Plan a flight · Sun 9:51 pm EDT (01:51 UTC)

Columbia Metro Airport to Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport CAE → MEM

443 nautical miles (510 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 281°, about 288° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 1:12 am CDT (06:12 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CAE is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots; MEM is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 4 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: 540 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 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Over the route from 89 to 98 nm out.
AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 98 to 187 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 CAE.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

BE40 at 29,000 ft, 6 nm south, 7:22 pm EDT (23:22 UTC): moderate chop turbulence from 26,000 ft to 29,000 ft, remarks: zme. 355 nm along the route, 6 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TUP UA /OV TUP045041/TM 2322/FL290/TP BE40/TB OCNL MOD CHOP 290-260/RM ZME
```
Report
a routine report filed through TUP
Where
41 nm northeast (045°) of TUP
Time
23:22 UTC
Height
at 29,000 ft
Aircraft
BE40
Turbulence
occasional moderate chop from 29,000 ft to 26,000 ft
Remarks
zme
PA32 at 7,000 ft, 13 nm south, 8:17 pm EDT (00:17 UTC): 8 °C, remarks: smooth. 30 nm along the route, 13 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
AGS UA /OV KAIK360010/TM 0017/FL070/TP PA32/WX FV99SM/TA 8/RM SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through AGS
Where
10 nm north (360°) of KAIK
Time
00:17 UTC
Height
at 7,000 ft
Aircraft
PA32
Weather
flight visibility 99 miles
Temperature
8 °C
Remarks
smooth
CRJ9 descending, 41 nm south, 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth ride on final runway 26. 30 nm along the route, 41 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
AGS UA /OV AGS 080002/TM 2306/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH RIDE ON FINAL RWY26
```
Report
a routine report filed through AGS
Where
2 nm east (080°) of AGS
Time
23:06 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
CRJ9
Turbulence
none
Remarks
smooth ride on final runway 26
B752 descending, 47 nm south, 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC): remarks: final runway 26R atl. 158 nm along the route, 47 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ATL UA /OV ATL/TM 2303/FLDURD/TP B752/SK BASES 031 TOPS 045/RM FINAL RWY 26R ATL
```
Report
a routine report filed through ATL
Where
over ATL
Time
23:03 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
B752
Sky
bases 3,100 ft tops 4,500 ft
Remarks
final runway 26R atl
B712 at 3,000 ft, 25 nm north, 7:13 pm EDT (23:13 UTC): scattered clouds from 3,000 ft to 3,200 ft; clear from 3,200 ft to 60,000 ft. 207 nm along the route, 25 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CHA UA /OV CHA180005/TM 2313/FL030/TP B712/SK SCT030-TOP032/SKC
```
Report
a routine report filed through CHA
Where
5 nm south (180°) of CHA
Time
23:13 UTC
Height
at 3,000 ft
Aircraft
B712
Sky
SCT030-TOP032 C
A319 at 39,000 ft, 2 nm south, 7:11 pm EDT (23:11 UTC): no chop turbulence, remarks: smooth. At the destination end, 2 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MEM UA /OV MEM/TM 2311/FL390/TP A319/TB NEG CHOP/RM SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through MEM
Where
over MEM
Time
23:11 UTC
Height
at 39,000 ft
Aircraft
A319
Turbulence
no chop
Remarks
smooth

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 5 forecast points nearest it (CAE, GSP, ATL, HSV, MEM). 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	300° at 20 kt	+18 kt		102 kt	4 h 21 min	1:12 am CDT (06:12 UTC)
6,500 ft	320° at 25 kt	+20 kt	14 °C	100 kt	4 h 26 min	1:17 am CDT (06:17 UTC)
8,500 ft	310° at 28 kt	+23 kt	11 °C	97 kt	4 h 34 min	1:25 am CDT (06:25 UTC)
10,500 ft	310° at 31 kt	+26 kt	8 °C	94 kt	4 h 43 min	1:34 am CDT (06:34 UTC)
12,500 ft	310° at 32 kt	+28 kt	4 °C	92 kt	4 h 49 min	1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC)
14,500 ft	310° at 31 kt	+28 kt	0 °C	92 kt	4 h 49 min	1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC)
16,500 ft	300° at 30 kt	+28 kt	-3 °C	92 kt	4 h 49 min	1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	300° at 30 kt	+28 kt	-6 °C	92 kt	4 h 49 min	1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	290° at 28 kt	+27 kt	-18 °C	93 kt	4 h 46 min	1:37 am CDT (06:37 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 35 kt	+33 kt	-33 °C	87 kt	5 h 06 min	1:57 am CDT (06:57 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	290° at 36 kt	+34 kt	-41 °C	86 kt	5 h 09 min	2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	280° at 29 kt	+28 kt	-49 °C	92 kt	4 h 49 min	1:40 am CDT (06:40 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
CAE	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	260/27	310/26 11°	280/31 9°	270/36 7°	250/39 -4°	230/57 -16°	220/74 -30°	220/83 -40°	220/73 -51°
GSP	used from 49 nm out; 47 nm from the line	300/22	310/22 11°	300/22 7°	290/28 5°	270/36 -5°	250/42 -18°	230/54 -31°	230/59 -40°	230/65 -50°
ATL	used from 98 nm out; 59 nm from the line	300/23	320/26 14°	320/34 10°	320/41 5°	290/32 -6°	290/31 -18°	280/28 -33°	260/32 -41°	250/28 -50°
HSV	used from 197 nm out; 62 nm from the line	290/15	330/34 16°	330/38 11°	330/40 5°	320/36 -7°	320/31 -18°	320/44 -34°	330/53 -41°	330/34 -48°
MEM	used from 345 nm out; 74 nm from the line	240/9	280/14 17°	280/20 12°	290/25 5°	320/25 -6°	330/31 -18°	320/52 -32°	330/58 -41°	320/42 -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
CAE Columbia, SC	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet	from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	235 ft	8:56 pm EDT (00:56 UTC)
EOE Newberry, SC	30 nm out, 17 nm north of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	570 ft	01:35 UTC
GRD Greenwood, SC	59 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 feet	from the west-southwest (240°) at 12 knots	10+ mi	none	631 ft	00:56 UTC
AHN Athens, GA	108 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,800 feet	from the west (260°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	3,800 ft	812 ft	00:51 UTC
LZU Lawrenceville, GA	138 nm out, 23 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the west (270°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	1,061 ft	00:56 UTC
CZL Calhoun, GA	197 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line	low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 500 feet Weather: mist	calm	0.75 mi	500 ft	655 ft	01:35 UTC
HSV Huntsville, AL	286 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	628 ft	00:53 UTC
MSL Muscle Shoals, AL	325 nm out, 4 nm south of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	550 ft	00:53 UTC
CRX Corinth, MS	374 nm out, 1 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	425 ft	01:35 UTC
FYE Somerville, TN	414 nm out, 13 nm north of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	435 ft	01:35 UTC
MEM Memphis, TN	destination	VFR	from the south (170°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	340 ft	7:54 pm CDT (00:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,061 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MEM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:12 am CDT (06:12 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MEM

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 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 west-southwest at 9 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet

The forecast for CAE, the departure

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

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 CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MEM is before sunrise there (7:03 am CDT (12:03 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

Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Columbia Metro Airport, Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport.