Houghton County Memorial to Mason City Municipal CMX → MCW
316 nautical miles (364 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 222°, about 224° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC). Right now CMX is IFR, wind from the northeast (050°) at 5 knots; MCW is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 5 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: 2 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 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 69 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing from 13,000 ft to 24,000 ft. Over the first 40 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the last 10 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 CMX.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 (DLH, LSE, MCW). 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 | 230° at 9 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 2 h 51 min | 9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +15 kt | 16 °C | 105 kt | 3 h 01 min | 9:29 am CDT (14:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | +22 kt | 12 °C | 98 kt | 3 h 13 min | 9:41 am CDT (14:41 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | +26 kt | 8 °C | 94 kt | 3 h 22 min | 9:50 am CDT (14:50 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 32 kt | +27 kt | 4 °C | 93 kt | 3 h 24 min | 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 30 kt | +23 kt | -1 °C | 97 kt | 3 h 15 min | 9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 29 kt | +19 kt | -6 °C | 101 kt | 3 h 08 min | 9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 29 kt | +16 kt | -10 °C | 104 kt | 3 h 02 min | 9:30 am CDT (14:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 32 kt | +16 kt | -21 °C | 104 kt | 3 h 02 min | 9:30 am CDT (14:30 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 34 kt | +17 kt | -37 °C | 103 kt | 3 h 04 min | 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 45 kt | +25 kt | -42 °C | 95 kt | 3 h 20 min | 9:48 am CDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 64 kt | +33 kt | -48 °C | 87 kt | 3 h 38 min | 10:06 am CDT (15:06 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLH | used from 0 nm out; 136 nm from the line | 090/31 | 250/7 14° | 250/26 11° | 250/36 4° | 280/36 -11° | 290/35 -22° | 300/39 -38° | 280/41 -44° | 280/66 -49° |
| LSE | used from 148 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| MCW | used from 247 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 250/36 | 250/24 19° | 240/26 11° | 250/30 5° | 270/22 -9° | 260/30 -21° | 260/31 -36° | 280/53 -38° | 280/66 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMX Hancock, MI | departure | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet Weather: light rain | from the northeast (050°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,095 ft | 6:53 am EDT (10:53 UTC) |
| OGM Ontonagon, MI | 40 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 665 ft | ||||
| BDJ Boulder Junction, WI | 79 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,662 ft | ||||
| PBH Phillips, WI | 119 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,497 ft | 11:15 UTC |
| RCX Ladysmith, WI | 148 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,239 ft | 11:15 UTC |
| EAU Eau Claire, WI | 188 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 913 ft | 10:56 UTC |
| RST Rochester, MN | 257 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 9 mi | none | 1,317 ft | 10:54 UTC |
| AUM Austin, MN | 286 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,233 ft | 11:15 UTC |
| MCW Mason City, IA | destination | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,213 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,662 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MCW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC)
Wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 24,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MCW
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 24,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 24,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 24,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for CMX, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC) and 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC) and 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the east at 14 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- From Tue 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 11 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- 30% chance between Tue 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): light rain showers
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 CMX 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 UTC), at MCW 6:35 pm CDT (23:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 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: Houghton County Memorial, Mason City Municipal.