RK159 turbulence forecast
Air Afrique · London (STN) to Belfast (BFS)
Next departure at its usual time · Mon 9 Nov, 12:15 London time
This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air RK159 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.
Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.
- Bumpiest stretch
- Light
- Flight time
- 1h 20m
- Distance
- 528 km
- Cruise altitude
- 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 NG
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.
STN · Take off0m – 16mSmooth
Nothing significant forecast here.
The first minutes are flown through the lowest, liveliest air. Sun-warmed ground sends up thermals and wind bends around hills, so a bump or two while climbing is normal. It fades as the aircraft climbs into the smoother air above.
Cruise16m – 23mLight
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.
Cruise23m – 54mSmooth
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.
Cruise54m – 1h 1mLight
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 Belfast1h 1m – 1h 20mSmooth
Nothing significant forecast here.
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.
This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.
A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add RK159 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 RK159 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.
Last update 13 days ago
Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.
The aircraft
What RK159 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.
Boeing 737-800
- Type code
- B738
- Seats on this flight
- 189
- First flew
- 1997
- In service since
- 1998
- 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.
The airline
Air Afrique
Air Afrique operates RK159.
The route
London (STN) → Belfast (BFS)
- Distance
- 528 km
- Flight time
- 1h 20m
- Usual departure
- 12:15 local
- Usual arrival
- 13:35 local
Recent RK159 flights
The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.
| Date | Aircraft | Forecast | How it ran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 25 Oct | 737-800 | Moderate | 646 min late |
| Sat 24 Oct | 737-800 | Moderate | 33 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.
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 RK159
Will RK159 be bumpy?
For the flight on Mon 9 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 RK159?
Recently RK159 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.
How long is RK159?
About 1h 20m gate to gate from London to Belfast, a distance of about 528 km.
What time does RK159 leave?
RK159 usually departs London at 12:15 local time and arrives in Belfast at 13:35 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.
Is turbulence dangerous on RK159?
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 RK159 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.