Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International to Pensacola International BHM → PNS
187 nautical miles (215 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 187°, about 190° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 26-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:14 pm CDT (03:14 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BHM is VFR, wind calm; PNS is VFR, wind from the west (270°) at 7 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: 55 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 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, 128 nm along 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
- B737 at 26,000 ft, 15 nm west, 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC): moderate chop turbulence from 26,000 ft to 28,000 ft, remarks: ZTLFD-11. 128 nm along the route, 15 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
GZH UA /OV MVC/TM 2319/FL260/TP B737/TB CONS MOD CHOP 260-280/RM ZTLFD-11
- Report
- a routine report filed through GZH
- Where
- over MVC
- Time
- 23:19 UTC
- Height
- at 26,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- continuous moderate chop from 26,000 ft to 28,000 ft
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-11
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 3 forecast points nearest it (BHM, MGM, MOB). 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 | 320° at 20 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 1 h 24 min | 10:21 pm CDT (03:21 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −23 kt | 15 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 18 min | 10:15 pm CDT (03:15 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 30 kt | −24 kt | 12 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 18 min | 10:15 pm CDT (03:15 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 30 kt | −22 kt | 9 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 19 min | 10:16 pm CDT (03:16 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 29 kt | −20 kt | 6 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 20 min | 10:17 pm CDT (03:17 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 28 kt | −18 kt | 1 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 21 min | 10:18 pm CDT (03:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 28 kt | −17 kt | -4 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 22 min | 10:19 pm CDT (03:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 27 kt | −15 kt | -7 °C | 135 kt | 1 h 23 min | 10:20 pm CDT (03:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 29 kt | −19 kt | -17 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 21 min | 10:18 pm CDT (03:18 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 32 kt | −20 kt | -34 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 20 min | 10:17 pm CDT (03:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 35 kt | −26 kt | -41 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 17 min | 10:14 pm CDT (03:14 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 31 kt | −23 kt | -50 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 18 min | 10:15 pm CDT (03:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/16 | 330/32 16° | 320/37 11° | 330/37 6° | 310/33 -7° | 310/30 -18° | 320/40 -34° | 330/43 -41° | 330/30 -49° |
| MGM | used from 49 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 300/16 | 330/30 16° | 330/34 11° | 320/31 7° | 310/28 -7° | 320/29 -17° | 290/25 -34° | 300/28 -41° | 320/28 -50° |
| MOB | used from 148 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/18 18° | 330/16 12° | 300/18 7° | 320/17 -6° | 330/27 -17° | 340/52 -33° | 350/53 -43° | 330/38 -50° |
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 | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| EET Alabaster, AL | 20 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 585 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| SEM Selma, AL | 79 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 | 3,300 ft | 166 ft | 01:30 UTC | |
| GZH Evergreen, AL | 128 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,400 feet, a broken layer at 4,800 feet, overcast at 7,500 feet Weather: heavy rain, mist | from the northeast (040°) at 20 knots, gusting to 38 | 4 mi | 4,800 ft | 259 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| PNS Pensacola, FL | destination | VFR | from the west (270°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 120 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 650 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PNS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:14 pm CDT (03:14 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for PNS
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BHM, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- 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 PNS 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PNS is after sunset there (6:22 pm CDT (23:22 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, Pensacola International.