The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 8:01 am CDT (13:01 UTC)

Huntsville Intl-Carl T Jones Field to Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field HSV → LFT

375 nautical miles (431 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 226°, about 230° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 49 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC). Right now HSV is VFR, wind from the east (090°) at 3 knots; LFT 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 return flight

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). Near the route, at the departure end.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the last 306 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 HSV.

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

  • BE36 at 8,000 ft, 23 nm northwest, 6:18 am CDT (11:18 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 247 nm along the route, 23 nm northwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    JAN UA /OV MHZ225040/TM 1118/FL080/TP BE36/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
    Report
    a routine report filed through JAN
    Where
    40 nm southwest (225°) of MHZ
    Time
    11:18 UTC
    Height
    at 8,000 ft
    Aircraft
    BE36
    Turbulence
    none
    Icing
    none
    Remarks
    ZME65
  • B737 at 23,000 ft, 18 nm southeast, 7:30 am CDT (12:30 UTC): no turbulence up to 23,000 ft, remarks: zhu. 335 nm along the route, 18 nm southeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    BTR UA /OV KLSU945005/TM 1230/FL230/TP B737/TB NEG 000-230/RM ZHU
    Report
    a routine report filed through BTR
    Where
    5 nm southwest (945°) of KLSU
    Time
    12:30 UTC
    Height
    at 23,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B737
    Turbulence
    no from 0 ft to 23,000 ft
    Remarks
    zhu
  • A21N at 34,000 ft, 18 nm southeast, 6:37 am CDT (11:37 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. 335 nm along the route, 18 nm southeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    BTR UA /OV KBTR/TM 1137/FL340/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM ZHU
    Report
    a routine report filed through BTR
    Where
    over KBTR
    Time
    11:37 UTC
    Height
    at 34,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A21N
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    zhu

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (HSV, BHM, JAN, MSY, LCH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft270° at 9 kt+6 kt114 kt3 h 17 min11:18 am CDT (16:18 UTC)
6,500 ft280° at 9 kt+6 kt16 °C114 kt3 h 17 min11:18 am CDT (16:18 UTC)
8,500 ft300° at 10 kt+3 kt12 °C117 kt3 h 12 min11:13 am CDT (16:13 UTC)
10,500 ft300° at 9 kt+2 kt8 °C118 kt3 h 11 min11:12 am CDT (16:12 UTC)
12,500 ft310° at 8 kt+1 kt5 °C119 kt3 h 09 min11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC)
14,500 ft310° at 11 kt+1 kt1 °C119 kt3 h 09 min11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC)
16,500 ft310° at 14 kt+1 kt-2 °C119 kt3 h 09 min11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 17 kt+1 kt-5 °C119 kt3 h 09 min11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240300° at 15 kt+3 kt-17 °C117 kt3 h 12 min11:13 am CDT (16:13 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300320° at 34 kt−3 kt-31 °C123 kt3 h 03 min11:04 am CDT (16:04 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 39 kt−10 kt-40 °C130 kt2 h 53 min10:54 am CDT (15:54 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390340° at 38 kt−13 kt-51 °C133 kt2 h 49 min10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
HSVused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line300/20310/14 16°310/18 10°310/15 4°320/19 -5°290/16 -18°320/36 -32°320/47 -41°330/42 -50°
BHMused from 49 nm out; 56 nm from the line310/19310/15 16°320/19 11°330/15 5°330/23 -5°320/14 -18°320/36 -32°330/44 -40°340/36 -51°
JANused from 148 nm out; 46 nm from the line240/10260/15 18°280/10 11°290/6 6°290/15 -5°300/15 -17°320/35 -30°330/38 -40°330/39 -51°
MSYused from 296 nm out; 74 nm from the line150/9140/8 18°L/V 13°L/V 6°320/15 -5°310/16 -16°320/32 -31°340/35 -40°350/34 -52°
LCHused from 345 nm out; 76 nm from the line170/21160/23 18°170/13 13°170/6 8°300/12 -7°280/16 -14°320/27 -30°330/23 -41°340/38 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
HSV Huntsville, AL departure VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 15,000 feet from the east (090°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 628 ft 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC)
CMD Cullman, AL 20 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 969 ft 12:55 UTC
JFX Jasper, AL 49 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 200 feet calm 7 mi none 482 ft 12:55 UTC
GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS 118 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 264 ft 12:56 UTC
MPE Philadelphia, MS 158 nm out, 5 nm west of the line reported, no category calm none 458 ft 12:55 UTC
MBO Madison, MS 207 nm out, 24 nm northwest of the line VFR calm 8 mi none 325 ft 12:55 UTC
JAN Jackson, MS 217 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 346 ft 12:54 UTC
MCB Mc Comb, MS 276 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 413 ft 12:53 UTC
BTR Baton Rouge, LA 335 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 69 ft 12:53 UTC
LFT Lafayette, LA destination VFR calm 9 mi none 40 ft 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 969 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LFT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for LFT
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for HSV, the departure
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, clear skies
  • From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 HSV 6:16 pm CDT (23:16 UTC), at LFT 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 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 lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Huntsville Intl-Carl T Jones Field, Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field.