Alexandria International to Central IL Rgnl/Bloomington-Normal Airport AEX → BMI
577 nautical miles (664 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 017°, about 014° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 14-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC). Right now AEX is low IFR, wind calm; BMI is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots. 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: 2 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
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the first 10 nm of the route.
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 AEX.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E170 at 14,000 ft, 25 nm northwest, 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 219 nm along the route, 25 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LIT UA /OV LIT045030/TM 1119/FL140/TP E170/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through LIT
- Where
- 30 nm northeast (045°) of LIT
- Time
- 11:19 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- ZME65
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (SHV, LIT, MEM, CGI, STL, SPI). 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 | 250° at 22 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 4 h 18 min | 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 4 h 18 min | 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −14 kt | 14 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 18 min | 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −13 kt | 10 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 20 min | 11:37 am CDT (16:37 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | −12 kt | 7 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 22 min | 11:39 am CDT (16:39 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | −11 kt | 3 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 24 min | 11:41 am CDT (16:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | −9 kt | -1 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 28 min | 11:45 am CDT (16:45 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -6 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -7 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 25 kt | −8 kt | -17 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 43 kt | +3 kt | -30 °C | 117 kt | 4 h 56 min | 12:13 pm CDT (17:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 49 kt | +4 kt | -40 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 58 min | 12:15 pm CDT (17:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 47 kt | +14 kt | -50 °C | 106 kt | 5 h 27 min | 12:44 pm CDT (17:44 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHV | used from 0 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 210/20 | 210/20 18° | 230/20 11° | 240/16 7° | 270/17 -7° | 250/11 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 310/34 -40° | 320/36 -51° |
| LIT | used from 99 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| MEM | used from 249 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| CGI | used from 298 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 260/22 | 250/15 15° | 250/13 11° | 250/16 6° | 270/29 -7° | 280/30 -18° | 290/40 -31° | 290/55 -40° | 300/51 -51° |
| STL | used from 398 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| SPI | used from 497 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 260/28 | 250/22 15° | 250/14 9° | 260/20 6° | 280/27 -7° | 280/34 -19° | 280/48 -32° | 280/59 -41° | 300/60 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEX Alexandria, LA | departure | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 88 ft | 7:02 am CDT (12:02 UTC) |
| MLU Monroe, LA | 80 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 78 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| CRT Crossett, AR | 119 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 183 ft | ||||
| SGT Stuttgart, AR | 199 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 224 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| JBR Jonesboro, AR | 288 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 262 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| ARG Walnut Ridge, AR | 298 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 279 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| POF Poplar Bluff, MO | 348 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 8 mi | none | 330 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| BLV Belleville, IL | 458 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 467 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| DEC Decatur, IL | 537 nm out, 15 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 681 ft | 11:54 UTC |
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 871 ft | 6:56 am CDT (11:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 871 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BMI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for BMI
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
The forecast for AEX, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at AEX 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC), at BMI 6:20 pm CDT (23:20 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm CDT (23:47 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: Alexandria International, Central IL Rgnl/Bloomington-Normal Airport.