flight turbulence forecast

SN2204 turbulence forecast

Brussels Airlines · Samos Island (SMI) to Zaventem (BRU)

Next departure at its usual time · Mon 5 Oct, 20:30 Samos Island time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air SN2204 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Mostly smooth. About 20 minutes of light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

SMI20:30Samos Island
3h 40m
BRU23:10Zaventem
Model run 4 Oct, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
SMIBRU
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of SN2204, coloured by its own forecast. The shading is the bumpy air and storms forecast at cruise height around the middle of the flight.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
3h 40m
Distance
2,296 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
Aircraft
Airbus A320neo

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 1h2h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 2hSmooth

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.

Cruise2h – 2h 19mLight

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.

Cruise2h 19m – 3h 40mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add SN2204 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.

The aircraft

What SN2204 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A320neo

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

The airline

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines operates SN2204.

on your lock screen

SN2204 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

Samos Island (SMI) → Zaventem (BRU)

Distance
2,296 km
Flight time
3h 40m
Usual departure
20:30 local
Usual arrival
23:10 local

Forecast any other route →

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 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 SN2204 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 SN2204

Will SN2204 be bumpy?

For the flight on Mon 5 Oct: Mostly smooth. About 20 minutes of light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

How long is SN2204?

About 3h 40m gate to gate from Samos Island to Zaventem, a distance of about 2,296 km.

What time does SN2204 leave?

SN2204 usually departs Samos Island at 20:30 local time and arrives in Zaventem at 23:10 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on SN2204?

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 SN2204 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.

SN2204Light