Plan a flight · Mon 11:23 am CDT (16:23 UTC)

Central Nebraska Regional to Des Moines International GRI → DSM

212 nautical miles (244 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 079°, about 072° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 77-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC). Right now GRI is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 19 knots, gusting to 27; DSM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots. 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 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 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 GRI.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

A21N at 35,000 ft, 25 nm north, 10:33 am CDT (15:33 UTC): remarks: mountain wave. 77 nm along the route, 25 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
LNK UA /OV SCB/TM 1533/FL350/TP A21N/RM MTN WAVE
```
Report
a routine report filed through LNK
Where
over SCB
Time
15:33 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Remarks
mountain wave

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (GRI, OMA, DSM). 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	220° at 28 kt	−22 kt		142 kt	1 h 30 min	12:53 pm CDT (17:53 UTC)
5,500 ft	240° at 30 kt	−28 kt	19 °C	148 kt	1 h 26 min	12:49 pm CDT (17:49 UTC)
7,500 ft	230° at 33 kt	−30 kt	16 °C	150 kt	1 h 25 min	12:48 pm CDT (17:48 UTC)
9,500 ft	230° at 37 kt	−31 kt	12 °C	151 kt	1 h 24 min	12:47 pm CDT (17:47 UTC)
11,500 ft	230° at 39 kt	−33 kt	8 °C	153 kt	1 h 23 min	12:46 pm CDT (17:46 UTC)
13,500 ft	230° at 39 kt	−34 kt	3 °C	154 kt	1 h 23 min	12:46 pm CDT (17:46 UTC)
15,500 ft	240° at 39 kt	−35 kt	-2 °C	155 kt	1 h 22 min	12:45 pm CDT (17:45 UTC)
17,500 ft	240° at 39 kt	−37 kt	-7 °C	157 kt	1 h 21 min	12:44 pm CDT (17:44 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	240° at 39 kt	−37 kt	-8 °C	157 kt	1 h 21 min	12:44 pm CDT (17:44 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	250° at 47 kt	−46 kt	-21 °C	166 kt	1 h 17 min	12:40 pm CDT (17:40 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	270° at 67 kt	−67 kt	-29 °C	187 kt	1 h 08 min	12:31 pm CDT (17:31 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	270° at 78 kt	−77 kt	-36 °C	197 kt	1 h 05 min	12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	270° at 67 kt	−66 kt	-47 °C	186 kt	1 h 08 min	12:31 pm CDT (17:31 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
GRI	used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line		270/26 19°	230/33 13°	230/39 8°	230/43 -9°	240/55 -21°	250/76 -28°	260/84 -36°	260/68 -47°
OMA	used from 48 nm out; 39 nm from the line	210/23	240/34 20°	230/40 14°	220/43 7°	240/38 -8°	250/47 -21°	270/70 -29°	270/79 -36°	270/68 -48°
DSM	used from 145 nm out; 43 nm from the line	230/34	230/32 20°	220/33 12°	240/35 5°	250/39 -7°	250/43 -21°	280/61 -31°	280/73 -37°	280/67 -47°

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
GRI Grand Island, NE	departure	VFR	from the southwest (230°) at 19 knots, gusting to 27	10+ mi	none	1,847 ft	10:53 am CDT (15:53 UTC)
JYR York, NE	29 nm out, 10 nm south of the line	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 19 knots	10+ mi	none	1,669 ft	16:15 UTC
LNK Lincoln, NE	68 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 18 knots, gusting to 25	10+ mi	none	1,218 ft	15:54 UTC
OMA Omaha, NE	116 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south (180°) at 10 knots, gusting to 21	10+ mi	none	984 ft	15:52 UTC
AIO Atlantic, IA	145 nm out, 5 nm east of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 17 knots	9 mi	none	1,164 ft	16:15 UTC
GFZ Greenfield, IA	174 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				1,363 ft
DSM Des Moines, IA	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet, a few clouds at 20,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots	10+ mi	none	957 ft	10:54 am CDT (15:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,847 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DSM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for DSM

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet

The forecast for GRI, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 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 GRI 6:57 pm CDT (23:57 UTC), at DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm CDT (00:06 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

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Central Nebraska Regional, Des Moines International.