Alexandria International to Northeast Alabama Regional AEX → GAD
363 nautical miles (418 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 062°, about 059° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (5,500 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:33 am CDT (12:33 UTC). Right now AEX is VFR, wind calm; GAD is VFR, wind from the north (010°) 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: 145 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Near the route, at the destination end.
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
Not fetched just now.
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 3 forecast points nearest it (LCH, 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 | 260° at 9 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 2 h 49 min | 7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 10 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 2 h 48 min | 7:33 am CDT (12:33 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −8 kt | 14 °C | 128 kt | 2 h 50 min | 7:35 am CDT (12:35 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 9 kt | −6 kt | 10 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 53 min | 7:38 am CDT (12:38 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 7 kt | −3 kt | 7 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 57 min | 7:42 am CDT (12:42 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 9 kt | −4 kt | 3 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 56 min | 7:41 am CDT (12:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | −5 kt | 0 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 54 min | 7:39 am CDT (12:39 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 15 kt | −7 kt | -4 °C | 127 kt | 2 h 51 min | 7:36 am CDT (12:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 16 kt | −7 kt | -5 °C | 127 kt | 2 h 51 min | 7:36 am CDT (12:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 14 kt | −7 kt | -17 °C | 127 kt | 2 h 51 min | 7:36 am CDT (12:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 34 kt | −8 kt | -31 °C | 128 kt | 2 h 50 min | 7:35 am CDT (12:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 38 kt | −3 kt | -40 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 57 min | 7:42 am CDT (12:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 38 kt | 0 | -51 °C | 120 kt | 3 h 02 min | 7:47 am CDT (12:47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCH | used from 0 nm out; 101 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
| JAN | used from 49 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 240/10 | 260/15 18° | 280/10 11° | 290/6 6° | 290/15 -5° | 300/15 -17° | 320/35 -30° | 330/38 -40° | 330/39 -51° |
| BHM | used from 245 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 310/19 | 310/15 16° | 320/19 11° | 330/15 5° | 330/23 -5° | 320/14 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 330/44 -40° | 340/36 -51° |
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 | calm | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC) |
| MKV Marksville, LA | 20 nm out, 24 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 78 ft | 06:55 UTC |
| HEZ Natchez, MS | 69 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 272 ft | 08:56 UTC |
| VKS Vicksburg, MS | 98 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 107 ft | 09:15 UTC |
| HKS Jackson, MS | 137 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| MPE Philadelphia, MS | 196 nm out, 1 nm west of the line | reported, no category | calm | none | 458 ft | 09:35 UTC | |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 235 nm out, 24 nm northwest of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | calm | 1.5 mi | none | 264 ft | 09:33 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 275 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 169 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| EKY Bessemer, AL | 304 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet Weather: rain, mist | from the northeast (050°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23 | 4 mi | 6,000 ft | 699 ft | 03:56 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | 324 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| GAD Gadsden, AL | destination | VFR | from the north (010°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 569 ft | 10:56 am CDT (15:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 699 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GAD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:33 am CDT (12:33 UTC)
GAD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for AEX, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 GAD 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:39 pm CDT (23:39 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, Northeast Alabama Regional.