Battle Creek Executive AT Kellogg Field to Louisville Muhammad Ali International BTL → SDF
249 nautical miles (287 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 185°, about 189° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:02 am EDT (07:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BTL is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots; SDF is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). 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 BTL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- LJ45 at 10,000 ft, 7 nm southwest, 12:31 am EDT (04:31 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14. 60 nm along the route, 7 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV OLK/TM 0431/FL100/TP LJ45/SK CLR/TB SMOOTH/RM GROUND FOG AT FWA. FV10SM ON FINAL RY 14
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- over OLK
- Time
- 04:31 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- LJ45
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- smooth
- Remarks
- ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14
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 3 forecast points nearest it (FWA, IND, LOU). 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 | 310° at 19 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 1 h 54 min | 3:29 am EDT (07:29 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −16 kt | 15 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 50 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | −18 kt | 11 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 48 min | 3:23 am EDT (07:23 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 19 kt | −17 kt | 6 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 49 min | 3:24 am EDT (07:24 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 2 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 50 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -2 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 50 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −16 kt | -5 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 50 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 26 kt | −16 kt | -8 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 50 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 36 kt | −27 kt | -20 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 42 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 52 kt | −43 kt | -35 °C | 163 kt | 1 h 32 min | 3:07 am EDT (07:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 64 kt | −51 kt | -43 °C | 171 kt | 1 h 27 min | 3:02 am EDT (07:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 56 kt | −45 kt | -50 °C | 165 kt | 1 h 31 min | 3:06 am EDT (07:06 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA | used from 0 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| IND | used from 149 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| LOU | used from 199 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTL Battle Creek, MI | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 951 ft | 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC) |
| IRS Sturgis, MI | 30 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 3 mi | none | 924 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | 80 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet Weather: mist, shallow fog | from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | none | 814 ft | 04:54 UTC |
| MIE Muncie, IN | 120 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 5 mi | none | 937 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| AID Anderson, IN | 130 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 919 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| BAK Columbus, IN | 189 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 656 ft | 01:45 UTC |
| IMS Madison, IN | 209 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 819 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 12:56 am EDT (04:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 951 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SDF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:02 am EDT (07:02 UTC)
Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SDF
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BTL, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
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 BTL 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SDF is before sunrise there (7:48 am EDT (11:48 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: Battle Creek Executive AT Kellogg Field, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.