Lovell Field to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International CHA → BHM
117 nautical miles (135 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 221°, about 226° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 17-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CHA is marginal VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots; BHM is VFR, wind calm. 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: 50 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the last 68 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 CHA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B712 at 3,000 ft, 5 nm south, 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. At the departure end, 5 nm south 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
- CRJ9 at 3,000 ft, 0 nm west, 6:51 pm EDT (22:51 UTC): overcast from 3,000 ft to 4,000 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
CHA UA /OV 090005/TM 2251/FL030/TP CRJ9/SK OVC030-TOP040
- Report
- a routine report filed through CHA
- Where
- wind from 090° at 5 knots
- Time
- 22:51 UTC
- Height
- at 3,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Sky
- overcast from 3,000 ft, tops 4,000 ft
- T206 at 9,000 ft, 32 nm northwest, 6:47 pm EDT (22:47 UTC): remarks: ZME60. At the departure end, 32 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
CHA UA /OV CHA340032/TM 2247/FL090/TP T206/SK TOP070/RM ZME60
- Report
- a routine report filed through CHA
- Where
- 32 nm north (340°) of CHA
- Time
- 22:47 UTC
- Height
- at 9,000 ft
- Aircraft
- T206
- Sky
- TOP070
- Remarks
- ZME60
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 2 forecast points nearest it (HSV, BHM). 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 23 kt | −3 kt | 123 kt | 57 min | 9:06 pm CDT (02:06 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 34 kt | −11 kt | 15 °C | 131 kt | 54 min | 9:03 pm CDT (02:03 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 37 kt | −11 kt | 12 °C | 131 kt | 54 min | 9:03 pm CDT (02:03 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 39 kt | −12 kt | 8 °C | 132 kt | 53 min | 9:02 pm CDT (02:02 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 39 kt | −12 kt | 4 °C | 132 kt | 53 min | 9:02 pm CDT (02:02 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 38 kt | −9 kt | 0 °C | 129 kt | 54 min | 9:03 pm CDT (02:03 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 36 kt | −7 kt | -4 °C | 127 kt | 55 min | 9:04 pm CDT (02:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 35 kt | −4 kt | -7 °C | 124 kt | 57 min | 9:06 pm CDT (02:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 31 kt | −4 kt | -18 °C | 124 kt | 57 min | 9:06 pm CDT (02:06 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 43 kt | −7 kt | -34 °C | 127 kt | 55 min | 9:04 pm CDT (02:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 51 kt | −17 kt | -41 °C | 137 kt | 51 min | 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 33 kt | −11 kt | -48 °C | 131 kt | 54 min | 9:03 pm CDT (02:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSV | used from 0 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° |
| BHM | used from 98 nm out; 10 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,200 feet, a broken layer at 2,800 feet, overcast at 3,900 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,200 ft | 682 ft | 8:53 pm EDT (00:53 UTC) |
| BFZ Albertville, AL | 68 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the west (270°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,032 ft | 00:55 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,032 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BHM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for BHM
- 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
The forecast for CHA, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, 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 CHA 7:10 pm EDT (23:10 UTC), at BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BHM is after sunset there (6:18 pm CDT (23:18 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: Lovell Field, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International.