Rickenbacker International to Louisville Muhammad Ali International LCK → SDF
164 nautical miles (189 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 234°, about 241° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 15-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:40 am EDT (04:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LCK is marginal VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots; SDF is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) 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: 499 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). 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 LCK.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- BCS3 climbing, 11 nm north, 10:27 pm EDT (02:27 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 11 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
CMH UA /OV CMH/TM 0227/FLDURC/TP BCS3/SK B010
- Report
- a routine report filed through CMH
- Where
- over CMH
- Time
- 02:27 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- BCS3
- Sky
- B010
- CRJ9 descending, 40 nm northwest, 9:15 pm EDT (01:15 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 48 nm along the route, 40 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DAY UA /OV DAY/TM 0115/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/SK T031 B005
- Report
- a routine report filed through DAY
- Where
- over DAY
- Time
- 01:15 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Sky
- T031 B005
- B712 at 600 ft, 39 nm southeast, 9:06 pm EDT (01:06 UTC): overcast. 125 nm along the route, 39 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
LEX UA /OV KLEX/TM 0106/FL006/TP B712/SK OVC B006
- Report
- a routine report filed through LEX
- Where
- over KLEX
- Time
- 01:06 UTC
- Height
- at 600 ft
- Aircraft
- B712
- Sky
- overcast B006
- B38M at 21,000 ft, 9 nm southeast, 9:09 pm EDT (01:09 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. At the destination end, 9 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
SDF UA /OV IIU/TM 0109/FL210/TP B38M/TB NEG/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through SDF
- Where
- over IIU
- Time
- 01:09 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
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 3 forecast points nearest it (CMH, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 340° at 22 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 1 h 19 min | 12:46 am EDT (04:46 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 350° at 29 kt | −11 kt | 14 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 15 min | 12:42 am EDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 350° at 31 kt | −12 kt | 11 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 15 min | 12:42 am EDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 350° at 29 kt | −12 kt | 6 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 15 min | 12:42 am EDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 350° at 28 kt | −11 kt | 2 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 15 min | 12:42 am EDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 340° at 29 kt | −9 kt | -1 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 16 min | 12:43 am EDT (04:43 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 340° at 30 kt | −7 kt | -5 °C | 127 kt | 1 h 17 min | 12:44 am EDT (04:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 31 kt | −5 kt | -8 °C | 125 kt | 1 h 19 min | 12:46 am EDT (04:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 45 kt | −13 kt | -20 °C | 133 kt | 1 h 14 min | 12:41 am EDT (04:41 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 58 kt | −15 kt | -35 °C | 135 kt | 1 h 13 min | 12:40 am EDT (04:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 71 kt | −8 kt | -41 °C | 128 kt | 1 h 17 min | 12:44 am EDT (04:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 42 kt | −4 kt | -48 °C | 124 kt | 1 h 19 min | 12:46 am EDT (04:46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMH | used from 0 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| CVG | used from 48 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| LOU | used from 145 nm out; 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCK Columbus, OH | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 743 ft | 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC) |
| RZT Chillicothe, OH | 19 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,100 feet | from the northwest (310°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 2,100 ft | 725 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 48 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: mist | from the west-northwest (290°) at 7 knots | 6 mi | 1,000 ft | 1,076 ft | 03:21 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 96 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,900 feet, scattered clouds at 3,200 feet | from the west (280°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 896 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| IMS Madison, IN | 135 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 819 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 10:56 pm EDT (02:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,076 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, 12:40 am EDT (04:40 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 LCK, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility 3 miles, mist, a broken layer at 800 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
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 7 nm from the route, 96 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at LCK 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 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: Rickenbacker International, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.