Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International to Stillwater Regional BHM → SWO
532 nautical miles (612 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 290°, about 293° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC). Right now BHM is VFR, wind calm; SWO is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 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: 4 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 SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the route from 30 to 99 nm out.
- 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 148 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
- E170 at 14,000 ft, 6 nm northwest, 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 256 nm along the route, 6 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LIT UA /OV LIT045030/TM 1119/FL140/TP E170/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through LIT
- Where
- 30 nm northeast (045°) of LIT
- Time
- 11:19 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- ZME65
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 5 forecast points nearest it (BHM, MEM, LIT, FSM, TUL). 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 | 250° at 21 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 5 h 13 min | 12:17 pm CDT (17:17 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | +17 kt | 16 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 10 min | 12:14 pm CDT (17:14 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +14 kt | 10 °C | 106 kt | 5 h 01 min | 12:05 pm CDT (17:05 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | +12 kt | 6 °C | 108 kt | 4 h 56 min | 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +14 kt | 1 °C | 106 kt | 5 h 01 min | 12:05 pm CDT (17:05 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +15 kt | -3 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 04 min | 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 17 kt | +16 kt | -6 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 23 kt | +23 kt | -17 °C | 97 kt | 5 h 29 min | 12:33 pm CDT (17:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 43 kt | +43 kt | -30 °C | 77 kt | 6 h 55 min | 1:59 pm CDT (18:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 47 kt | +47 kt | -39 °C | 73 kt | 7 h 17 min | 2:21 pm CDT (19:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 41 kt | +38 kt | -51 °C | 82 kt | 6 h 29 min | 1:33 pm CDT (18:33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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° |
| MEM | used from 99 nm out; 65 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° |
| LIT | used from 246 nm out; 21 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| FSM | used from 345 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 230/33 | 260/23 15° | 240/23 11° | 230/18 8° | 230/20 -8° | 250/31 -17° | 280/51 -30° | 280/52 -39° | 300/47 -51° |
| TUL | used from 443 nm out; 19 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° |
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 Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 feet, a few clouds at 8,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 8 mi | none | 650 ft | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| JFX Jasper, AL | 30 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: mist | calm | 1.5 mi | 200 ft | 482 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| HAB Hamilton, AL | 69 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 436 ft | ||||
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 108 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 346 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| HEE Helena/West Helena, AR | 207 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 241 ft | ||||
| FCY Forrest City, AR | 217 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | no report just now | 249 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 276 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 266 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| RUE Russellville, AR | 325 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 409 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| FSM Fort Smith, AR | 394 nm out, 14 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-northeast (060°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 469 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| TUL Tulsa, OK | 473 nm out, 17 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 14 knots | 10+ mi | none | 677 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| RVS Tulsa, OK | 483 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 638 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| SWO Stillwater, OK | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,000 ft | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,000 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SWO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SWO
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for BHM, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind calm, 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 SWO 6:56 pm CDT (23:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:22 pm CDT (00:22 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, Stillwater Regional.