flight turbulence forecast

XQ166 turbulence forecast

SunExpress · Antalya (AYT) to Nuremberg (NUE)

Next departure at its usual time · Thu 22 Oct, 23:30 Antalya time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air XQ166 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with some moderate bumps on descent. The belt sign will likely come on.

AYT23:30Antalya
3h 25m
NUE01:55Nuremberg
Model run 22 Oct, 06:00 UTC · checked just now
AYTNUE
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of XQ166, 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
Moderate
Flight time
3h 25m
Distance
2,116 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
High
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.

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 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 – 2h 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.

Cruise2h 18m – 2h 54mModerate

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.

Cruise2h 54m – 3h 12mLight

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 Nuremberg3h 12m – 3h 25mSmooth

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.

Thunderstorms near the route

From 1h 29m to 1h 56m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 30 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 closest of these is within the 20 nm the crew has to keep, so expect a small turn around it. The line on the map is the planned route; the real track will bend around the storm.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add XQ166 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 XQ166 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

XQ166 · Sat 17 OctArrived · 45 min late
Departs · AYT
00:05
Scheduled 23:30 · Terminal 2
Arrives · NUE
02:39
Scheduled 01:55

Last update 5 days ago

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

The aircraft

What XQ166 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

SunExpress

SunExpress operates XQ166.

on your lock screen

XQ166 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

Antalya (AYT) → Nuremberg (NUE)

Distance
2,116 km
Flight time
3h 25m
Usual departure
23:30 local
Usual arrival
01:55 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent XQ166 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sat 17 Oct 737 MAX Moderate 45 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 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 XQ166 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 XQ166

Will XQ166 be bumpy?

For the flight on Thu 22 Oct: Smooth or light most of the way, with some moderate bumps on descent. 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 XQ166?

Recently XQ166 has been flown with: Boeing 737 MAX. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is XQ166?

About 3h 25m gate to gate from Antalya to Nuremberg, a distance of about 2,116 km.

What time does XQ166 leave?

XQ166 usually departs Antalya at 23:30 local time and arrives in Nuremberg at 01:55 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on XQ166?

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 XQ166 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.

XQ166Moderate