Joe Foss Field to Savannah/Hilton Head International FSD → SAV
1,005 nautical miles (1,156 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 128°, about 123° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 42-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:55 am EDT (12:55 UTC). 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 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 60 to 298 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 557 to 756 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 746 to 786 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, 756 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 796 to 875 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 FSD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 11 forecast points nearest it (FSD, DSM, BRL, SPI, STL, EVV, BNA, TYS, ATL, CAE, SAV). 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 | 270° at 17 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 7 h 33 min | 10:16 am EDT (14:16 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 7 h 27 min | 10:10 am EDT (14:10 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 290° at 18 kt | −17 kt | 13 °C | 137 kt | 7 h 20 min | 10:03 am EDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −19 kt | 10 °C | 139 kt | 7 h 14 min | 9:57 am EDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 6 °C | 137 kt | 7 h 20 min | 10:03 am EDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −18 kt | 2 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 17 min | 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 21 kt | −20 kt | -2 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 11 min | 9:54 am EDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 23 kt | −22 kt | -6 °C | 142 kt | 7 h 05 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 24 kt | −22 kt | -7 °C | 142 kt | 7 h 05 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -19 °C | 146 kt | 6 h 53 min | 9:36 am EDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -33 °C | 153 kt | 6 h 34 min | 9:17 am EDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 45 kt | −42 kt | -41 °C | 162 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:55 am EDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 44 kt | −42 kt | -50 °C | 162 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:55 am EDT (12:55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| DSM | used from 99 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 249 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 348 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| STL | used from 398 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| EVV | used from 448 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| BNA | used from 597 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| TYS | used from 696 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| ATL | used from 796 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| CAE | used from 895 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 330/15 | 330/13 12° | 330/22 9° | 300/26 6° | 280/33 -7° | 270/38 -18° | 250/45 -33° | 240/46 -40° | 270/38 -49° |
| SAV | used from 945 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 280/23 | 300/22 14° | 290/27 11° | 270/31 6° | 260/36 -5° | 260/38 -17° | 240/49 -32° | 230/68 -40° | 230/59 -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 | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| SLB Storm Lake, IA | 90 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,487 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 179 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| OXV Knoxville, IA | 209 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 928 ft | ||||
| PPQ Pittsfield, IL | 358 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 709 ft | ||||
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 408 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 557 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 407 ft | ||||
| SRB Sparta, TN | 686 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,025 ft | ||||
| RZR Cleveland, TN | 746 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 865 ft | ||||
| AHN Athens, GA | 855 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 812 ft | ||||
| AGS Augusta, GA | 925 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 145 ft | ||||
| SAV Savannah, GA | destination | no report just now | 50 ft |
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 SAV when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:55 am EDT (12:55 UTC)
SAV has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 20 nm from the route, 637 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at SAV 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:20 pm EDT (23:20 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, Savannah/Hilton Head International.