Duluth International to Louisville Muhammad Ali International DLH → SDF
593 nautical miles (683 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 149°, about 150° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 61-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DLH is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 4 knots; SDF is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 4 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 DLH.
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 6 forecast points nearest it (DLH, LSE, DBQ, JOT, IND, LOU). 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 | 240° at 14 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 4 h 54 min | 2:42 am EDT (06:42 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 270° at 15 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 4 h 38 min | 2:26 am EDT (06:26 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | −11 kt | 13 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 32 min | 2:20 am EDT (06:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −13 kt | 9 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 28 min | 2:16 am EDT (06:16 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | −13 kt | 5 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 28 min | 2:16 am EDT (06:16 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 1 °C | 135 kt | 4 h 24 min | 2:12 am EDT (06:12 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −16 kt | -4 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 22 min | 2:10 am EDT (06:10 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | −18 kt | -9 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 18 min | 2:06 am EDT (06:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 21 kt | −19 kt | -10 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 16 min | 2:04 am EDT (06:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 32 kt | −30 kt | -20 °C | 150 kt | 3 h 57 min | 1:45 am EDT (05:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 45 kt | −42 kt | -36 °C | 162 kt | 3 h 40 min | 1:28 am EDT (05:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 53 kt | −50 kt | -44 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 29 min | 1:17 am EDT (05:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 67 kt | −61 kt | -51 °C | 181 kt | 3 h 17 min | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLH | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/6 | 230/22 15° | 250/28 11° | 230/22 4° | 270/33 -12° | 280/47 -21° | 280/59 -37° | 290/65 -47° | 290/88 -55° |
| LSE | used from 99 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 220/33 | 250/29 17° | 250/15 9° | 260/12 6° | 280/21 -9° | 280/33 -20° | 300/43 -36° | 310/56 -45° | 300/79 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 247 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/22 16° | 240/24 10° | 260/18 5° | 270/16 -8° | 290/27 -19° | 310/42 -35° | 320/55 -44° | 300/71 -52° |
| JOT | used from 297 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| IND | used from 445 nm out; 35 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° |
| LOU | used from 544 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 320/15 | 340/24 14° | 330/28 9° | 340/34 4° | 340/37 -9° | 340/42 -20° | 320/39 -35° | 320/45 -39° | 330/40 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLH Duluth, MN | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 12,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 12,000 ft | 1,427 ft | 7:55 pm CDT (00:55 UTC) |
| HYR Hayward, WI | 59 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,215 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| RCX Ladysmith, WI | 99 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,239 ft | 01:35 UTC |
| MFI Marshfield, WI | 158 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,277 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| DAF Necedah, WI | 188 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 919 ft | ||||
| MSN Madison, WI | 257 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 886 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 346 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 758 ft | 00:52 UTC |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 356 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 01:30 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 445 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 605 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 524 nm out, 10 nm west of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | calm | 1.5 mi | none | 845 ft | 01:45 UTC |
| BAK Columbus, IN | 534 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 656 ft | 00:45 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 8:56 pm EDT (00:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,427 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SDF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SDF
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Sun 8:30 pm EDT (00:30 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SDF is before sunrise there (7:48 am EDT (11:48 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, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.