Des Moines International to Mobile Regional DSM → MOB
702 nautical miles (807 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 156°, about 155° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 20 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 42-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC). Right now DSM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 11 knots, gusting to 19; MOB is VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 3 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 TANGO 2W: 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 route from 79 to 227 nm out.
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
- BE33 at 4,500 ft, 19 nm west, 8:05 am CDT (13:05 UTC): clear from 4,500 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: ZME65. 455 nm along the route, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
UTA UA /OV UTA180015/TM 1305/FL045/TP BE33/SK SKC/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through UTA
- Where
- 15 nm south (180°) of UTA
- Time
- 13:05 UTC
- Height
- at 4,500 ft
- Aircraft
- BE33
- Sky
- clear
- Remarks
- ZME65
- BE36 at 8,000 ft, 18 nm southwest, 8:40 am CDT (13:40 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, clear from 8,000 ft to 60,000 ft, 18 °C, wind 270° at 4 knots, remarks: ZME65. 633 nm along the route, 18 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
MCB UA /OV LBY045020/TM 1340/FL080/TP BE36/SK SKC/WX NEG/TA 18/WV 270004KT/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through MCB
- Where
- 20 nm northeast (045°) of LBY
- Time
- 13:40 UTC
- Height
- at 8,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BE36
- Sky
- clear
- Weather
- no
- Temperature
- 18 °C
- Wind
- from 270° at 4 knots
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- ZME65
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 (DSM, COU, CGI, MEM, JAN, MOB). 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 18 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 6 h | 3:50 pm CDT (20:50 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +2 kt | 118 kt | 5 h 57 min | 3:47 pm CDT (20:47 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +2 kt | 14 °C | 118 kt | 5 h 57 min | 3:47 pm CDT (20:47 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 5 h 54 min | 3:44 pm CDT (20:44 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −2 kt | 7 °C | 122 kt | 5 h 45 min | 3:35 pm CDT (20:35 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | −4 kt | 3 °C | 124 kt | 5 h 40 min | 3:30 pm CDT (20:30 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | −6 kt | -1 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 34 min | 3:24 pm CDT (20:24 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 24 kt | −8 kt | -5 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 29 min | 3:19 pm CDT (20:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 24 kt | −9 kt | -6 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 27 min | 3:17 pm CDT (20:17 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 28 kt | −9 kt | -17 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 27 min | 3:17 pm CDT (20:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 50 kt | −40 kt | -30 °C | 160 kt | 4 h 23 min | 2:13 pm CDT (19:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 53 kt | −42 kt | -38 °C | 162 kt | 4 h 20 min | 2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 44 kt | −38 kt | -49 °C | 158 kt | 4 h 27 min | 2:17 pm CDT (19:17 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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 | 230/34 | 230/32 20° | 220/33 12° | 240/35 5° | 250/39 -7° | 250/43 -21° | 280/61 -31° | 280/73 -37° | 280/67 -47° |
| COU | used from 99 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 240/28 | 240/22 17° | 250/18 12° | 260/22 6° | 270/23 -7° | 260/39 -19° | 290/70 -30° | 290/71 -37° | 290/58 -48° |
| CGI | used from 247 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/17 15° | 250/25 11° | 260/27 7° | 270/35 -7° | 280/38 -17° | 300/63 -31° | 300/62 -38° | 300/55 -49° |
| MEM | used from 346 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 240/14 | 260/23 16° | 250/22 11° | 250/20 7° | 270/24 -6° | 270/27 -16° | 310/49 -30° | 310/46 -39° | 320/43 -50° |
| JAN | used from 494 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 210/8 | 230/13 18° | 240/10 11° | 260/11 6° | 280/16 -5° | 260/12 -15° | 330/34 -30° | 320/39 -40° | 340/34 -51° |
| MOB | used from 642 nm out; 35 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 18° | L/V 11° | 300/9 6° | 330/12 -4° | 330/12 -16° | 340/28 -30° | 340/36 -40° | 360/34 -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 few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 20,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 11 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | none | 957 ft | 8:54 am CDT (13:54 UTC) |
| CNC Chariton, IA | 30 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 16 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | none | 1,050 ft | 14:35 UTC |
| MBY Moberly, MO | 138 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 12 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 866 ft | 14:35 UTC |
| COU Columbia, MO | 178 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 889 ft | 13:54 UTC |
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 237 nm out, 25 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,159 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| ARG Walnut Ridge, AR | 346 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 279 ft | 13:56 UTC |
| NQA Millington, TN | 415 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 322 ft | 14:50 UTC |
| MEM Memphis, TN | 425 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 13:54 UTC |
| GNF Grenada, MS | 494 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 207 ft | ||||
| MEI Meridian, MS | 603 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 297 ft | 13:58 UTC |
| LUL Laurel, MS | 633 nm out, 24 nm west of the line | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 238 ft | 14:35 UTC |
| MOB Mobile, AL | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 218 ft | 8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,159 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MOB when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC)
Wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MOB
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for DSM, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, 158 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC), at MOB 6:25 pm CDT (23:25 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 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, Mobile Regional.