokyo (Narita) (NRT)

Distance
3,055 km
Flight time
4h 10m
Usual departure
07:40 local
Usual arrival
12:50 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent PR428 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Fri 30 Oct A320 Light 22 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 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.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of PR428 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 PR428

Will PR428 be bumpy?

For the flight on Mon 9 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with light bumps mainly 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 PR428?

Recently PR428 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is PR428?

About 4h 10m gate to gate from Metro Manila to Tokyo (Narita), a distance of about 3,055 km.

What time does PR428 leave?

PR428 usually departs Metro Manila at 07:40 local time and arrives in Tokyo (Narita) at 12:50 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on PR428?

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 PR428 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.

PR428Light