Rickenbacker International to EL Paso International LCK → ELP
1,234 nautical miles (1,420 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 254°, about 261° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 19 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 5:39 am MDT (11:39 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm EDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 1214 to 1214 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W VALID UNTIL 0155Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- 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 first 60 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 LCK.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
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 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 13 forecast points nearest it (CMH, CVG, IND, EVV, STL, COU, SGF, TUL, OKC, SPS, LBB, ROW, ELP). 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 | 210° at 13 kt | +11 kt | 20 °C | 109 kt | 11 h 19 min | 5:39 am MDT (11:39 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 15 °C | 107 kt | 11 h 32 min | 5:52 am MDT (11:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | +15 kt | 12 °C | 105 kt | 11 h 45 min | 6:05 am MDT (12:05 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 9 °C | 104 kt | 11 h 52 min | 6:12 am MDT (12:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 5 °C | 104 kt | 11 h 52 min | 6:12 am MDT (12:12 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 1 °C | 103 kt | 11 h 59 min | 6:19 am MDT (12:19 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | +18 kt | -3 °C | 102 kt | 12 h 06 min | 6:26 am MDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 20 kt | +19 kt | -7 °C | 101 kt | 12 h 13 min | 6:33 am MDT (12:33 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 26 kt | +24 kt | -18 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 51 min | 7:11 am MDT (13:11 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 37 kt | +32 kt | -31 °C | 88 kt | 14 h 01 min | 8:21 am MDT (14:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 41 kt | +35 kt | -40 °C | 85 kt | 14 h 31 min | 8:51 am MDT (14:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 43 kt | +35 kt | -50 °C | 85 kt | 14 h 31 min | 8:51 am MDT (14:51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMH | used from 0 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 340/14 | 320/13 12° | 350/12 8° | 360/10 2° | 350/27 -10° | 340/20 -22° | 320/31 -35° | 270/25 -39° | 260/32 -48° |
| CVG | used from 50 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
| IND | used from 149 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| EVV | used from 199 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| STL | used from 299 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| COU | used from 398 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| SGF | used from 448 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 210/21 | 210/21 16° | 240/28 12° | 260/24 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/26 -18° | 290/38 -31° | 290/37 -41° | 300/49 -52° |
| TUL | used from 597 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 200/27 | 210/28 15° | 240/24 13° | 250/19 8° | 250/28 -6° | 260/25 -16° | 270/34 -30° | 280/41 -39° | 280/41 -52° |
| OKC | used from 697 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/29 16° | 230/22 14° | 240/17 9° | 240/28 -6° | 250/35 -15° | 270/42 -29° | 270/43 -39° | 280/38 -51° |
| SPS | used from 796 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 180/26 | 200/25 16° | 220/19 13° | 220/20 9° | 230/26 -5° | 230/34 -15° | 260/37 -28° | 270/42 -39° | 280/40 -51° |
| LBB | used from 896 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 180/26 20° | 210/21 13° | 230/21 7° | 250/25 -5° | 250/34 -16° | 250/52 -28° | 260/47 -38° | 260/49 -50° | |
| ROW | used from 1045 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 180/23 | 190/24 15° | 210/27 7° | 230/35 -6° | 240/53 -17° | 240/62 -27° | 250/64 -38° | 260/60 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 1144 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCK Columbus, OH | departure | no report just now | 743 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 40 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| BAK Columbus, IN | 139 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 656 ft | ||||
| SAR Sparta, IL | 328 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 537 ft | ||||
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 448 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| SGF Springfield, MO | 518 nm out, 14 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,268 ft | ||||
| TUL Tulsa, OK | 647 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 677 ft | ||||
| PWA Oklahoma City, OK | 746 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,299 ft | ||||
| LBB Lubbock, TX | 975 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,282 ft | ||||
| LLN Levelland, TX | 1005 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,514 ft | ||||
| ATS Artesia, NM | 1115 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,544 ft | ||||
| ELP El Paso, TX | destination | no report just now | 3,961 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,961 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ELP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:39 am MDT (11:39 UTC)
ELP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, 90 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at LCK 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at ELP 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm MDT (01:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ELP is before sunrise there (7:06 am MDT (13:06 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: Rickenbacker International, EL Paso International.