flight turbulence forecast

XR5302 turbulence forecast

Skywest Australia · Heraklion (Iraklion) (HER) to Eelde (GRQ)

Next departure at its usual time · Mon 9 Nov, 13:00 Heraklion (Iraklion) time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air XR5302 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with moderate bumps mainly mid-flight. The belt sign will likely come on.

HER13:00Heraklion (Iraklion)
3h 40m
GRQ15:40Eelde
Model run 7 Nov, 06:00 UTC · checked just now
HERGRQ
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of XR5302, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
3h 40m
Distance
2,457 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 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.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 1h2h Take off Landing

Where, and why

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

HER · Take off0m – 14mSmooth

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.

Cruise14m – 1h 50mLight

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 50m – 3h 26mModerate

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 Eelde3h 26m – 3h 40mSmooth

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 17m to 1h 26m into the flight the forecast has thunderstorms about 50 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 XR5302 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 XR5302 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

XR5302 · Sun 25 OctArrived · On time
Departs · HER
13:13
Scheduled 13:00
Arrives · GRQ
15:37
Scheduled 15:40

Last update 13 days ago

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

The aircraft

What XR5302 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.

Boeing 737 NG safety record →

The airline

Skywest Australia

Skywest Australia operates XR5302.

on your lock screen

XR5302 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

Heraklion (Iraklion) (HER) → Eelde (GRQ)

Distance
2,457 km
Flight time
3h 40m
Usual departure
13:00 local
Usual arrival
15:40 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent XR5302 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sun 25 Oct 737-800 Moderate On time

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.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of XR5302 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 XR5302

Will XR5302 be bumpy?

For the flight on Mon 9 Nov: Smooth or light most of the way, with moderate bumps mainly mid-flight. 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 XR5302?

Recently XR5302 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is XR5302?

About 3h 40m gate to gate from Heraklion (Iraklion) to Eelde, a distance of about 2,457 km.

What time does XR5302 leave?

XR5302 usually departs Heraklion (Iraklion) at 13:00 local time and arrives in Eelde at 15:40 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on XR5302?

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 XR5302 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.

XR5302Moderate