The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)

St. Louis Downtown Airport to James M Cox Dayton International CPS → DAY

287 nautical miles (331 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 072°, about 072° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 40-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:27 am EDT (10:27 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CPS is VFR, wind calm; DAY is low IFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) 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: 6 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, fog). Over the last 69 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 CPS.

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

  • B763 at 200 ft, 46 nm south, 3:05 am CDT (08:05 UTC): sky obscured, remarks: during the climb. 248 nm along the route, 46 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    CVG UA /OV CVG270001/TM 0805/FL002/TP B763/SK VV002/RM DURC
    Report
    a routine report filed through CVG
    Where
    1 nm west (270°) of CVG
    Time
    08:05 UTC
    Height
    at 200 ft
    Aircraft
    B763
    Sky
    sky obscured from 200 ft
    Remarks
    during the climb
  • B752 climbing, 45 nm south, 2:37 am CDT (07:37 UTC): overcast. 248 nm along the route, 45 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 0737/FLDURC/TP B752/SK B001 OVC T015
    Report
    a routine report filed through CVG
    Where
    5 west cvg
    Time
    07:37 UTC
    Height
    during the climb
    Aircraft
    B752
    Sky
    B001 overcast T015

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 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 (STL, SPI, EVV, IND, CVG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft270° at 22 kt−22 kt142 kt2 h 01 min6:40 am EDT (10:40 UTC)
5,500 ft270° at 19 kt−18 kt138 kt2 h 05 min6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC)
7,500 ft270° at 17 kt−16 kt12 °C136 kt2 h 07 min6:46 am EDT (10:46 UTC)
9,500 ft270° at 16 kt−16 kt8 °C136 kt2 h 07 min6:46 am EDT (10:46 UTC)
11,500 ft270° at 18 kt−17 kt6 °C137 kt2 h 06 min6:45 am EDT (10:45 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 20 kt−19 kt2 °C139 kt2 h 04 min6:43 am EDT (10:43 UTC)
15,500 ft280° at 23 kt−21 kt-2 °C141 kt2 h 02 min6:41 am EDT (10:41 UTC)
17,500 ft280° at 27 kt−23 kt-6 °C143 kt2 h6:39 am EDT (10:39 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180280° at 27 kt−24 kt-7 °C144 kt2 h6:39 am EDT (10:39 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240280° at 33 kt−30 kt-19 °C150 kt1 h 55 min6:34 am EDT (10:34 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300280° at 40 kt−35 kt-33 °C155 kt1 h 51 min6:30 am EDT (10:30 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340290° at 53 kt−40 kt-41 °C160 kt1 h 48 min6:27 am EDT (10:27 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390300° at 59 kt−38 kt-50 °C158 kt1 h 49 min6:28 am EDT (10:28 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
STLused from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line250/26240/21 15°240/22 11°250/23 6°270/28 -7°260/30 -19°280/52 -31°280/57 -40°300/57 -49°
SPIused from 50 nm out; 72 nm from the line260/28250/22 15°250/14 9°260/20 6°280/27 -7°280/34 -19°280/48 -32°280/59 -41°300/60 -49°
EVVused from 99 nm out; 69 nm from the line270/25290/17 15°260/10 8°270/16 5°280/29 -6°280/33 -19°290/38 -33°300/53 -41°310/54 -51°
INDused from 149 nm out; 23 nm from the line270/22290/19 15°270/19 8°270/18 4°290/28 -7°280/35 -20°270/37 -34°300/51 -42°300/61 -51°
CVGused from 248 nm out; 46 nm from the line300/19310/23 15°320/20 9°310/18 3°300/26 -6°290/36 -19°310/32 -34°310/53 -43°310/61 -51°

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
CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL departure VFR calm 10+ mi none 412 ft 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC)
GRE Greenville, IL 40 nm out, 4 nm north of the line no report just now 540 ft
VLA Vandalia, IL 50 nm out, 10 nm north of the line no report just now 537 ft
RSV Robinson, IL 119 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line VFR from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 461 ft 08:15 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN 139 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the east-northeast (060°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 589 ft 07:53 UTC
IND Indianapolis, IN 188 nm out, 14 nm north of the line, tower low IFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet Weather: mist calm 0.75 mi none 796 ft 08:25 UTC
GEZ Shelbyville, IN 208 nm out, 4 nm east of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 100 ft 802 ft 08:08 UTC
RID Richmond, IN 258 nm out, 1 nm south of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 100 ft 1,139 ft 08:35 UTC
DAY Dayton, OH destination low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 knots 8 mi 400 ft 1,009 ft 3:56 am EDT (07:56 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, 6:27 am EDT (10:27 UTC)

Wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 3 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet marginal VFR

At times between Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist IFR

The whole forecast for DAY
  • From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 3 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 1 mile, mist
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for CPS, the departure
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 CPS 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper 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: St. Louis Downtown Airport, James M Cox Dayton International.