Flight planning: Hector International FAR / KFAR
What a pilot looks at before a flight from or to Hector International in Fargo, North Dakota, in plain English: right now IFR: instrument conditions, Wind from the north (010°) at 15 knots. The warnings, reports and winds below come from the government's aviation weather service and the restrictions from the FAA, refreshed every few minutes. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools.
Warnings in force SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area covers this field
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist).
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft (thunderstorms, severe turbulence or icing, volcanic ash); an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments (moderate turbulence or icing, low cloud, strong surface wind, mountains hidden in cloud). An area is counted when it covers this field's position.
Pilot reports within 100 nautical miles, last three hours, nearest first
- C56X at 1,300 ft, 0 nm southwest, 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC): overcast above 1,300 ft.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 2317/FL013/TP C56X/SK OVC013
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over KFAR
- Time
- 23:17 UTC
- Height
- at 1,300 ft
- Aircraft
- C56X
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft
- E170 at 6,000 ft, 10 nm south, 5:18 pm CDT (22:18 UTC): remarks: during the descent runway 36.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV FAR/TM 2218/FL060/TP E170/SK TOP060-OVC014/RM DURD RWY 36
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over FAR
- Time
- 22:18 UTC
- Height
- at 6,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Sky
- TOP060-OVC014
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 36
- CRJ7 at 18,000 ft, 51 nm east, 6:41 pm CDT (23:41 UTC): light rime icing from 18,000 ft to 20,000 ft, -13 °C, remarks: during the descent.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV FAR090050/TM 2341/FL180/TP CRJ7/SK BASE180-TOP200/TA M13/IC LGT RIME 180-200/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- 50 nm east (090°) of FAR
- Time
- 23:41 UTC
- Height
- at 18,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Sky
- BASE180-TOP200
- Temperature
- −13 °C
- Icing
- light rime from 18,000 ft to 20,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent
- CRJ7 at 1,500 ft, 63 nm north, 7:01 pm CDT (00:01 UTC): overcast above 1,500 ft.
as filed, and in English
GFK UA /OV GFK090002/TM 0001/FL015/TP CRJ7/SK OVC015
- Report
- a routine report filed through GFK
- Where
- 2 nm east (090°) of GFK
- Time
- 00:01 UTC
- Height
- at 1,500 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Sky
- overcast from 1,500 ft
- PC12 at 1,500 ft, 65 nm north, 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC): overcast above 1,500 ft, 6 °C.
as filed, and in English
GFK UA /OV GFK350001/TM 2345/FL015/TP PC12/SK OVC015/TA 06
- Report
- a routine report filed through GFK
- Where
- 1 nm north (350°) of GFK
- Time
- 23:45 UTC
- Height
- at 1,500 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Sky
- overcast from 1,500 ft
- Temperature
- 6 °C
What pilots in the air told air traffic control or Flight Service: turbulence, icing, cloud tops and bases, temperature, wind, and whatever they remarked on (wind shear on final, a smooth ride). An urgent report is one of severe turbulence or icing, wind shear, or similar. Open "as filed, and in English" for the coded report and its translation line by line.
Winds and temperatures aloft forecast point GFK, 63 nm north of the field · for use 20:00–03:00 UTC
| Height | Wind from | Speed | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 ft | 050° (northeast) | 18 knots | |
| 6,000 ft | light and variable | 10 °C | |
| 9,000 ft | 240° (southwest) | 20 knots | 7 °C |
| 12,000 ft | 240° (southwest) | 36 knots | 1 °C |
| 18,000 ft | 250° (west) | 47 knots | -11 °C |
| 24,000 ft | 260° (west) | 53 knots | -21 °C |
| 30,000 ft | 270° (west) | 59 knots | -36 °C |
| 34,000 ft | 270° (west) | 65 knots | -47 °C |
| 39,000 ft | 260° (west) | 88 knots | -56 °C |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; the lowest rows are left out where the ground is already that high.
Temporary flight restrictions within 50 nautical miles, from the FAA's list
No temporary flight restriction within 50 nautical miles right now.
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (a closed runway, lights out, a crane) are not shown here: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time, and the application for the FAA's data feed is in hand.
Radar and forecast charts government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
The radar pictures come from the National Weather Service (the nearest radar, then the region); the surface analysis and the 12- and 24-hour forecast charts from the Weather Prediction Center. They are public-domain government images shown as they are published.
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, and the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Back to Hector International, where the current observation and the forecast for the field are.