Plan a flight · Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC)

The Eastern Iowa Airport to Blue Grass Airport CID → LEX

400 nautical miles (460 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 123°, about 121° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 20 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 52-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:20 am EDT (05:20 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CID is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 6 knots; LEX is marginal VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) 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). Near the route, at the destination end.

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 CID.

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

UAL2499 at 28,000 ft, 11 nm south, 9:15 pm CDT (02:15 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 11 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ARP UAL2499 4138N 09137W 0215 F280 TB INTMT LGT CHOP IC
```
Report
a routine report filed through ARP
A21N at 17,000 ft, 3 nm south, 8:28 pm CDT (01:28 UTC): no icing, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: clear since departing KIND southbound. 302 nm along the route, 3 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV IND183045/TM 0128/FL170/TP A21N/SK SKC/IC NEG/RM CLR SINCE DEPARTING KIND SOUTHBOUND
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
45 nm south (183°) of IND
Time
01:28 UTC
Height
at 17,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Sky
clear
Icing
none
Remarks
clear since departing KIND southbound
B38M at 21,000 ft, 24 nm southwest, 8:09 pm CDT (01:09 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. 361 nm along the route, 24 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
SDF UA /OV IIU/TM 0109/FL210/TP B38M/TB NEG/IC NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through SDF
Where
over IIU
Time
01:09 UTC
Height
at 21,000 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
B712 at 600 ft, 0 nm south, 8:06 pm CDT (01:06 UTC): overcast. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
LEX UA /OV KLEX/TM 0106/FL006/TP B712/SK OVC B006
```
Report
a routine report filed through LEX
Where
over KLEX
Time
01:06 UTC
Height
at 600 ft
Aircraft
B712
Sky
overcast B006

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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd 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 (DBQ, BRL, SPI, 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
3,500 ft	260° at 17 kt	−12 kt		132 kt	3 h 02 min	2:02 am EDT (06:02 UTC)
5,500 ft	280° at 18 kt	−17 kt		137 kt	2 h 55 min	1:55 am EDT (05:55 UTC)
7,500 ft	300° at 19 kt	−19 kt	13 °C	139 kt	2 h 53 min	1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC)
9,500 ft	310° at 19 kt	−19 kt	9 °C	139 kt	2 h 53 min	1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC)
11,500 ft	310° at 15 kt	−15 kt	5 °C	135 kt	2 h 58 min	1:58 am EDT (05:58 UTC)
13,500 ft	310° at 16 kt	−16 kt	1 °C	136 kt	2 h 56 min	1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC)
15,500 ft	300° at 18 kt	−18 kt	-3 °C	138 kt	2 h 54 min	1:54 am EDT (05:54 UTC)
17,500 ft	290° at 21 kt	−21 kt	-6 °C	141 kt	2 h 50 min	1:50 am EDT (05:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	290° at 22 kt	−21 kt	-7 °C	141 kt	2 h 50 min	1:50 am EDT (05:50 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	300° at 27 kt	−28 kt	-19 °C	148 kt	2 h 42 min	1:42 am EDT (05:42 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	310° at 36 kt	−36 kt	-33 °C	156 kt	2 h 34 min	1:34 am EDT (05:34 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	310° at 52 kt	−52 kt	-42 °C	172 kt	2 h 20 min	1:20 am EDT (05:20 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 51 kt	−52 kt	-51 °C	172 kt	2 h 20 min	1:20 am EDT (05:20 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
DBQ	used from 0 nm out; 51 nm from the line	230/33	250/30 16°	280/15 9°	260/15 5°	260/21 -7°	260/24 -20°	250/37 -33°	270/42 -43°	280/63 -52°
BRL	used from 49 nm out; 44 nm from the line	230/24	240/29 15°	290/16 10°	280/15 4°	260/23 -7°	260/32 -19°	260/36 -33°	280/48 -41°	280/59 -52°
SPI	used from 98 nm out; 56 nm from the line	220/21	250/23 16°	260/27 9°	270/14 6°	270/23 -7°	270/31 -19°	270/28 -33°	290/48 -42°	300/55 -52°
IND	used from 195 nm out; 66 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 293 nm out; 42 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
CID Cedar Rapids, IA	departure	VFR	from the south (180°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	869 ft	9:52 pm CDT (02:52 UTC)
MUT Muscatine, IA	39 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line	reported, no category	calm	10+ mi	none	547 ft	02:55 UTC
MLI Moline, IL	59 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	none	589 ft	02:52 UTC
PIA Peoria, IL	117 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	660 ft	02:54 UTC
BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL	156 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	871 ft	02:56 UTC
CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL	195 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	754 ft	02:53 UTC
PRG Paris, IL	224 nm out, 5 nm south of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	654 ft	02:35 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN	244 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower	IFR Weather: mist	calm	1.75 mi	none	589 ft	02:53 UTC
BMG Bloomington, IN	283 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower	low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog	calm	0.5 mi	200 ft	845 ft	02:53 UTC
LOU Louisville, KY	351 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower	marginal VFR Weather: mist	calm	4 mi	none	545 ft	02:53 UTC
FFT Frankfort, KY	381 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line	reported, no category	calm		none	812 ft	02:53 UTC
LEX Lexington, KY	destination	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,800 feet	from the west-southwest (250°) at 3 knots	9 mi	1,800 ft	979 ft	10:54 pm EDT (02:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 979 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LEX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:20 am EDT (05:20 UTC)

Wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet VFR

The whole forecast for LEX

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
From Mon 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet
From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, clear skies
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, overcast at 100 feet
From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

The forecast for CID, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered 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 CID 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC), at LEX 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LEX is before sunrise there (7:43 am EDT (11:43 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 upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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: The Eastern Iowa Airport, Blue Grass Airport.