Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International to Des Moines International BHM → DSM
580 nautical miles (668 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 328°, about 331° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 11:06 am CDT (16:06 UTC). Right now BHM is VFR, wind calm; DSM is VFR, wind from the south (190°) 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: 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 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 last 177 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 BHM.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (BHM, HSV, MEM, CGI, STL, COU, BRL, DSM). 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 | 260° at 21 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 5 h 14 min | 11:12 am CDT (16:12 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +8 kt | 15 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 11 min | 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +7 kt | 12 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 08 min | 11:06 am CDT (16:06 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +8 kt | 8 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 11 min | 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | +8 kt | 4 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 11 min | 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | +11 kt | 0 °C | 109 kt | 5 h 19 min | 11:17 am CDT (16:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 21 kt | +13 kt | -4 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 25 min | 11:23 am CDT (16:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 22 kt | +15 kt | -7 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 31 min | 11:29 am CDT (16:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 28 kt | +16 kt | -19 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 35 min | 11:33 am CDT (16:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 42 kt | +33 kt | -32 °C | 87 kt | 6 h 40 min | 12:38 pm CDT (17:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 51 kt | +42 kt | -40 °C | 78 kt | 7 h 26 min | 1:24 pm CDT (18:24 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 49 kt | +44 kt | -49 °C | 76 kt | 7 h 38 min | 1:36 pm CDT (18:36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 310/19 | 310/15 16° | 320/19 11° | 330/15 5° | 330/23 -5° | 320/14 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 330/44 -40° | 340/36 -51° |
| HSV | used from 49 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| MEM | used from 148 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| CGI | used from 197 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 260/22 | 250/15 15° | 250/13 11° | 250/16 6° | 270/29 -7° | 280/30 -18° | 290/40 -31° | 290/55 -40° | 300/51 -51° |
| STL | used from 295 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| COU | used from 393 nm out; 44 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° |
| BRL | used from 443 nm out; 67 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° |
| DSM | used from 492 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
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 | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 650 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
| JFX Jasper, AL | 30 nm out, 13 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet | calm | 7 mi | 200 ft | 482 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| MSL Muscle Shoals, AL | 79 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 550 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| MKL Jackson, TN | 157 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 434 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| UCY Union City, TN | 207 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 345 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| CGI Cape Girardeau, MO | 256 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 20:53 UTC |
| FAM Farmington, MO | 305 nm out, 11 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 945 ft | 20:07 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 364 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 463 ft | 10:44 UTC |
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 413 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| TVK Centerville, IA | 521 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 12,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 7 knots, gusting to 14 | 10+ mi | none | 1,023 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| CNC Chariton, IA | 551 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 1,050 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet, a broken layer at 19,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 957 ft | 5:54 am CDT (10:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,050 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DSM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:06 am CDT (16:06 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for DSM
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BHM, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 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 BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC), at DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm CDT (00:06 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, Des Moines International.