Appleton International to Abilene Regional ATW → ABI
883 nautical miles (1,016 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 220°, about 222° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 2:14 pm CDT (19:14 UTC). Right now ATW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots; ABI is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 13 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 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 179 to 793 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 ATW.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (GRB, DBQ, BRL, COU, MKC, TUL, OKC, SPS, ABI). 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 | 240° at 30 kt | +28 kt | 19 °C | 92 kt | 9 h 36 min | 3:35 pm CDT (20:35 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +20 kt | 17 °C | 100 kt | 8 h 50 min | 2:49 pm CDT (19:49 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 13 °C | 103 kt | 8 h 34 min | 2:33 pm CDT (19:33 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | +14 kt | 10 °C | 106 kt | 8 h 20 min | 2:19 pm CDT (19:19 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | +13 kt | 5 °C | 107 kt | 8 h 15 min | 2:14 pm CDT (19:14 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | +14 kt | 1 °C | 106 kt | 8 h 20 min | 2:19 pm CDT (19:19 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | +15 kt | -4 °C | 105 kt | 8 h 25 min | 2:24 pm CDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 22 kt | +15 kt | -7 °C | 105 kt | 8 h 25 min | 2:24 pm CDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 33 kt | +24 kt | -18 °C | 96 kt | 9 h 12 min | 3:11 pm CDT (20:11 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 53 kt | +33 kt | -31 °C | 87 kt | 10 h 09 min | 4:08 pm CDT (21:08 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 54 kt | +27 kt | -39 °C | 93 kt | 9 h 30 min | 3:29 pm CDT (20:29 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 55 kt | +17 kt | -49 °C | 103 kt | 8 h 34 min | 2:33 pm CDT (19:33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRB | used from 0 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
| DBQ | used from 50 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| BRL | used from 198 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -48° |
| COU | used from 298 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| MKC | used from 347 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 240/49 | 240/21 20° | 220/19 13° | 230/21 6° | 260/26 -7° | 250/37 -19° | 270/66 -31° | 270/65 -38° | 280/60 -48° |
| TUL | used from 496 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 230/42 | 250/23 17° | 220/16 14° | 240/10 8° | 240/20 -6° | 260/28 -17° | 270/61 -29° | 280/52 -38° | 290/46 -50° |
| OKC | used from 645 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 220/43 | 230/31 17° | 260/13 16° | 270/11 7° | 240/20 -6° | 250/32 -17° | 260/60 -28° | 280/50 -37° | 290/45 -50° |
| SPS | used from 744 nm out; 3 nm from the line | 220/35 | 220/31 18° | 230/16 14° | 230/10 8° | 250/18 -5° | 250/32 -16° | 260/51 -28° | 280/46 -38° | 300/50 -50° |
| ABI | used from 843 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATW Appleton, WI | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 918 ft | 5:45 am CDT (10:45 UTC) |
| MSN Madison, WI | 69 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 22,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 22,000 ft | 886 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 149 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,076 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 198 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 869 ft | 09:52 UTC |
| CHT Chillicothe, MO | 347 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 783 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| OJC Olathe, KS | 426 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,096 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| PPF Parsons, KS | 526 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 9 knots, gusting to 18 | 10+ mi | none | 900 ft | 10:52 UTC |
| IDP Independence, KS | 536 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 824 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| OUN Norman, OK | 684 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,181 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| SPS Wichita Falls, TX | 774 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,019 ft | 10:52 UTC |
| ONY Olney, TX | 813 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,275 ft | ||||
| ABI Abilene, TX | destination | VFR | from the south (170°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,790 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:14 pm CDT (19:14 UTC)
Wind from the south at 17 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for ABI
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC) and 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the south at 13 knots, gusting to 20
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 17 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
The forecast for ATW, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 15,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC) and 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): light rain showers, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 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 ATW 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at ABI 7:08 pm CDT (00:08 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm CDT (00:33 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: Appleton International, Abilene Regional.