ForeFlight has released Reported Turbulence, a new feature that offers live, automated turbulence information to general aviation pilots for the first time by leveraging ForeFlight Mobile and ForeFlight’s Sentry and Sentry Plus ADS-B receivers, according to company officials.
Traditionally, pilots have relied on Pilot Reports (PIREPs), turbulence forecast models, and winds aloft forecasts to predict and avoid turbulence while planning their flights. These approaches have often produced mixed results due to a combination of biases in the data, ForeFlight officials noted, adding pilots more commonly report turbulence than they report smooth air.
The Reported Turbulence feature supplements these methods with near real-time reports of turbulence and smooth air actually encountered by pilots flying with ForeFlight’s Sentry or Sentry Plus devices.
Using their internal attitude sensors, these devices automatically measure and record the level of turbulence experienced throughout a flight, ForeFlight officials explained.
ForeFlight Mobile then uploads the turbulence reports as soon as it connects to the internet after the flight or immediately if an inflight connection is available.
Turbulence reports are displayed as colored dots on the Maps tab in ForeFlight: Gray to indicate smooth air, and a progression of yellow, orange, and dark orange to indicate light, moderate, and severe turbulence.
Pilots can tap any report to see the reporting flight’s altitude, airspeed, and aircraft type, as well as the age of the turbulence report, up to about six hours.
An altitude slider is available to filter turbulence reports on the overhead map by altitude.
ForeFlight’s Profile View feature also offers a visualization of turbulence reports at all altitudes along a planned route, allowing pilots to see which altitudes offer smoother air and plan en route altitude changes accordingly, company officials said.
“No one enjoys flying through turbulence, whether you’re piloting a single-engine piston or riding in the back of a jet,” said Henrik Hansen, ForeFlight’s Chief Technology Officer.
Reported Turbulence is available as two subscription add-ons: Reported Turbulence (Low) provides access to turbulence reports up to 14,000 feet, while the Reported Turbulence (All) add-on grants access to reports at all altitudes.
Reported Turbulence (Low) is available free of charge with ForeFlight’s Pro Plus and Performance Plus subscription plans for customers who register their Sentry or Sentry Plus device at Plan.ForeFlight.com/Account. A 50% discount on the Reported Turbulence (All) layer is also provided to customers who register their Sentry.
GA pilots not using a registered Sentry device but have a Pro or Performance subscription can add Reported Turbulence to their subscription at ForeFlight.com/Buy. It’s $50 a year for (Low) and $100 a year for (All).