The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:47 am EDT (05:47 UTC)

Detroit Metro Wayne County to Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field DTW → LFT

832 nautical miles (958 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 213°, about 220° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 22-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:39 am CDT (11:39 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 367 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 DTW.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • B739 descending, 0 nm south, 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 0 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0454/FLDURD/TP B739/SK BASES 011
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    04:54 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    B739
    Sky
    bases 1,100 ft
  • A320 descending, 0 nm south, 11:27 pm EDT (03:27 UTC): overcast above 1,400 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0327/FLDURD/TP A320/SK 014 OVC
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    03:27 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    at 1,400 ft overcast
  • B738 at 1,800 ft, 4 nm south, 1:18 am EDT (05:18 UTC): overcast from 1,800 ft to 2,700 ft, remarks: during the climb. 40 nm along the route, 4 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0518/FL018/TP B738/SK OVC018-TOP027/RM DURC
    Report
    a routine report filed through TOL
    Where
    over KTOL
    Time
    05:18 UTC
    Height
    at 1,800 ft
    Aircraft
    B738
    Sky
    overcast from 1,800 ft, tops 2,700 ft
    Remarks
    during the climb
  • B738 at 1,300 ft, 4 nm south, 12:45 am EDT (04:45 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. 40 nm along the route, 4 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0445/FL013/TP B738/SK OVC013-TOP030/RM DURD
    Report
    a routine report filed through TOL
    Where
    over KTOL
    Time
    04:45 UTC
    Height
    at 1,300 ft
    Aircraft
    B738
    Sky
    overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,000 ft
    Remarks
    during the descent

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 10 forecast points nearest it (CLE, FWA, IND, LOU, EVV, BNA, MEM, JAN, MSY, LCH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft290° at 11 kt+2 kt118 kt7 h 03 min7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC)
6,500 ft310° at 12 kt−1 kt15 °C121 kt6 h 53 min7:40 am CDT (12:40 UTC)
8,500 ft310° at 14 kt−2 kt12 °C122 kt6 h 49 min7:36 am CDT (12:36 UTC)
10,500 ft320° at 14 kt−4 kt8 °C124 kt6 h 43 min7:30 am CDT (12:30 UTC)
12,500 ft330° at 14 kt−6 kt4 °C126 kt6 h 36 min7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC)
14,500 ft320° at 16 kt−5 kt0 °C125 kt6 h 39 min7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC)
16,500 ft320° at 18 kt−5 kt-3 °C125 kt6 h 39 min7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 20 kt−4 kt-6 °C124 kt6 h 43 min7:30 am CDT (12:30 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240320° at 27 kt−8 kt-18 °C128 kt6 h 30 min7:17 am CDT (12:17 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300320° at 41 kt−16 kt-33 °C136 kt6 h 07 min6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340320° at 50 kt−17 kt-41 °C137 kt6 h 04 min6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390330° at 48 kt−22 kt-51 °C142 kt5 h 52 min6:39 am CDT (11:39 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
CLEused from 0 nm out; 85 nm from the line340/7010/16 13°350/18 8°350/20 3°340/31 -10°340/46 -21°340/54 -37°330/62 -44°340/65 -49°
FWAused from 50 nm out; 45 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -50°
INDused from 149 nm out; 42 nm from the line290/16310/20 16°320/21 10°330/13 3°300/25 -7°320/32 -19°330/46 -34°320/61 -43°320/63 -50°
LOUused from 248 nm out; 39 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
EVVused from 297 nm out; 34 nm from the line280/15290/12 17°310/16 10°320/13 5°310/22 -6°320/26 -18°320/38 -33°310/56 -41°320/55 -51°
BNAused from 347 nm out; 64 nm from the line310/20340/20 17°330/24 10°340/22 5°330/26 -6°340/29 -18°330/52 -33°320/62 -41°340/45 -50°
MEMused from 446 nm out; 75 nm from the line230/19260/16 15°270/17 12°300/13 6°300/15 -5°300/26 -18°300/34 -32°300/41 -40°310/46 -52°
JANused from 595 nm out; 61 nm from the line230/10270/13 18°270/11 12°310/11 6°300/15 -4°300/22 -16°310/33 -31°320/37 -41°330/41 -52°
MSYused from 743 nm out; 91 nm from the line110/5150/6 19°L/V 12°310/5 7°310/13 -4°290/20 -16°330/36 -31°330/37 -41°350/43 -52°
LCHused from 793 nm out; 77 nm from the line160/21160/18 18°180/13 12°230/6 8°280/10 -4°260/13 -14°310/29 -30°320/32 -40°330/33 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
DTW Detroit, MI departure no report just now 645 ft
TOL Toledo, OH 40 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 683 ft
MIE Muncie, IN 149 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 937 ft
BAK Columbus, IN 208 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 656 ft
OWB Owensboro, KY 317 nm out, 10 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 407 ft
HVC Hopkinsville, KY 377 nm out, 7 nm east of the line no report just now 563 ft
MKL Jackson, TN 476 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 434 ft
UOX Oxford, MS 555 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line no report just now 452 ft
GWO Greenwood, MS 614 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 162 ft
HKS Jackson, MS 674 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 341 ft
HZR New Roads, LA 793 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line no report just now 39 ft
LFT Lafayette, LA destination no report just now 40 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 937 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LFT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:39 am CDT (11:39 UTC)

LFT 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 DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC), at LFT 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LFT is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 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

Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Detroit Metro Wayne County, Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field.