Golden Triangle Regional to Blue Grass Airport GTR → LEX
337 nautical miles (388 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 034°, about 036° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 53 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 3-knot headwind), arriving about 6:38 am EDT (10:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GTR is VFR, wind calm; LEX is low IFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 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: 2 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 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 198 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 GTR.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (BHM, HSV, BNA, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 2 h 53 min | 6:38 am EDT (10:38 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | +10 kt | 110 kt | 3 h 04 min | 6:49 am EDT (10:49 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +11 kt | 14 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 06 min | 6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 26 kt | +11 kt | 9 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 06 min | 6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 340° at 24 kt | +14 kt | 6 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 11 min | 6:56 am EDT (10:56 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 340° at 23 kt | +13 kt | 2 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 09 min | 6:54 am EDT (10:54 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +11 kt | -2 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 06 min | 6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +9 kt | -6 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 02 min | 6:47 am EDT (10:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 25 kt | +8 kt | -7 °C | 112 kt | 3 h 01 min | 6:46 am EDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 32 kt | +18 kt | -18 °C | 102 kt | 3 h 18 min | 7:03 am EDT (11:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 53 kt | +20 kt | -33 °C | 100 kt | 3 h 22 min | 7:07 am EDT (11:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 62 kt | +23 kt | -41 °C | 97 kt | 3 h 28 min | 7:13 am EDT (11:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 340° at 42 kt | +22 kt | -50 °C | 98 kt | 3 h 26 min | 7:11 am EDT (11:11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM | used from 0 nm out; 79 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° |
| HSV | used from 50 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| BNA | used from 149 nm out; 18 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° |
| LOU | used from 248 nm out; 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 1:56 am CDT (06:56 UTC) |
| HAB Hamilton, AL | 50 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 436 ft | ||||
| MSL Muscle Shoals, AL | 89 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 550 ft | 07:18 UTC |
| LUG Lewisburg, TN | 149 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 718 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| MQY Smyrna, TN | 188 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | reported, no category | calm | 200 ft | 543 ft | 07:32 UTC | |
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 248 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| AAS Campbellsville, KY | 287 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 921 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| DVK Danville, KY | 307 nm out, 11 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: mist | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 1 mi | 100 ft | 1,021 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| LEX Lexington, KY | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 979 ft | 2:56 am EDT (06:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,036 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LEX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:38 am EDT (10:38 UTC)
Wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies low IFR
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, overcast at 100 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for LEX
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, overcast at 100 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few 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 GTR, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 21 nm from the route, 198 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at GTR 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC), at LEX 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LEX is before sunrise there (7:43 am EDT (11:43 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: Golden Triangle Regional, Blue Grass Airport.