Fairbanks International to Southwest Florida International FAI → RSW
3,365 nautical miles (3,872 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 100°, about 085° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 20 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:07 am EDT (05:07 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: 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1757 to 2107 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1767 to 1827 nm out.
- 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 2157 to 2426 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the route from 2806 to 2826 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the route from 3155 to 3185 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 FAI.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (FAI, ORT, JNU, ANN). 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 | 190° at 15 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 30 h 03 min | 11:08 am EDT (15:08 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −6 kt | -5 °C | 126 kt | 26 h 42 min | 7:47 am EDT (11:47 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | −11 kt | -3 °C | 131 kt | 25 h 41 min | 6:46 am EDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 24 kt | −12 kt | -4 °C | 132 kt | 25 h 30 min | 6:35 am EDT (10:35 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | −12 kt | -7 °C | 132 kt | 25 h 30 min | 6:35 am EDT (10:35 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 34 kt | −14 kt | -11 °C | 134 kt | 25 h 07 min | 6:12 am EDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 39 kt | −18 kt | -14 °C | 138 kt | 24 h 23 min | 5:28 am EDT (09:28 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 44 kt | −21 kt | -18 °C | 141 kt | 23 h 52 min | 4:57 am EDT (08:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 45 kt | −22 kt | -19 °C | 142 kt | 23 h 42 min | 4:47 am EDT (08:47 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 57 kt | −20 kt | -30 °C | 140 kt | 24 h 02 min | 5:07 am EDT (09:07 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 68 kt | −33 kt | -43 °C | 153 kt | 22 h | 3:05 am EDT (07:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 75 kt | −48 kt | -50 °C | 168 kt | 20 h 02 min | 1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 66 kt | −34 kt | -55 °C | 154 kt | 21 h 51 min | 2:56 am EDT (06:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 260/11 | 280/16 -6° | 270/14 -12° | 250/12 -18° | 230/5 -31° | 200/5 -43° | 300/8 -54° | 240/14 -55° | 230/25 -49° |
| ORT | used from 100 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 280/8 -5° | 260/14 -11° | 260/15 -18° | 250/14 -32° | 250/16 -44° | 240/25 -52° | 250/33 -49° | 240/41 -47° | |
| JNU | used from 449 nm out; 270 nm from the line | 190/12 | 240/16 -3° | 240/21 -9° | 240/36 -13° | 240/58 -23° | 240/79 -34° | 240/92 -46° | 250/92 -47° | 250/80 -49° |
| ANN | used from 849 nm out; 476 nm from the line | 180/18 | 260/21 0° | 260/25 -2° | 250/33 -5° | 260/49 -16° | 250/62 -27° | 260/74 -41° | 270/82 -50° | 260/69 -57° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | departure | no report just now | 439 ft | ||||
| CYDA Dawson City, | 230 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,215 ft | ||||
| BAC Valley City, ND | 1917 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,401 ft | ||||
| GGI Grinnell, IA | 2307 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,008 ft | ||||
| PAH Paducah, KY | 2636 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 410 ft | ||||
| AUO Auburn, AL | 2956 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 776 ft | ||||
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 3335 nm out, 4 nm south 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 1,401 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, 1:07 am EDT (05:07 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 FAI 6:36 pm AKDT (02:36 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RSW 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: Fairbanks International, Southwest Florida International.