Columbia Regional to James M Cox Dayton International COU → DAY
377 nautical miles (434 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 078°, about 078° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 30-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:41 am EDT (04:41 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now COU is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 5 knots; DAY is marginal VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) 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: 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). 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 COU.
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 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 (COU, STL, SPI, IND, CVG). 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 | 270° at 7 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 2 h 58 min | 1:08 am EDT (05:08 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 2 h 58 min | 1:08 am EDT (05:08 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 16 kt | −10 kt | 13 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 54 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | −12 kt | 9 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 51 min | 1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −12 kt | 5 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 51 min | 1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | −11 kt | 1 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 53 min | 1:03 am EDT (05:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | −11 kt | -3 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 53 min | 1:03 am EDT (05:03 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −10 kt | -7 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 54 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 24 kt | −10 kt | -8 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 54 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 30 kt | −10 kt | -20 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 54 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 44 kt | −17 kt | -35 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 45 min | 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 50 kt | −26 kt | -42 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 35 min | 12:45 am EDT (04:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 53 kt | −30 kt | -49 °C | 150 kt | 2 h 31 min | 12:41 am EDT (04:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| STL | used from 50 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| SPI | used from 99 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| IND | used from 198 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| CVG | used from 347 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COU Columbia, MO | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 889 ft | 8:54 pm CDT (01:54 UTC) |
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 20 nm out, 16 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| STL St Louis, MO | 79 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 617 ft | 01:51 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 99 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 01:50 UTC |
| TAZ Taylorville, IL | 139 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | no report just now | 622 ft | ||||
| MTO Mattoon/Charleston, IL | 188 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 722 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 228 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 278 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 796 ft | 01:54 UTC |
| AID Anderson, IN | 317 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 919 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| RID Richmond, IN | 347 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,300 ft | 1,139 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| DAY Dayton, OH | destination | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 5 knots | 8 mi | 1,200 ft | 1,009 ft | 9:56 pm EDT (01:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,139 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DAY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:41 am EDT (04:41 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 600 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for DAY
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 600 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the west at 3 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for COU, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at COU 6:35 pm CDT (23:35 UTC), at DAY 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm EDT (23:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DAY 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
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: Columbia Regional, James M Cox Dayton International.