Wilmington International to Louisville Muhammad Ali International ILM → SDF
446 nautical miles (513 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 304°, about 314° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 20-knot headwind), arriving about 5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ILM is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots; SDF is VFR, 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: 3 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 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 119 to 248 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 178 to 258 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 208 to 337 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 228 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 ILM.
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 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 (ILM, FLO, RDU, TRI, 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 | +20 kt | 11 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 28 min | 5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | +20 kt | 11 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 28 min | 5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | +23 kt | 9 °C | 97 kt | 4 h 36 min | 5:48 am EDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 6 °C | 96 kt | 4 h 39 min | 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 3 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 42 min | 5:54 am EDT (09:54 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 310° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -1 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 45 min | 5:57 am EDT (09:57 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 28 kt | +27 kt | -4 °C | 93 kt | 4 h 48 min | 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -7 °C | 92 kt | 4 h 51 min | 6:03 am EDT (10:03 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 31 kt | +30 kt | -18 °C | 90 kt | 4 h 57 min | 6:09 am EDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 35 kt | +33 kt | -33 °C | 87 kt | 5 h 08 min | 6:20 am EDT (10:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 40 kt | +37 kt | -40 °C | 83 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:34 am EDT (10:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 36 kt | +34 kt | -49 °C | 86 kt | 5 h 11 min | 6:23 am EDT (10:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 270/22 | 270/23 11° | 260/35 10° | 240/41 6° | 240/49 -5° | 240/61 -16° | 230/74 -30° | 220/79 -40° | 230/71 -51° |
| FLO | used from 50 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 300/16 | 320/14 12° | 320/19 7° | 290/26 5° | 260/39 -6° | 250/45 -18° | 230/62 -32° | 230/83 -40° | 230/64 -51° |
| RDU | used from 99 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
| TRI | used from 149 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 330/22 11° | 330/29 7° | 330/32 3° | 330/36 -8° | 320/34 -19° | 320/36 -34° | 320/43 -39° | 320/46 -47° | |
| LOU | used from 347 nm out; 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM Wilmington, NC | departure | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 31 ft | 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC) |
| EYF Elizabethtown, NC | 40 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 131 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| FAY Fayetteville, NC | 59 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 189 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 129 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 609 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| JQF Concord, NC | 149 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 9,000 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 704 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| HKY Hickory, NC | 188 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (270°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,189 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN | 258 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 feet, overcast at 2,600 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 2,000 ft | 1,518 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| LNP Wise, VA | 277 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the west-northwest (290°) at 10 knots, gusting to 14 | 4 mi | 400 ft | 2,684 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| LOZ London, KY | 347 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the north (010°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,212 ft | 20:18 UTC |
| LEX Lexington, KY | 396 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 1.25 mi | none | 979 ft | 04:54 UTC |
| BRY Bardstown, KY | 426 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Weather: mist | calm | 0.75 mi | none | 669 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 12:56 am EDT (04:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,684 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, 5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SDF
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Sun 8:30 pm EDT (00:30 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ILM, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 2 nm from the route, 40 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8713 Maxton, NC, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, 79 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at ILM 6:41 pm EDT (22:41 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: Wilmington International, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.