Pryor Field Regional to Abilene Regional DCU → ABI
651 nautical miles (749 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 262°, about 266° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DCU is VFR, wind calm; ABI is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 13 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 DCU.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- CRJ7 at 36,000 ft, 43 nm north, 7:10 pm CDT (00:10 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME20. 306 nm along the route, 43 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
HOT UA /OV HOT/TM 0010/FL360/TP CRJ7/TB NEG/RM ZME20
- Report
- a routine report filed through HOT
- Where
- over HOT
- Time
- 00:10 UTC
- Height
- at 36,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- ZME20
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 6 forecast points nearest it (HSV, MEM, LIT, SHV, DAL, ABI). 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 | 220° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 17 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 12 min | 3:56 am CDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | +16 kt | 16 °C | 104 kt | 6 h 16 min | 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 13 °C | 103 kt | 6 h 19 min | 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +15 kt | 10 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 12 min | 3:56 am CDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 6 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 05 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 2 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 05 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | +13 kt | -2 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 05 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 13 kt | +13 kt | -5 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 05 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 17 kt | +16 kt | -16 °C | 104 kt | 6 h 16 min | 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 34 kt | +29 kt | -30 °C | 91 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 38 kt | +29 kt | -40 °C | 91 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 38 kt | +25 kt | -51 °C | 95 kt | 6 h 51 min | 4:35 am CDT (09:35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSV | used from 0 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| MEM | used from 99 nm out; 51 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° |
| LIT | used from 197 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| SHV | used from 296 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| DAL | used from 395 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| ABI | used from 592 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCU Decatur, AL | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 592 ft | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| MSL Muscle Shoals, AL | 30 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 550 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 89 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 346 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| MMS Marks, MS | 168 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 161 ft | ||||
| PBF Pine Bluff, AR | 247 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 205 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| CDH Camden, AR | 296 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 7 knots | 9 mi | none | 129 ft | 22:15 UTC |
| TXK Texarkana, AR | 355 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 389 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| SLR Sulphur Springs, TX | 444 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 489 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| ADS Dallas, TX | 503 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 11 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 644 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| AFW Fort Worth, TX | 523 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 723 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| BKD Breckenridge, TX | 612 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 7 mi | none | 1,284 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| ABI Abilene, TX | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 8:52 pm CDT (01:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,790 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC)
Wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for ABI
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 20 knots, gusting to 29, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 8 nm from the route, 503 nm along the route · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 13 nm from the route, 523 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at DCU 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC), at ABI 7:09 pm CDT (00:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:34 pm CDT (00:34 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABI is before sunrise there (7:40 am CDT (12:40 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: Pryor Field Regional, Abilene Regional.