Fort Smith Regional to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International FSM → BHM
392 nautical miles (451 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 104°, about 103° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 41-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FSM is VFR, wind calm; BHM 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: 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
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 FSM.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (FSM, LIT, MEM, BHM). 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 | 240° at 16 kt | −12 kt | 132 kt | 2 h 58 min | 4:38 am CDT (09:38 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 2 h 56 min | 4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 270° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 14 °C | 136 kt | 2 h 53 min | 4:33 am CDT (09:33 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 11 °C | 138 kt | 2 h 50 min | 4:30 am CDT (09:30 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 7 °C | 134 kt | 2 h 56 min | 4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −13 kt | 3 °C | 133 kt | 2 h 57 min | 4:37 am CDT (09:37 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 0 °C | 134 kt | 2 h 56 min | 4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | −15 kt | -5 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 54 min | 4:34 am CDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 15 kt | −15 kt | -6 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 54 min | 4:34 am CDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 26 kt | −25 kt | -17 °C | 145 kt | 2 h 42 min | 4:22 am CDT (09:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 37 kt | −35 kt | -31 °C | 155 kt | 2 h 32 min | 4:12 am CDT (09:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 44 kt | −41 kt | -40 °C | 161 kt | 2 h 26 min | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 41 kt | −38 kt | -51 °C | 158 kt | 2 h 29 min | 4:09 am CDT (09:09 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSM | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| LIT | used from 49 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| MEM | used from 147 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| BHM | used from 294 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSM Fort Smith, AR | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 469 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| MPJ Morrilton, AR | 69 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 923 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 108 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the west (280°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 266 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| SGT Stuttgart, AR | 147 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 224 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| HEE Helena/West Helena, AR | 186 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 241 ft | ||||
| PMU Batesville, MS | 225 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 8 mi | none | 221 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 284 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 8 mi | none | 346 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| HAB Hamilton, AL | 323 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | no report just now | 436 ft | ||||
| JFX Jasper, AL | 362 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 482 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | destination | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 650 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 923 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BHM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist marginal VFR
The whole forecast for BHM
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for FSM, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
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 FSM 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC), at BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BHM is before sunrise there (6:49 am CDT (11:49 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: Fort Smith Regional, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International.