Fort Wayne International to Louisville Muhammad Ali International FWA → SDF
170 nautical miles (196 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 189°, about 195° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 1 h at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:40 am EDT (08:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FWA is IFR, wind from the south (180°) at 3 knots; SDF is marginal 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: 199 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist), from 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC). 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 FWA.
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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even 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 (FWA, IND, CVG, LOU). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 1 h 17 min | 4:57 am EDT (08:57 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | −20 kt | 15 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 13 min | 4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 340° at 25 kt | −21 kt | 11 °C | 141 kt | 1 h 12 min | 4:52 am EDT (08:52 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 6 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 13 min | 4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 21 kt | −18 kt | 2 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 14 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | −18 kt | -1 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 14 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | −17 kt | -4 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 14 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 27 kt | −17 kt | -7 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 14 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 37 kt | −29 kt | -20 °C | 149 kt | 1 h 08 min | 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 53 kt | −43 kt | -35 °C | 163 kt | 1 h 03 min | 4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 66 kt | −50 kt | -42 °C | 170 kt | 1 h | 4:40 am EDT (08:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 51 kt | −36 kt | -50 °C | 156 kt | 1 h 05 min | 4:45 am EDT (08:45 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| IND | used from 47 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| CVG | used from 95 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| LOU | used from 142 nm out; 11 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | departure | IFR Sky: a few clouds at 30,000 feet Weather: mist, shallow fog | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 2.5 mi | none | 814 ft | 2:54 am EDT (06:54 UTC) |
| PLD Portland, IN | 28 nm out, 14 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: haze | calm | 0.25 mi | 300 ft | 925 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| MIE Muncie, IN | 47 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 5 mi | none | 937 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| BAK Columbus, IN | 104 nm out, 17 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 656 ft | 01:45 UTC |
| IMS Madison, IN | 132 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 819 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 500 ft | 2:56 am EDT (06:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 937 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SDF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:40 am EDT (08:40 UTC)
Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SDF
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for FWA, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 3:30 am EDT (07:30 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, a broken layer at 500 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, 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 FWA 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC), at SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SDF is before sunrise there (7:48 am EDT (11:48 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 Wayne International, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.