The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 8:57 pm CDT (01:57 UTC)

Hector International to Bemidji Regional FAR → BJI

84 nautical miles (97 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 065°, about 061° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 25 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 85-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:22 pm CDT (02:22 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FAR is low IFR, wind from the north (010°) at 15 knots; BJI is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots, gusting to 16. 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: 637 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 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the whole 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 FAR.

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

  • A320 descending, 0 nm southwest, 8:01 pm CDT (01:01 UTC): overcast above 1,200 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 36. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 0101/FLUNKN/TP A320/SK OVC012-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RWY 36
    Report
    a routine report filed through FAR
    Where
    over KFAR
    Time
    01:01 UTC
    Height
    height not given
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    overcast from 1,200 ft, tops unknown
    Remarks
    during the descent runway 36
  • C56X at 1,300 ft, 0 nm southwest, 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC): overcast above 1,300 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 2317/FL013/TP C56X/SK OVC013
    Report
    a routine report filed through FAR
    Where
    over KFAR
    Time
    23:17 UTC
    Height
    at 1,300 ft
    Aircraft
    C56X
    Sky
    overcast from 1,300 ft
  • CRJ7 at 18,000 ft, 37 nm south, 6:41 pm CDT (23:41 UTC): light rime icing from 18,000 ft to 20,000 ft, -13 °C, remarks: during the descent. 38 nm along the route, 37 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FAR UA /OV FAR090050/TM 2341/FL180/TP CRJ7/SK BASE180-TOP200/TA M13/IC LGT RIME 180-200/RM DURD
    Report
    a routine report filed through FAR
    Where
    50 nm east (090°) of FAR
    Time
    23:41 UTC
    Height
    at 18,000 ft
    Aircraft
    CRJ7
    Sky
    BASE180-TOP200
    Temperature
    −13 °C
    Icing
    light rime from 18,000 ft to 20,000 ft
    Remarks
    during the descent

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 1 forecast point nearest it (GFK). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft050° at 15 kt+14 kt106 kt48 min9:45 pm CDT (02:45 UTC)
5,500 ft050° at 3 kt+3 kt117 kt43 min9:40 pm CDT (02:40 UTC)
7,500 ft240° at 10 kt−10 kt8 °C130 kt39 min9:36 pm CDT (02:36 UTC)
9,500 ft240° at 23 kt−23 kt6 °C143 kt35 min9:32 pm CDT (02:32 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 33 kt−33 kt2 °C153 kt33 min9:30 pm CDT (02:30 UTC)
13,500 ft240° at 39 kt−39 kt-2 °C159 kt32 min9:29 pm CDT (02:29 UTC)
15,500 ft250° at 42 kt−42 kt-6 °C162 kt31 min9:28 pm CDT (02:28 UTC)
17,500 ft250° at 46 kt−46 kt-10 °C166 kt30 min9:27 pm CDT (02:27 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180250° at 47 kt−47 kt-11 °C167 kt30 min9:27 pm CDT (02:27 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240260° at 53 kt−51 kt-21 °C171 kt29 min9:26 pm CDT (02:26 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300270° at 59 kt−53 kt-36 °C173 kt29 min9:26 pm CDT (02:26 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 65 kt−59 kt-47 °C179 kt28 min9:25 pm CDT (02:25 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 88 kt−85 kt-56 °C205 kt25 min9:22 pm CDT (02:22 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
GFKused from 0 nm out; 63 nm from the line050/18L/V 10°240/20 7°240/36 1°250/47 -11°260/53 -21°270/59 -36°270/65 -47°260/88 -56°

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
FAR Fargo, ND departure low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist from the north (010°) at 15 knots 3 mi 400 ft 901 ft 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC)
DTL Detroit Lakes, MN 28 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet from the northeast (040°) at 10 knots 10+ mi 900 ft 1,395 ft 01:35 UTC
FSE Fosston, MN 56 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 13 knots 10+ mi 400 ft 1,278 ft 01:55 UTC
BJI Bemidji, MN destination IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots, gusting to 16 10+ mi 700 ft 1,391 ft 8:35 pm CDT (01:35 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,395 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At BJI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:22 pm CDT (02:22 UTC)

Wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet IFR

The whole forecast for BJI
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light rain showers
The forecast for FAR, the departure
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers

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 FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at BJI 6:37 pm CDT (23:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:08 pm CDT (00:08 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BJI is after sunset there (6:39 pm CDT (23:39 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 northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper 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: Hector International, Bemidji Regional.