Des Moines International to Punta Gorda Airport DSM → PGD
1,049 nautical miles (1,208 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 143°, about 142° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 27-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:49 am EDT (08:49 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DSM is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 10 knots; PGD is VFR, wind calm. 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: 370 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 40 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 660 to 849 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
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 12 forecast points nearest it (DSM, BRL, COU, STL, CGI, MEM, HSV, BHM, MGM, CSG, TLH, PIE). 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 | 280° at 11 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 8 h 16 min | 5:57 am EDT (09:57 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 7 h 46 min | 5:27 am EDT (09:27 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | −18 kt | 14 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 36 min | 5:17 am EDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 22 kt | −20 kt | 10 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 30 min | 5:11 am EDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 7 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 30 min | 5:11 am EDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 3 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 30 min | 5:11 am EDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | −20 kt | -1 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 30 min | 5:11 am EDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 22 kt | −19 kt | -6 °C | 139 kt | 7 h 33 min | 5:14 am EDT (09:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 22 kt | −19 kt | -7 °C | 139 kt | 7 h 33 min | 5:14 am EDT (09:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 22 kt | −18 kt | -18 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 36 min | 5:17 am EDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 30 kt | −24 kt | -33 °C | 144 kt | 7 h 17 min | 4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 32 kt | −27 kt | -41 °C | 147 kt | 7 h 08 min | 4:49 am EDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 31 kt | −25 kt | -51 °C | 145 kt | 7 h 14 min | 4:55 am EDT (08:55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| BRL | used from 50 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| COU | used from 100 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| STL | used from 200 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| CGI | used from 250 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 250/10 | 290/12 17° | 290/18 11° | 300/22 5° | 320/25 -8° | 330/30 -18° | 320/53 -33° | 320/66 -42° | 320/56 -50° |
| MEM | used from 400 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 240/9 | 280/14 17° | 280/20 12° | 290/25 5° | 320/25 -6° | 330/31 -18° | 320/52 -32° | 330/58 -41° | 320/42 -50° |
| HSV | used from 450 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 290/15 | 330/34 16° | 330/38 11° | 330/40 5° | 320/36 -7° | 320/31 -18° | 320/44 -34° | 330/53 -41° | 330/34 -48° |
| BHM | used from 550 nm out; 6 nm from the line | 300/16 | 330/32 16° | 320/37 11° | 330/37 6° | 310/33 -7° | 310/30 -18° | 320/40 -34° | 330/43 -41° | 330/30 -49° |
| MGM | used from 600 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 300/16 | 330/30 16° | 330/34 11° | 320/31 7° | 310/28 -7° | 320/29 -17° | 290/25 -34° | 300/28 -41° | 320/28 -50° |
| CSG | used from 700 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 300/20 | 330/41 15° | 320/42 11° | 320/41 7° | 300/33 -6° | 290/33 -18° | 270/32 -34° | 260/31 -41° | 260/24 -51° |
| TLH | used from 750 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 300/17 | 340/32 17° | 320/27 13° | 300/27 8° | 280/23 -7° | 250/37 -17° | 230/44 -33° | 220/53 -41° | 220/48 -51° |
| PIE | used from 899 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 310/7 | 270/12 17° | 270/14 13° | 260/14 8° | 240/22 -5° | 230/24 -16° | 220/26 -31° | 200/31 -41° | 180/33 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM Des Moines, IA | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 20,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 20,000 ft | 957 ft | 7:54 pm CDT (00:54 UTC) |
| TVK Centerville, IA | 60 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,023 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 170 nm out, 17 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 220 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 463 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| CGI Cape Girardeau, MO | 320 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 20:53 UTC |
| MKL Jackson, TN | 420 nm out, 25 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 434 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | 580 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| DHN Dothan, AL | 730 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (250°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 400 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| TLH Tallahassee, FL | 809 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 83 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| CDK Cedar Key, FL | 909 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 11 ft | ||||
| PIE St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 979 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the north (360°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 10 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 25 ft | 8:53 pm EDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,023 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PGD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:49 am EDT (08:49 UTC)
Wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for PGD
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC), at PGD 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:26 pm EDT (23:26 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PGD is before sunrise there (7:25 am EDT (11:25 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, Punta Gorda Airport.