The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)

Lovell Field to Indianapolis International CHA → IND

286 nautical miles (329 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 350°, about 355° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CHA is VFR, wind calm; IND is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) 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: 7 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 39 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 CHA.

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

Not fetched just now.

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 4 forecast points nearest it (TYS, BNA, LOU, IND). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft320° at 20 kt+18 kt102 kt2 h 48 min4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC)
6,500 ft340° at 24 kt+24 kt14 °C96 kt2 h 59 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
8,500 ft340° at 27 kt+26 kt11 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
10,500 ft340° at 26 kt+26 kt6 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
12,500 ft340° at 26 kt+26 kt3 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
14,500 ft340° at 26 kt+26 kt-1 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
16,500 ft330° at 27 kt+26 kt-4 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180330° at 28 kt+26 kt-7 °C94 kt3 h 03 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240340° at 36 kt+35 kt-19 °C85 kt3 h 22 min4:34 am EDT (08:34 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 54 kt+51 kt-33 °C69 kt4 h 09 min5:21 am EDT (09:21 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 63 kt+58 kt-41 °C62 kt4 h 37 min5:49 am EDT (09:49 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390330° at 44 kt+42 kt-49 °C78 kt3 h 40 min4:52 am EDT (08:52 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
TYSused from 0 nm out; 67 nm from the line320/20340/18 11°340/32 9°340/36 4°330/37 -7°330/38 -19°330/50 -34°330/53 -38°330/44 -48°
BNAused from 49 nm out; 59 nm from the line310/20340/20 17°330/24 10°340/22 5°330/26 -6°340/29 -18°330/52 -33°320/62 -41°340/45 -50°
LOUused from 99 nm out; 70 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
INDused from 246 nm out; 20 nm from the line290/16310/20 16°320/21 10°330/13 3°300/25 -7°320/32 -19°330/46 -34°320/61 -43°320/63 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
CHA Chattanooga, TN departure VFR calm 10+ mi none 682 ft 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)
SRB Sparta, TN 59 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 200 ft 1,025 ft 04:55 UTC
TZV Tompkinsville, KY 108 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line no report just now 1,036 ft
GLW Glasgow, KY 128 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 200 ft 716 ft 04:55 UTC
SDF Louisville, KY 187 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 500 ft 04:56 UTC
SER Seymour, IN 237 nm out, 9 nm east of the line no report just now 582 ft
BAK Columbus, IN 256 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 656 ft 01:45 UTC
IND Indianapolis, IN destination VFR from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 796 ft 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,036 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At IND when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC)

Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist, a few clouds at 700 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for IND
  • From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist, a few clouds at 700 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
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 IND 7:10 pm EDT (23:10 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:37 pm EDT (23:37 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IND is before sunrise there (7:52 am EDT (11:52 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 lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Lovell Field, Indianapolis International.