flight turbulence forecast

X51516 turbulence forecast

X5 · Munich (MUC) to Madrid (MAD)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 10:45 Munich time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air X51516 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with light bumps mainly after takeoff. Barely moves your drink.

MUC10:45Munich
2h 50m
MAD13:35Madrid
Model run 5 Nov, 18:00 UTC · checked just now
MUCMAD
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of X51516, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
2h 50m
Distance
1,498 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
Medium
Aircraft
Boeing 737 MAX

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.

MUC · Take off0m – 11mSmooth

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.

Cruise11m – 1h 18mLight

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 18m – 2h 50mSmooth

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.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add X51516 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 X51516 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

X51516 · Tue 3 NovArrived · 18 min early
Departs · MUC
10:44
Scheduled 10:45 · Terminal 1
Arrives · MAD
13:17
Scheduled 13:35 · Terminal 2

Last update 3 days ago

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

The aircraft

What X51516 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 737 MAX 8

Type code
B38M
Seats on this flight
189
First flew
2016
In service since
2017
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Range
6,480 km
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.

Boeing 737 MAX safety record →

The airline

X5

X5 operates X51516.

on your lock screen

X51516 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

Munich (MUC) → Madrid (MAD)

Distance
1,498 km
Flight time
2h 50m
Usual departure
10:45 local
Usual arrival
13:35 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent X51516 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Tue 3 Nov 737 MAX Light 18 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 weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of X51516 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 X51516

Will X51516 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with light bumps mainly 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 X51516?

Recently X51516 has been flown with: Boeing 737 MAX. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is X51516?

About 2h 50m gate to gate from Munich to Madrid, a distance of about 1,498 km.

What time does X51516 leave?

X51516 usually departs Munich at 10:45 local time and arrives in Madrid at 13:35 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on X51516?

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 X51516 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.

X51516Light