Plan a flight · Mon 9:57 am CDT (14:57 UTC)

Alexandria International to The Eastern Iowa Airport AEX → CID

635 nautical miles (731 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 003°, about 000° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 16-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:37 pm CDT (19:37 UTC). Right now AEX is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots; CID is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 9 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: 1 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 TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 387 to 486 nm out.

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

PC12 at 20,000 ft, 10 nm southwest, 8:49 am CDT (13:49 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 10 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
AEX UA /OV AEX250010/TM 1349/FL200/TP PC12/TB LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through AEX
Where
10 nm west (250°) of AEX
Time
13:49 UTC
Height
at 20,000 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Turbulence
light chop
Remarks
zhu
BE9L at 5,000 ft, 32 nm east, 8:06 am CDT (13:06 UTC): clear from 5,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: ZME65. 139 nm along the route, 32 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
LLQ UA /OV LLQ/TM 1306/FL050/TP BE9L/SK SKC/RM ZME65
```
Report
a routine report filed through LLQ
Where
over LLQ
Time
13:06 UTC
Height
at 5,000 ft
Aircraft
BE9L
Sky
clear
Remarks
ZME65
SR22 at 6,000 ft, 49 nm west, 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZFW83. 159 nm along the route, 49 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TXK UA /OV TXK040050/TM 1250/FL060/TP SR22/TB NEG/RM ZFW83
```
Report
a routine report filed through TXK
Where
50 nm northeast (040°) of TXK
Time
12:50 UTC
Height
at 6,000 ft
Aircraft
SR22
Turbulence
none
Remarks
ZFW83
A321 at 32,000 ft, 10 nm north, 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the destination end, 10 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CID UA /OV CID360010/TM 1225/FL320/TP A321/TB INTMT LGT CHOP CONS LGT CHOP
```
Report
a routine report filed through CID
Where
10 nm north (360°) of CID
Time
12:25 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
A321
Turbulence
intermittent light chop continuous light chop

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (SHV, LIT, SGF, COU, BRL). 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	230° at 23 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	4 h 40 min	2:37 pm CDT (19:37 UTC)
5,500 ft	230° at 23 kt	−15 kt		135 kt	4 h 42 min	2:39 pm CDT (19:39 UTC)
7,500 ft	240° at 21 kt	−12 kt	15 °C	132 kt	4 h 49 min	2:46 pm CDT (19:46 UTC)
9,500 ft	240° at 19 kt	−9 kt	11 °C	129 kt	4 h 55 min	2:52 pm CDT (19:52 UTC)
11,500 ft	250° at 19 kt	−7 kt	7 °C	127 kt	5 h	2:57 pm CDT (19:57 UTC)
13,500 ft	260° at 21 kt	−6 kt	3 °C	126 kt	5 h 02 min	2:59 pm CDT (19:59 UTC)
15,500 ft	260° at 23 kt	−6 kt	-2 °C	126 kt	5 h 02 min	2:59 pm CDT (19:59 UTC)
17,500 ft	260° at 25 kt	−6 kt	-6 °C	126 kt	5 h 02 min	2:59 pm CDT (19:59 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	260° at 26 kt	−6 kt	-7 °C	126 kt	5 h 02 min	2:59 pm CDT (19:59 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 30 kt	−3 kt	-17 °C	123 kt	5 h 10 min	3:07 pm CDT (20:07 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 54 kt	+11 kt	-30 °C	109 kt	5 h 50 min	3:47 pm CDT (20:47 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	290° at 53 kt	+19 kt	-38 °C	101 kt	6 h 17 min	4:14 pm CDT (21:14 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 43 kt	+21 kt	-49 °C	99 kt	6 h 25 min	4:22 pm CDT (21:22 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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; 79 nm from the line	200/17	190/28 18°	200/15 13°	250/12 7°	260/28 -7°	280/22 -14°	290/29 -29°	310/33 -39°	340/27 -50°
LIT	used from 99 nm out; 81 nm from the line	230/23	250/23 17°	250/18 11°	250/18 7°	250/27 -7°	270/23 -15°	290/50 -30°	300/43 -38°	320/38 -50°
SGF	used from 298 nm out; 68 nm from the line	220/23	240/29 16°	240/21 13°	240/15 7°	270/28 -7°	260/34 -18°	280/67 -29°	290/59 -37°	290/51 -49°
COU	used from 397 nm out; 30 nm from the line	240/28	240/22 17°	250/18 12°	260/22 6°	270/23 -7°	260/39 -19°	290/70 -30°	290/71 -37°	290/58 -48°
BRL	used from 496 nm out; 59 nm from the line	240/28	240/25 18°	250/26 12°	260/29 5°	260/24 -8°	270/36 -20°	280/57 -33°	290/65 -37°	290/54 -46°

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	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	88 ft	8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC)
MLU Monroe, LA	69 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	78 ft	13:53 UTC
CDH Camden, AR	139 nm out, 19 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	129 ft	08:55 UTC
LIT Little Rock, AR	208 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the west (260°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	266 ft	13:53 UTC
CCA Clinton, AR	258 nm out, 11 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	513 ft	14:35 UTC
TVB Cabool, MO	347 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line	no report just now				1,220 ft
TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO	387 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots, gusting to 15	10+ mi	none	1,159 ft	14:55 UTC
COU Columbia, MO	447 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	889 ft	13:54 UTC
EOK Keokuk, IA	546 nm out, 19 nm east of the line	reported, no category	from the south-southwest (210°) at 10 knots, gusting to 16	10+ mi	none	671 ft	14:35 UTC
AWG Washington, IA	595 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots	10+ mi	none	754 ft	14:35 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA	destination	VFR	from the south (190°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	869 ft	8:52 am CDT (13:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,220 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CID when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:37 pm CDT (19:37 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for CID

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, 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

6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, 466 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC

Daylight

Sunset at AEX 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC), at CID 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 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

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, The Eastern Iowa Airport.