Alexandria International to Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field AEX → MKC
479 nautical miles (551 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 348°, about 345° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now AEX is VFR, wind calm; MKC is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23. 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 3W: 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 last 140 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
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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even 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, FSM, SGF, MKC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 3 h 36 min | 5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −8 kt | 16 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 45 min | 5:33 am CDT (10:33 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −6 kt | 13 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 48 min | 5:36 am CDT (10:36 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 10 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 50 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | −4 kt | 6 °C | 124 kt | 3 h 52 min | 5:40 am CDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −2 kt | 2 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 56 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | −1 kt | -2 °C | 121 kt | 3 h 58 min | 5:46 am CDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 17 kt | +1 kt | -5 °C | 119 kt | 4 h 02 min | 5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 23 kt | −2 kt | -16 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 56 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 38 kt | +15 kt | -30 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 34 min | 6:22 am CDT (11:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 41 kt | +17 kt | -40 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 39 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 42 kt | +22 kt | -51 °C | 98 kt | 4 h 53 min | 6:41 am CDT (11:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHV | used from 0 nm out; 74 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° |
| LIT | used from 150 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| FSM | used from 199 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| SGF | used from 299 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| MKC | used from 399 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEX Alexandria, LA | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| IER Natchitoches, LA | 30 nm out, 23 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 121 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| RSN Ruston, LA | 70 nm out, 12 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 316 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| AGO Magnolia, AR | 120 nm out, 10 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 319 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| ADF Arkadelphia, AR | 170 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 181 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| RUE Russellville, AR | 239 nm out, 21 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 409 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| ROG Rogers, AR | 309 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,358 ft | 05:58 UTC |
| JLN Joplin, MO | 359 nm out, 22 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 977 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| BUM Butler, MO | 429 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 893 ft | ||||
| LRY Harrisonville, MO | 449 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 915 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| MKC Kansas City, MO | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 756 ft | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,358 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MKC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC)
Wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKC
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
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 MKC 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MKC is before sunrise there (7:24 am CDT (12:24 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, Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field.