Des Moines International to Southwest Florida International DSM → RSW
1,076 nautical miles (1,238 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 143°, about 142° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 37-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC). 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: 104 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 first 169 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Near the route, 906 nm along 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 08:00–15:00 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 | 290° at 17 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 8 h 02 min | 3:02 pm EDT (19:02 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 14 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 8 h 05 min | 3:05 pm EDT (19:05 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 14 °C | 132 kt | 8 h 09 min | 3:09 pm EDT (19:09 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 10 °C | 131 kt | 8 h 13 min | 3:13 pm EDT (19:13 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −10 kt | 7 °C | 130 kt | 8 h 17 min | 3:17 pm EDT (19:17 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 15 kt | −11 kt | 3 °C | 131 kt | 8 h 13 min | 3:13 pm EDT (19:13 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 18 kt | −14 kt | -1 °C | 134 kt | 8 h 02 min | 3:02 pm EDT (19:02 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -5 °C | 136 kt | 7 h 55 min | 2:55 pm EDT (18:55 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 21 kt | −17 kt | -6 °C | 137 kt | 7 h 51 min | 2:51 pm EDT (18:51 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 23 kt | −20 kt | -18 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 41 min | 2:41 pm EDT (18:41 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 34 kt | −31 kt | -32 °C | 151 kt | 7 h 08 min | 2:08 pm EDT (18:08 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 40 kt | −37 kt | -40 °C | 157 kt | 6 h 51 min | 1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -51 °C | 153 kt | 7 h 02 min | 2:02 pm EDT (18:02 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| BRL | used from 50 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -48° |
| COU | used from 100 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| STL | used from 199 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| CGI | used from 249 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 260/22 | 250/15 15° | 250/13 11° | 250/16 6° | 270/29 -7° | 280/30 -18° | 290/40 -31° | 290/55 -40° | 300/51 -51° |
| MEM | used from 398 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| HSV | used from 448 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| BHM | used from 548 nm out; 8 nm from the line | 310/19 | 310/15 16° | 320/19 11° | 330/15 5° | 330/23 -5° | 320/14 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 330/44 -40° | 340/36 -51° |
| MGM | used from 598 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 320/19 | 330/16 17° | 340/21 11° | 330/11 5° | 330/27 -6° | 330/21 -17° | 330/37 -32° | 340/44 -40° | 360/30 -52° |
| CSG | used from 697 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 330/27 | 340/28 16° | 350/28 11° | 330/17 6° | 340/25 -6° | 350/33 -18° | 330/46 -32° | 340/45 -41° | 350/31 -52° |
| TLH | used from 747 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 340/23 | 350/26 17° | 350/21 11° | 300/13 6° | 320/25 -6° | 340/35 -16° | 350/44 -32° | 360/51 -42° | 350/33 -52° |
| PIE | used from 896 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 360/10 | 340/12 18° | 330/9 13° | 290/12 8° | 260/21 -7° | 280/18 -18° | 250/20 -33° | 250/26 -41° | 250/20 -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 | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| TVK Centerville, IA | 60 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 169 nm out, 17 nm west of the line | no report just now | 822 ft | ||||
| CGI Cape Girardeau, MO | 319 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 341 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | 418 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 434 ft | ||||
| MSL Muscle Shoals, AL | 498 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 550 ft | ||||
| BHM Birmingham, AL | 578 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 650 ft | ||||
| DHN Dothan, AL | 727 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 400 ft | ||||
| TLH Tallahassee, FL | 807 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 83 ft | ||||
| CDK Cedar Key, FL | 906 nm out, 20 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 11 ft | ||||
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 1046 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | no report just now | 29 ft |
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 RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC)
RSW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 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, Southwest Florida International.