The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 7:17 am CDT (12:17 UTC)

Mobile International to Key Field BFM → MEI

108 nautical miles (125 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 341°, about 342° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, no wind along the track), arriving about 8:11 am CDT (13:11 UTC). Right now BFM is VFR, wind calm; MEI is VFR, wind calm. 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 return flight

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). Over the whole 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 BFM.

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

  • B737 at 40,000 ft, 9 nm west, 6:48 am CDT (11:48 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 10 nm along the route, 9 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    MOB UA /OV KSJI069043/TM 1148/FL400/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
    Report
    a routine report filed through MOB
    Where
    43 nm east (069°) of KSJI
    Time
    11:48 UTC
    Height
    at 40,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B737
    Turbulence
    occasional light chop
    Remarks
    zhu

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 2 forecast points nearest it (MOB, JAN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft250° at 1 kt0120 kt54 min8:11 am CDT (13:11 UTC)
6,500 ft320° at 1 kt+1 kt17 °C119 kt54 min8:11 am CDT (13:11 UTC)
8,500 ft010° at 6 kt+5 kt12 °C115 kt56 min8:13 am CDT (13:13 UTC)
10,500 ft010° at 4 kt+3 kt8 °C117 kt55 min8:12 am CDT (13:12 UTC)
12,500 ft310° at 1 kt+1 kt5 °C119 kt54 min8:11 am CDT (13:11 UTC)
14,500 ft320° at 5 kt+5 kt1 °C115 kt56 min8:13 am CDT (13:13 UTC)
16,500 ft330° at 9 kt+9 kt-2 °C111 kt58 min8:15 am CDT (13:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180330° at 12 kt+12 kt-5 °C108 kt1 h8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240330° at 22 kt+22 kt-17 °C98 kt1 h 06 min8:23 am CDT (13:23 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 30 kt+30 kt-32 °C90 kt1 h 12 min8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340350° at 39 kt+38 kt-41 °C82 kt1 h 19 min8:36 am CDT (13:36 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390340° at 40 kt+40 kt-53 °C80 kt1 h 21 min8:38 am CDT (13:38 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MOBused from 0 nm out; 19 nm from the lineL/VL/V 18°020/8 11°L/V 6°330/12 -5°330/23 -17°330/30 -32°350/39 -41°340/40 -53°
JANused from 98 nm out; 69 nm from the line240/10260/15 18°280/10 11°290/6 6°290/15 -5°300/15 -17°320/35 -30°330/38 -40°330/39 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
BFM Mobile, AL departure VFR calm 10+ mi none 26 ft 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)
MEI Meridian, MS destination VFR calm 10+ mi none 297 ft 6:58 am CDT (11:58 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 297 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MEI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:11 am CDT (13:11 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for MEI
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BFM, the departure
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, 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 BFM 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC), at MEI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 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
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Mobile International, Key Field.