Hector International to Buffalo Niagara International FAR → BUF
803 nautical miles (924 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 101°, about 097° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 61-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:42 am EDT (10:42 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: 3 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 first 89 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 287 to 367 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). Over the route from 545 to 634 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 FAR.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (AXN, DLH, GRB, TVC, BUF). 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 | 260° at 8 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 6 h 19 min | 8:35 am EDT (12:35 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 6 h | 8:16 am EDT (12:16 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 11 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 54 min | 8:10 am EDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 8 °C | 135 kt | 5 h 57 min | 8:13 am EDT (12:13 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −16 kt | 4 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 54 min | 8:10 am EDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 0 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 47 min | 8:03 am EDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -5 °C | 143 kt | 5 h 37 min | 7:53 am EDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 27 kt | −27 kt | -9 °C | 147 kt | 5 h 28 min | 7:44 am EDT (11:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 28 kt | −28 kt | -10 °C | 148 kt | 5 h 26 min | 7:42 am EDT (11:42 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 33 kt | −33 kt | -21 °C | 153 kt | 5 h 15 min | 7:31 am EDT (11:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 38 kt | −39 kt | -37 °C | 159 kt | 5 h 03 min | 7:19 am EDT (11:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 43 kt | −44 kt | -46 °C | 164 kt | 4 h 54 min | 7:10 am EDT (11:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 61 kt | −61 kt | -53 °C | 181 kt | 4 h 26 min | 6:42 am EDT (10:42 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AXN | used from 0 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| DLH | used from 99 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 080/28 | 240/21 15° | 250/26 9° | 250/32 3° | 260/42 -11° | 270/40 -21° | 260/43 -36° | 260/46 -46° | 260/65 -54° |
| GRB | used from 297 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| TVC | used from 446 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| BUF | used from 644 nm out; 134 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAR Fargo, ND | departure | no report just now | 901 ft | ||||
| DTL Detroit Lakes, MN | 40 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,395 ft | ||||
| AIT Aitkin, MN | 129 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,206 ft | ||||
| HYR Hayward, WI | 228 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,215 ft | ||||
| PKF Park Falls, WI | 268 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,501 ft | ||||
| MNM Menominee, MI | 396 nm out, 12 nm south of the line | no report just now | 624 ft | ||||
| FKS Frankfort, MI | 466 nm out, 22 nm south of the line | no report just now | 633 ft | ||||
| GOV Grayling, MI | 525 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,158 ft | ||||
| OSC Oscoda, MI | 585 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 633 ft | ||||
| CYSN St Catharines, | 783 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 321 ft | ||||
| BUF Buffalo, NY | destination | no report just now | 726 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,501 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BUF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:42 am EDT (10:42 UTC)
BUF 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 FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BUF is before sunrise there (7:24 am EDT (11:24 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: Hector International, Buffalo Niagara International.