Plan a flight · Sun 8:46 pm CDT (01:46 UTC)

Alexandria International to Springfield-Branson Ntl Airport AEX → SGF

358 nautical miles (412 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 354°, about 351° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:30 pm CDT (04:30 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now AEX is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots; SGF is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 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: 32 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 AEX.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

B39M at 32,000 ft, 5 nm southeast, 6:07 pm CDT (23:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 5 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
AEX UA /OV AEX/TM 2307/FL320/TP B39M/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through AEX
Where
over AEX
Time
23:07 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
B39M
Turbulence
occasional light chop
Remarks
zhu
CRJ7 at 36,000 ft, 6 nm west, 7:10 pm CDT (00:10 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME20. 189 nm along the route, 6 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
HOT UA /OV HOT/TM 0010/FL360/TP CRJ7/TB NEG/RM ZME20
```
Report
a routine report filed through HOT
Where
over HOT
Time
00:10 UTC
Height
at 36,000 ft
Aircraft
CRJ7
Turbulence
none
Remarks
ZME20
C750 at 43,000 ft, 46 nm east, 7:50 pm CDT (00:50 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence above 43,000 ft, remarks: zme. 219 nm along the route, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
LIT UA /OV LIT360025/TM 0050/FL430/TP C750/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP 430/RM ZME
```
Report
a routine report filed through LIT
Where
25 nm north (360°) of LIT
Time
00:50 UTC
Height
at 43,000 ft
Aircraft
C750
Turbulence
continuous light to moderate chop at 43,000 ft
Remarks
zme

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 4 forecast points nearest it (SHV, LIT, FSM, SGF). 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	220° at 15 kt	−11 kt		131 kt	2 h 44 min	11:30 pm CDT (04:30 UTC)
6,500 ft	230° at 18 kt	−10 kt	16 °C	130 kt	2 h 45 min	11:31 pm CDT (04:31 UTC)
8,500 ft	240° at 22 kt	−11 kt	13 °C	131 kt	2 h 44 min	11:30 pm CDT (04:30 UTC)
10,500 ft	250° at 21 kt	−6 kt	10 °C	126 kt	2 h 50 min	11:36 pm CDT (04:36 UTC)
12,500 ft	260° at 18 kt	−1 kt	6 °C	121 kt	2 h 58 min	11:44 pm CDT (04:44 UTC)
14,500 ft	270° at 17 kt	+2 kt	2 °C	118 kt	3 h 02 min	11:48 pm CDT (04:48 UTC)
16,500 ft	280° at 17 kt	+4 kt	-2 °C	116 kt	3 h 05 min	11:51 pm CDT (04:51 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	290° at 16 kt	+6 kt	-5 °C	114 kt	3 h 08 min	11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	300° at 21 kt	+11 kt	-16 °C	109 kt	3 h 17 min	12:03 am CDT (05:03 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	300° at 36 kt	+21 kt	-30 °C	99 kt	3 h 37 min	12:23 am CDT (05:23 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 34 kt	+20 kt	-41 °C	100 kt	3 h 35 min	12:21 am CDT (05:21 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 44 kt	+30 kt	-52 °C	90 kt	3 h 59 min	12:45 am CDT (05:45 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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; 75 nm from the line	190/11	230/19 17°	230/26 12°	260/15 7°	280/16 -4°	300/17 -15°	300/34 -30°	300/31 -41°	310/42 -52°
LIT	used from 149 nm out; 47 nm from the line	220/12	250/12 17°	250/18 12°	260/22 6°	310/14 -5°	310/25 -17°	310/40 -31°	310/38 -41°	310/46 -52°
FSM	used from 248 nm out; 66 nm from the line	200/18	210/19 15°	230/22 13°	250/18 7°	270/20 -5°	280/24 -16°	280/35 -30°	290/37 -40°	300/40 -52°
SGF	used from 298 nm out; 35 nm from the line	210/21	210/21 16°	240/28 12°	260/24 7°	280/21 -6°	280/26 -18°	290/38 -31°	290/37 -41°	300/49 -52°

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 southeast (140°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	88 ft	7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC)
RSN Ruston, LA	70 nm out, 6 nm east of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	316 ft	23:35 UTC
ELD El Dorado, AR	119 nm out, 5 nm south of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	277 ft	00:53 UTC
CDH Camden, AR	139 nm out, 5 nm east of the line	VFR	from the southwest (230°) at 7 knots	9 mi	none	129 ft	22:15 UTC
HOT Hot Springs, AR	189 nm out, 6 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	540 ft	00:53 UTC
RUE Russellville, AR	239 nm out, 1 nm south of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	409 ft	00:53 UTC
HRO Harrison, AR	298 nm out, 4 nm east of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	1,364 ft	00:53 UTC
BBG Branson, MO	318 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	1,302 ft	00:45 UTC
SGF Springfield, MO	destination	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	1,268 ft	7:52 pm CDT (00:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,364 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SGF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:30 pm CDT (04:30 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for SGF

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 18 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for AEX, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 9 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 SGF 6:41 pm CDT (23:41 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:07 pm CDT (00:07 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SGF is before sunrise there (7:18 am CDT (12:18 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, Springfield-Branson Ntl Airport.