Waco Regional to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International ACT → BHM
543 nautical miles (624 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 075°, about 068° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 23-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:59 am CDT (06:59 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ACT is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 12 knots; BHM is VFR, wind calm. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 5 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ACT.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 4 forecast points nearest it (DAL, SHV, JAN, BHM). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 4 h 09 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 4 h 01 min | 2:12 am CDT (07:12 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 15 °C | 136 kt | 4 h | 2:11 am CDT (07:11 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 11 °C | 135 kt | 4 h 01 min | 2:12 am CDT (07:12 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 8 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 09 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 4 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 09 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −12 kt | 0 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 07 min | 2:18 am CDT (07:18 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −13 kt | -4 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 05 min | 2:16 am CDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 14 kt | −13 kt | -5 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 05 min | 2:16 am CDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 15 kt | −13 kt | -16 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 05 min | 2:16 am CDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 33 kt | −23 kt | -30 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 48 min | 1:59 am CDT (06:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 36 kt | −22 kt | -40 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 49 min | 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 37 kt | −20 kt | -51 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 53 min | 2:04 am CDT (07:04 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | used from 0 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| SHV | used from 99 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| JAN | used from 296 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| BHM | used from 444 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Waco, TX | departure | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 516 ft | 9:51 pm CDT (02:51 UTC) |
| LXY Mexia, TX | 39 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 544 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| TYR Tyler, TX | 99 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| GGG Longview, TX | 138 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 365 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| SHV Shreveport, LA | 178 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 30,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 257 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| MLU Monroe, LA | 266 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 78 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| BQP Bastrop, LA | 276 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | reported, no category | calm | none | 167 ft | 02:50 UTC | |
| LMS Louisville, MS | 424 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 574 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 454 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 493 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 8 mi | none | 169 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 650 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BHM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:59 am CDT (06:59 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for BHM
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ACT, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,700 feet, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
- At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,700 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 17,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 16 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at ACT 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC), at BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BHM is before sunrise there (6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Waco Regional, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International.