Indianapolis International to Blue Grass Airport IND → LEX
128 nautical miles (147 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 141°, about 146° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 58-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:46 am EDT (09:46 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now IND is marginal VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots; LEX is low IFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). 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 IND.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B763 at 200 ft, 31 nm northeast, 4:05 am EDT (08:05 UTC): sky obscured, remarks: during the climb. 79 nm along the route, 31 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV CVG270001/TM 0805/FL002/TP B763/SK VV002/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 1 nm west (270°) of CVG
- Time
- 08:05 UTC
- Height
- at 200 ft
- Aircraft
- B763
- Sky
- sky obscured from 200 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb
- B752 climbing, 28 nm northeast, 3:37 am EDT (07:37 UTC): overcast. 79 nm along the route, 28 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 0737/FLDURC/TP B752/SK B001 OVC T015
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 5 west cvg
- Time
- 07:37 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- B752
- Sky
- B001 overcast T015
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 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 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 290° at 19 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 56 min | 5:59 am EDT (09:59 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 139 kt | 55 min | 5:58 am EDT (09:58 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −18 kt | 12 °C | 138 kt | 56 min | 5:59 am EDT (09:59 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 8 °C | 136 kt | 56 min | 5:59 am EDT (09:59 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | −15 kt | 5 °C | 135 kt | 57 min | 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 19 kt | −17 kt | 1 °C | 137 kt | 56 min | 5:59 am EDT (09:59 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 22 kt | −20 kt | -2 °C | 140 kt | 55 min | 5:58 am EDT (09:58 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 26 kt | −23 kt | -5 °C | 143 kt | 54 min | 5:57 am EDT (09:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 27 kt | −24 kt | -6 °C | 144 kt | 53 min | 5:56 am EDT (09:56 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 35 kt | −28 kt | -19 °C | 148 kt | 52 min | 5:55 am EDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 32 kt | −27 kt | -34 °C | 147 kt | 52 min | 5:55 am EDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 51 kt | −49 kt | -42 °C | 169 kt | 45 min | 5:48 am EDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 60 kt | −58 kt | -51 °C | 178 kt | 43 min | 5:46 am EDT (09:46 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 270/22 | 290/19 15° | 270/19 8° | 270/18 4° | 290/28 -7° | 280/35 -20° | 270/37 -34° | 300/51 -42° | 300/61 -51° |
| CVG | used from 49 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| LOU | used from 98 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND Indianapolis, IN | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 3 mi | none | 796 ft | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| BAK Columbus, IN | 30 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 656 ft | 01:45 UTC |
| OVO North Vernon, IN | 49 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 757 ft | ||||
| FFT Frankfort, KY | 108 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | reported, no category | calm | none | 812 ft | 08:53 UTC | |
| LEX Lexington, KY | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 979 ft | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 979 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, 5:46 am EDT (09:46 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 IND, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist, shallow fog, overcast at 200 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, shallow fog, a few clouds at 200 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 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 IND 7:10 pm EDT (23:10 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: Indianapolis International, Blue Grass Airport.