Joe Foss Field to Nashville International FSD → BNA
644 nautical miles (741 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 131°, about 126° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:23 am CDT (15:23 UTC). Right now FSD is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots; BNA is VFR, wind calm. 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: 217 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 40 to 337 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 last 30 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 FSD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E550 at 8,700 ft, 49 nm northeast, 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC): clear from 8,700 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: visual conditions clear during the climb. 535 nm along the route, 49 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
EVV UA /OV EVV/TM 1030/FL087/TP E550/SK SKC/RM VMC CLR DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through EVV
- Where
- over EVV
- Time
- 10:30 UTC
- Height
- at 8,700 ft
- Aircraft
- E550
- Sky
- clear
- Remarks
- visual conditions clear during the climb
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 7 forecast points nearest it (FSD, DSM, BRL, STL, CGI, EVV, BNA). 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 | 250° at 27 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 4 h 51 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 4 h 55 min | 11:31 am CDT (16:31 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | −8 kt | 14 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 02 min | 11:38 am CDT (16:38 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | −6 kt | 10 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 07 min | 11:43 am CDT (16:43 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −9 kt | 6 °C | 129 kt | 5 h | 11:36 am CDT (16:36 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −11 kt | 2 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 55 min | 11:31 am CDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 23 kt | −14 kt | -2 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 48 min | 11:24 am CDT (16:24 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 24 kt | −16 kt | -6 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 44 min | 11:20 am CDT (16:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 24 kt | −17 kt | -7 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 42 min | 11:18 am CDT (16:18 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 33 kt | −21 kt | -20 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 34 min | 11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 42 kt | −34 kt | -33 °C | 154 kt | 4 h 11 min | 10:47 am CDT (15:47 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 54 kt | −45 kt | -39 °C | 165 kt | 3 h 54 min | 10:30 am CDT (15:30 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 55 kt | −50 kt | -49 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 47 min | 10:23 am CDT (15:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/20 | 230/23 21° | 220/25 14° | 230/30 5° | 230/26 -9° | 240/30 -21° | 270/33 -36° | 260/47 -37° | 270/58 -47° |
| DSM | used from 99 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| BRL | used from 248 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -48° |
| STL | used from 347 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| CGI | used from 446 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 260/22 | 250/15 15° | 250/13 11° | 250/16 6° | 270/29 -7° | 280/30 -18° | 290/40 -31° | 290/55 -40° | 300/51 -51° |
| EVV | used from 495 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 270/25 | 290/17 15° | 260/10 8° | 270/16 5° | 280/29 -6° | 280/33 -19° | 290/38 -33° | 300/53 -41° | 310/54 -51° |
| BNA | used from 594 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,430 ft | 5:56 am CDT (10:56 UTC) |
| SHL Sheldon, IA | 50 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | VFR | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,419 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| SLB Storm Lake, IA | 89 nm out, 1 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,487 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 188 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet, a broken layer at 19,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 957 ft | 10:54 UTC |
| OXV Knoxville, IA | 208 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet, overcast at 21,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 928 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| EOK Keokuk, IA | 297 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 671 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| PPQ Pittsfield, IL | 357 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 709 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 416 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| MWA Marion, IL | 495 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 471 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| GDA Marion, KY | 545 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 652 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| HVC Hopkinsville, KY | 584 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | IFR Weather: mist | calm | 2 mi | none | 563 ft | 10:50 UTC |
| BNA Nashville, TN | destination | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 599 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,487 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:23 am CDT (15:23 UTC)
Wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for BNA
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 2 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 300 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for FSD, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 14,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at BNA 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 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: Joe Foss Field, Nashville International.