The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 12:17 am CDT (05:17 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 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 57-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:45 am CDT (05:45 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FAR is low IFR, wind from the north (010°) at 13 knots; BJI is IFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 8 knots. 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

  • PC12 at 2,800 ft, 10 nm south, 9:37 pm CDT (02:37 UTC): overcast from 1,200 ft to 2,900 ft, 10 °C. At the departure end, 10 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FAR UA /OV FAR/TM 0237/FL028/TP PC12/SK OVC012-TOP029/TA 10
    Report
    a routine report filed through FAR
    Where
    over FAR
    Time
    02:37 UTC
    Height
    at 2,800 ft
    Aircraft
    PC12
    Sky
    overcast from 1,200 ft, tops 2,900 ft
    Temperature
    10 °C

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 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 ft070° at 16 kt+16 kt104 kt48 min1:05 am CDT (06:05 UTC)
5,500 ft090° at 11 kt+10 kt110 kt46 min1:03 am CDT (06:03 UTC)
7,500 ft190° at 3 kt−1 kt8 °C121 kt42 min12:59 am CDT (05:59 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 14 kt−14 kt5 °C134 kt38 min12:55 am CDT (05:55 UTC)
11,500 ft250° at 24 kt−24 kt2 °C144 kt35 min12:52 am CDT (05:52 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 29 kt−29 kt-2 °C149 kt34 min12:51 am CDT (05:51 UTC)
15,500 ft250° at 31 kt−31 kt-5 °C151 kt33 min12:50 am CDT (05:50 UTC)
17,500 ft250° at 33 kt−33 kt-9 °C153 kt33 min12:50 am CDT (05:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180250° at 34 kt−34 kt-10 °C154 kt33 min12:50 am CDT (05:50 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240260° at 43 kt−42 kt-21 °C162 kt31 min12:48 am CDT (05:48 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 39 kt−38 kt-36 °C158 kt32 min12:49 am CDT (05:49 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 36 kt−35 kt-46 °C155 kt33 min12:50 am CDT (05:50 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 59 kt−57 kt-53 °C177 kt28 min12:45 am CDT (05:45 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
GFKused from 0 nm out; 63 nm from the line070/18100/10 9°250/11 6°250/27 1°250/34 -10°260/43 -21°260/39 -36°260/36 -46°260/59 -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
FAR Fargo, ND departure low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist from the north (010°) at 13 knots 2.5 mi 300 ft 901 ft 12:12 am CDT (05:12 UTC)
DTL Detroit Lakes, MN 28 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 4 knots 10+ mi 800 ft 1,395 ft 04:55 UTC
FSE Fosston, MN 56 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 13 knots 10+ mi 300 ft 1,278 ft 04:55 UTC
BJI Bemidji, MN destination IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet from the northeast (040°) at 8 knots 10+ mi 500 ft 1,391 ft 11:55 pm CDT (04:55 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, 12:45 am CDT (05:45 UTC)

Wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet IFR

The whole forecast for BJI
  • From Sun 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 300 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 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
  • At times between Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC) and 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
  • From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the north at 13 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 700 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 before sunrise there (7:33 am CDT (12:33 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.