Des Moines International to Dallas-Fort Worth International DSM → DFW
543 nautical miles (625 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 198°, about 197° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 3:23 am CDT (08:23 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DSM is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 8 knots; DFW is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 11 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: 2,769 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 TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 207 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 DSM.
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 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 (DSM, MKC, TUL, OKC, DAL). 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 32 kt | +28 kt | 92 kt | 5 h 54 min | 4:23 am CDT (09:23 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +19 kt | 16 °C | 101 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +12 kt | 14 °C | 108 kt | 5 h 02 min | 3:31 am CDT (08:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | +10 kt | 10 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:25 am CDT (08:25 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | +9 kt | 6 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 54 min | 3:23 am CDT (08:23 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +10 kt | 2 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:25 am CDT (08:25 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +11 kt | -3 °C | 109 kt | 4 h 59 min | 3:28 am CDT (08:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 22 kt | +12 kt | -6 °C | 108 kt | 5 h 02 min | 3:31 am CDT (08:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 29 kt | +17 kt | -17 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 16 min | 3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 43 kt | +17 kt | -30 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 16 min | 3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 47 kt | +17 kt | -40 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 16 min | 3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 49 kt | +9 kt | -50 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 54 min | 3:23 am CDT (08:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| MKC | used from 99 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| TUL | used from 247 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 210/37 | 240/29 17° | 260/15 14° | 260/11 7° | 240/22 -6° | 250/29 -16° | 270/45 -29° | 270/47 -40° | 280/44 -50° |
| OKC | used from 395 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| DAL | used from 444 nm out; 75 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM Des Moines, IA | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 957 ft | 9:54 pm CDT (02:54 UTC) |
| CSQ Creston, IA | 39 nm out, 20 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,299 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| LWD Lamoni, IA | 59 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,130 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| MKC Kansas City, MO | 148 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 756 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| OJC Olathe, KS | 168 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,096 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| PPF Parsons, KS | 267 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 900 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| CFV Coffeyville, KS | 276 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 754 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| TUL Tulsa, OK | 336 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 677 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| ADH Ada, OK | 424 nm out, 15 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,015 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| ADM Ardmore, OK | 464 nm out, 23 nm west of the line, tower | reported, no category | calm | none | 776 ft | 03:15 UTC | |
| GYI Sherman/Denison, TX | 494 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 749 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| DFW Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,299 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DFW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:23 am CDT (08:23 UTC)
Wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for DFW
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for DSM, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC), at DFW 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm CDT (00:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DFW is before sunrise there (7:29 am CDT (12:29 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: Des Moines International, Dallas-Fort Worth International.