Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International to Ted Stevens Anchorage International BHM → ANC
2,900 nautical miles (3,337 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 325°, about 328° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 23 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:44 pm AKDT (02:44 UTC). 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: 3 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 route from 528 to 678 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 807 to 857 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 967 to 1166 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 BHM.
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 15 forecast points nearest it (BHM, HSV, MEM, CGI, STL, COU, DSM, OMA, FSD, ABR, DIK, MOT, GGW, GPI, SEA). 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 | 120° at 3 kt | −5 kt | -1 °C | 125 kt | 23 h 12 min | 6:44 pm AKDT (02:44 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 120° at 2 kt | −4 kt | 5 °C | 124 kt | 23 h 23 min | 6:55 pm AKDT (02:55 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 150° at 1 kt | −4 kt | 2 °C | 124 kt | 23 h 23 min | 6:55 pm AKDT (02:55 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 360° at 2 kt | −3 kt | 0 °C | 123 kt | 23 h 35 min | 7:07 pm AKDT (03:07 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 350° at 6 kt | −1 kt | -3 °C | 121 kt | 23 h 58 min | 7:30 pm AKDT (03:30 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 10 kt | +3 kt | -6 °C | 117 kt | 24 h 47 min | 8:19 pm AKDT (04:19 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 14 kt | +6 kt | -10 °C | 114 kt | 25 h 26 min | 8:58 pm AKDT (04:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 18 kt | +9 kt | -12 °C | 111 kt | 26 h 08 min | 9:40 pm AKDT (05:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 16 kt | +7 kt | -23 °C | 113 kt | 25 h 40 min | 9:12 pm AKDT (05:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 24 kt | +15 kt | -38 °C | 105 kt | 27 h 37 min | 11:09 pm AKDT (07:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 28 kt | +19 kt | -43 °C | 101 kt | 28 h 43 min | 12:15 am AKDT (08:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 35 kt | +24 kt | -46 °C | 96 kt | 30 h 12 min | 1:44 am AKDT (09:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| HSV | used from 50 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| MEM | used from 149 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| CGI | used from 199 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| STL | used from 299 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| COU | used from 349 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| DSM | used from 498 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| OMA | used from 648 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| FSD | used from 698 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| ABR | used from 847 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| DIK | used from 997 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| MOT | used from 1096 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 120/14 5° | 200/20 4° | 230/33 1° | 250/39 -11° | 250/50 -21° | 240/61 -37° | 250/56 -45° | 260/68 -51° | |
| GGW | used from 1196 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 110/23 0° | 130/20 -2° | 170/24 -3° | 230/44 -11° | 220/51 -21° | 210/52 -39° | 220/64 -44° | 240/85 -48° | |
| GPI | used from 1495 nm out; 277 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -42° | |
| SEA | used from 1943 nm out; 542 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM Birmingham, AL | departure | no report just now | 650 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | 159 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 434 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 409 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 757 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| BIS Bismarck, ND | 1016 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,661 ft | ||||
| PWD Plentywood, MT | 1206 nm out, 11 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,263 ft | ||||
| CYDL Dease Lake, | 2282 nm out, 19 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,634 ft | ||||
| CYSQ Atlin, | 2412 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,351 ft | ||||
| 7KA Tatitlek, AK | 2800 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 61 ft | ||||
| ANC Anchorage, AK | destination | no report just now | 151 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,634 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ANC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:44 pm AKDT (02:44 UTC)
ANC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, 429 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
- 6/8889 Anchorage, AK, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZAN
- 6/8772 Anchorage, AK, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · starts tomorrow · ZAN
Daylight
Sunset at BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC), at ANC 6:57 pm AKDT (02:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:40 pm AKDT (03:40 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: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International, Ted Stevens Anchorage International.