flight turbulence forecast

UX55 turbulence forecast

Air Europa · Madrid (MAD) to Panama City (PTY)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 15:10 Madrid time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air UX55 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth most of the way, with some moderate bumps after takeoff. The belt sign will likely come on.

MAD15:10Madrid
10h 35m
PTY19:45Panama City
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
MADPTY
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of UX55, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
10h 35m
Distance
8,623 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 2h4h6h8h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

Cruise0m – 1h 40mLight

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.

Cruise1h 41m – 3h 29mModerate

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.

Cruise3h 29m – 10h 35mSmooth

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

Between 31m and 7h 29m into the flight the forecast has a few thunderstorms, the nearest about 40 km from the planned line.

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 ride line stays calm here because the route as planned keeps its distance from them.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add UX55 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 UX55 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

UX55 · Thu 5 NovScheduled
Departs · MAD
15:10
Madrid · Terminal 1
Arrives · PTY
19:12
Scheduled 19:45 · Terminal 1

Last update 31 h ago

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

The aircraft

What UX55 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Type code
B789
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

Air Europa

Flying since
1986
Alliance
SkyTeam
Hubs
Madrid-Barajas
Country
Spain

Air Europa safety record →

on your lock screen

UX55 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

Madrid (MAD) → Panama City (PTY)

Distance
8,623 km
Flight time
10h 35m
Usual departure
15:10 local
Usual arrival
19:45 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent UX55 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 5 Nov 787 Light 33 min early

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 UX55 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 UX55

Will UX55 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some moderate bumps after takeoff. 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 UX55?

Recently UX55 has been flown with: Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is UX55?

About 10h 35m gate to gate from Madrid to Panama City, a distance of about 8,623 km.

What time does UX55 leave?

UX55 usually departs Madrid at 15:10 local time and arrives in Panama City at 19:45 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on UX55?

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 UX55 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.

UX55Moderate