Duluth International to Hector International DLH → FAR
190 nautical miles (218 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 274° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:45 am CDT (06:45 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DLH is VFR, wind from the east (080°) at 11 knots; FAR is low IFR, wind from the north (360°) 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
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 110 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 DLH.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PC12 at 2,800 ft, 10 nm south, 9:37 pm CDT (02:37 UTC): overcast from 1,200 ft to 2,900 ft, 10 °C. At the destination end, 10 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV FAR/TM 0237/FL028/TP PC12/SK OVC012-TOP029/TA 10
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over FAR
- Time
- 02:37 UTC
- Height
- at 2,800 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Sky
- overcast from 1,200 ft, tops 2,900 ft
- Temperature
- 10 °C
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 3 forecast points nearest it (DLH, AXN, GFK). 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 | 120° at 5 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 1 h 31 min | 1:45 am CDT (06:45 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | +14 kt | 13 °C | 106 kt | 1 h 48 min | 2:02 am CDT (07:02 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +19 kt | 10 °C | 101 kt | 1 h 53 min | 2:07 am CDT (07:07 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | +24 kt | 6 °C | 96 kt | 1 h 59 min | 2:13 am CDT (07:13 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 31 kt | +29 kt | 2 °C | 91 kt | 2 h 05 min | 2:19 am CDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 34 kt | +32 kt | -3 °C | 88 kt | 2 h 10 min | 2:24 am CDT (07:24 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 37 kt | +35 kt | -7 °C | 85 kt | 2 h 14 min | 2:28 am CDT (07:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 39 kt | +38 kt | -11 °C | 82 kt | 2 h 19 min | 2:33 am CDT (07:33 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 40 kt | +40 kt | -21 °C | 80 kt | 2 h 22 min | 2:36 am CDT (07:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 42 kt | +40 kt | -36 °C | 80 kt | 2 h 22 min | 2:36 am CDT (07:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 44 kt | +43 kt | -46 °C | 77 kt | 2 h 28 min | 2:42 am CDT (07:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 61 kt | +59 kt | -53 °C | 61 kt | 3 h 07 min | 3:21 am CDT (08:21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLH | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 080/28 | 240/21 15° | 250/26 9° | 250/32 3° | 260/42 -11° | 270/40 -21° | 260/43 -36° | 260/46 -46° | 260/65 -54° |
| AXN | used from 100 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| GFK | used from 150 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 070/18 | 100/10 9° | 250/11 6° | 250/27 1° | 250/34 -10° | 260/43 -21° | 260/39 -36° | 260/36 -46° | 260/59 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLH Duluth, MN | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 12,000 feet | from the east (080°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 12,000 ft | 1,427 ft | 11:55 pm CDT (04:55 UTC) |
| XVG Longville, MN | 80 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 1,336 ft | 04:34 UTC |
| PKD Park Rapids, MN | 120 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet | from the east-northeast (070°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 800 ft | 1,444 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| DTL Detroit Lakes, MN | 150 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 800 ft | 1,395 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| FAR Fargo, ND | destination | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the north (360°) at 13 knots | 4 mi | 300 ft | 901 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,444 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:45 am CDT (06:45 UTC)
Wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for FAR
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
- At times between Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC) and 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the north at 13 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers
The forecast for DLH, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 12,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the east at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the east at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 400 feet
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 DLH 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAR 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: Duluth International, Hector International.