Cavern City Air Trml Airport to Imperial County CNM → IPL
573 nautical miles (659 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 276°, about 266° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot headwind), arriving about 12:15 am PDT (07:15 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- SIGMET 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 40 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO NM FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- SIGMET 7W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 198 to 316 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NM AZ FROM 30NW SJN-30W TCS-60SE SSO-50SE TUS-70S INW-30NW SJN DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 168 to 326 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 168 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 168 to 296 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. 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 CNM.
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 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 (ROW, ELP, TUS, PHX, BLH). 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 | 210° at 18 kt | +8 kt | 15 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:15 am PDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | +8 kt | 12 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:15 am PDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 22 kt | +10 kt | 7 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 13 min | 12:21 am PDT (07:21 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +12 kt | 6 °C | 108 kt | 5 h 18 min | 12:26 am PDT (07:26 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 31 kt | +16 kt | 3 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 31 min | 12:39 am PDT (07:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 36 kt | +19 kt | -1 °C | 101 kt | 5 h 40 min | 12:48 am PDT (07:48 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 41 kt | +23 kt | -5 °C | 97 kt | 5 h 54 min | 1:02 am PDT (08:02 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 44 kt | +25 kt | -8 °C | 95 kt | 6 h 02 min | 1:10 am PDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 58 kt | +41 kt | -18 °C | 79 kt | 7 h 15 min | 2:23 am PDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 70 kt | +45 kt | -27 °C | 75 kt | 7 h 38 min | 2:46 am PDT (09:46 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 72 kt | +54 kt | -36 °C | 66 kt | 8 h 41 min | 3:49 am PDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 63 kt | +50 kt | -47 °C | 70 kt | 8 h 11 min | 3:19 am PDT (10:19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROW | used from 0 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 180/23 | 190/24 15° | 210/27 7° | 230/35 -6° | 240/53 -17° | 240/62 -27° | 250/64 -38° | 260/60 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 49 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| TUS | used from 198 nm out; 121 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° | |
| PHX | used from 346 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 210/19 | 210/20 14° | 200/20 6° | 210/40 1° | 220/58 -8° | 220/68 -20° | 220/82 -26° | 230/83 -34° | 230/69 -46° |
| BLH | used from 445 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 230/22 | 210/24 11° | 230/23 5° | 230/26 0° | 220/38 -10° | 230/52 -19° | 220/58 -28° | 220/69 -34° | 220/59 -45° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNM Carlsbad, NM | departure | no report just now | 3,294 ft | ||||
| ALM Alamogordo, NM | 89 nm out, 22 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,199 ft | ||||
| LRU Las Cruces, NM | 138 nm out, 16 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,456 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 198 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 277 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,178 ft | ||||
| CGZ Casa Grande, AZ | 385 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,464 ft | ||||
| NYL Yuma, AZ | 524 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 213 ft | ||||
| IPL Imperial, CA | destination | no report just now | -53 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,445 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At IPL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:15 am PDT (07:15 UTC)
IPL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/2656 Coyote Wells, CA, Saturday, July 4, 2026 through Saturday, January 2, 2027 Local 6 nm from the route, 533 nm along the route · security · until 2 January · ZLA
- 6/2657 Calexico, CA, Saturday, July 4, 2026 through Saturday, January 2, 2027 Local 6 nm from the route, 533 nm along the route · security · until 2 January · ZLA
- 6/4812 El Centro, CA, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 through Tuesday, July 13, 2027 Local 15 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 13 July · ZLA
- 6/2652 Coyote Wells, CA, Saturday, July 4, 2026 through Saturday, January 2, 2027 Local 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 2 January · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at CNM 6:28 pm MDT (00:28 UTC), at IPL 6:13 pm PDT (01:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:37 pm PDT (01:37 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IPL is before sunrise there (6:44 am PDT (13:44 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: Cavern City Air Trml Airport, Imperial County.