Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International to Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport CVG → MEM
350 nautical miles (403 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 228°, about 234° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:32 am CDT (08:32 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CVG is marginal VFR, wind calm; MEM is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 7 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: 687 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 first 180 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 CVG.
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 02:00–09:00 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 (CVG, LOU, EVV, BNA, MEM). 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 | 300° at 14 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 3 h 01 min | 3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 16 kt | 0 | 15 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 55 min | 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 11 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 54 min | 3:38 am CDT (08:38 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | −3 kt | 8 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 51 min | 3:35 am CDT (08:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | −4 kt | 4 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 49 min | 3:33 am CDT (08:33 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | −3 kt | 0 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 51 min | 3:35 am CDT (08:35 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −2 kt | -3 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 52 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 22 kt | −1 kt | -6 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 54 min | 3:38 am CDT (08:38 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 30 kt | −4 kt | -18 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 49 min | 3:33 am CDT (08:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 43 kt | −5 kt | -33 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 48 min | 3:32 am CDT (08:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 55 kt | 0 | -41 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 55 min | 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 45 kt | −3 kt | -51 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 51 min | 3:35 am CDT (08:35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVG | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| LOU | used from 50 nm out; 9 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° |
| EVV | used from 100 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| BNA | used from 200 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| MEM | used from 250 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVG Covington, KY | departure | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 896 ft | 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC) |
| IMS Madison, IN | 40 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 819 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 70 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| TEL Tell City, IN | 110 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 659 ft | ||||
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 140 nm out, 22 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 407 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| HVC Hopkinsville, KY | 190 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 563 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| PHT Paris, TN | 240 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 580 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| MKL Jackson, TN | 290 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 434 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| NQA Millington, TN | 330 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 322 ft | 23:50 UTC |
| MEM Memphis, TN | destination | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 896 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MEM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:32 am CDT (08:32 UTC)
Wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MEM
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for CVG, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 1 mile, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at CVG 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MEM is before sunrise there (7:03 am CDT (12:03 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: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport.