Plan a flight · Sun 9:50 pm EDT (01:50 UTC)

Lakeland Linder International to Southwest Florida International LAL → RSW

88 nautical miles (102 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 171°, about 177° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:32 pm EDT (02:32 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LAL is VFR, wind calm; RSW is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) 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: 4 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

No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.

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 LAL.

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

C172 at 1,100 ft, 49 nm northeast, 9:12 pm EDT (01:12 UTC): no turbulence. At the departure end, 49 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ORL UA /OV ORL/TM 0112/FL011/TP C172/TB SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through ORL
Where
over ORL
Time
01:12 UTC
Height
at 1,100 ft
Aircraft
C172
Turbulence
smooth
C172 at 1,100 ft, 49 nm northeast, 8:12 pm EDT (00:12 UTC): no turbulence. At the departure end, 49 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ORL UA /OV 1SM N/TM 0012/FL011/TP C172/TB SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through ORL
Where
1SM north
Time
00:12 UTC
Height
at 1,100 ft
Aircraft
C172
Turbulence
smooth
P28A at 1,100 ft, 49 nm northeast, 7:15 pm EDT (23:15 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 1,100 ft to 60,000 ft. At the departure end, 49 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ORL UA /OV ORL/TM 2315/FL011/TP P28A/SK SKC/TB SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through ORL
Where
over ORL
Time
23:15 UTC
Height
at 1,100 ft
Aircraft
P28A
Sky
clear
Turbulence
smooth
P28A at 1,100 ft, 49 nm northeast, 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 1,100 ft to 60,000 ft. At the departure end, 49 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ORL UA /OV ORL/TM 2300/FL011/TP P28A/SK SKC/TB SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through ORL
Where
over ORL
Time
23:00 UTC
Height
at 1,100 ft
Aircraft
P28A
Sky
clear
Turbulence
smooth
C172 at 4,000 ft, 40 nm east, 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 UTC): clear from 4,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 10 nm along the route, 40 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MLB UA /OV MLB252035/TM 2330/FL040/TP C172/SK SKC 040
```
Report
a routine report filed through MLB
Where
35 nm west (252°) of MLB
Time
23:30 UTC
Height
at 4,000 ft
Aircraft
C172
Sky
clear from 4,000 ft
MD11 at 35,000 ft, 19 nm west, 7:18 pm EDT (23:18 UTC): no turbulence. 29 nm along the route, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
SRQ UA /OV SRQ080015/TM 2318/FL350/TP MD11/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through SRQ
Where
15 nm east (080°) of SRQ
Time
23:18 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
MD11
Turbulence
none
PAY1 at 12,000 ft, 20 nm east, 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC): no turbulence. 59 nm along the route, 20 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
RSW UA /OV RSW030035/TM 2259/FL120/TP PAY1/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through RSW
Where
35 nm northeast (030°) of RSW
Time
22:59 UTC
Height
at 12,000 ft
Aircraft
PAY1
Turbulence
none
GLF6 at 17,000 ft, 22 nm east, 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 78 nm along the route, 22 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
RSW UA /OV LBV180002/TM 2300/FL170/TP GLF6/SK SKC/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through RSW
Where
2 nm south (180°) of LBV
Time
23:00 UTC
Height
at 17,000 ft
Aircraft
GLF6
Sky
clear
Turbulence
none

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 1 forecast point nearest it (PIE). 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	300° at 7 kt	−5 kt		125 kt	42 min	10:32 pm EDT (02:32 UTC)
5,500 ft	270° at 11 kt	−2 kt		122 kt	43 min	10:33 pm EDT (02:33 UTC)
7,500 ft	270° at 13 kt	−2 kt	15 °C	122 kt	43 min	10:33 pm EDT (02:33 UTC)
9,500 ft	270° at 14 kt	−2 kt	12 °C	122 kt	43 min	10:33 pm EDT (02:33 UTC)
11,500 ft	260° at 14 kt	0	9 °C	120 kt	44 min	10:34 pm EDT (02:34 UTC)
13,500 ft	250° at 16 kt	+2 kt	5 °C	118 kt	45 min	10:35 pm EDT (02:35 UTC)
15,500 ft	250° at 18 kt	+5 kt	0 °C	115 kt	46 min	10:36 pm EDT (02:36 UTC)
17,500 ft	240° at 21 kt	+7 kt	-4 °C	113 kt	47 min	10:37 pm EDT (02:37 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	240° at 22 kt	+8 kt	-5 °C	112 kt	47 min	10:37 pm EDT (02:37 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	230° at 24 kt	+12 kt	-16 °C	108 kt	49 min	10:39 pm EDT (02:39 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	220° at 26 kt	+17 kt	-31 °C	103 kt	51 min	10:41 pm EDT (02:41 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	200° at 31 kt	+27 kt	-41 °C	93 kt	57 min	10:47 pm EDT (02:47 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	180° at 33 kt	+33 kt	-53 °C	87 kt	1 h 01 min	10:51 pm EDT (02:51 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
PIE	used from 0 nm out; 44 nm from the line	310/7	270/12 17°	270/14 13°	260/14 8°	240/22 -5°	230/24 -16°	220/26 -31°	200/31 -41°	180/33 -53°

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
LAL Lakeland, FL	departure	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	141 ft	8:50 pm EDT (00:50 UTC)
CHN Wauchula, FL	29 nm out, 3 nm east of the line	no report just now				107 ft
PGD Punta Gorda, FL	59 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	25 ft	00:53 UTC
RSW Fort Myers, FL	destination	VFR	from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	29 ft	8:53 pm EDT (00:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 141 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:32 pm EDT (02:32 UTC)

Wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for RSW

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

The forecast for LAL, the departure

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, 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 LAL 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RSW is after sunset there (7:03 pm EDT (23:03 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 Southeast · 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: Lakeland Linder International, Southwest Florida International.