Blue Grass Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International LEX → MSY
559 nautical miles (643 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 212°, about 216° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 26-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:42 am CDT (09:42 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LEX is low IFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots; MSY is VFR, wind calm. 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: 5 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 first 219 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 LEX.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (LOU, BNA, HSV, BHM, JAN, MOB, MSY). 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 13 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 4 h 30 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 15 kt | −7 kt | 16 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 24 min | 5:16 am CDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −7 kt | 12 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 24 min | 5:16 am CDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | −9 kt | 8 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 20 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 18 kt | −10 kt | 4 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 18 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | −9 kt | 1 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 20 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −8 kt | -3 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 22 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 21 kt | −7 kt | -6 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 24 min | 5:16 am CDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 27 kt | −13 kt | -17 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 12 min | 5:04 am CDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 46 kt | −20 kt | -32 °C | 140 kt | 4 h | 4:52 am CDT (09:52 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 54 kt | −24 kt | -41 °C | 144 kt | 3 h 53 min | 4:45 am CDT (09:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 340° at 42 kt | −26 kt | -51 °C | 146 kt | 3 h 50 min | 4:42 am CDT (09:42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOU | used from 0 nm out; 49 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° |
| BNA | used from 100 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| HSV | used from 199 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| BHM | used from 299 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| JAN | used from 349 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| MOB | used from 449 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 330/5 | 330/6 19° | 340/6 11° | 330/10 7° | 320/16 -5° | 310/26 -16° | 340/40 -32° | 340/47 -42° | 350/51 -52° |
| MSY | used from 499 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 110/5 | 150/6 19° | L/V 12° | 310/5 7° | 310/13 -4° | 290/20 -16° | 330/36 -31° | 330/37 -41° | 350/43 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEX Lexington, KY | departure | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 979 ft | 1:25 am EDT (05:25 UTC) |
| AAS Campbellsville, KY | 50 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 921 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 90 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| MQY Smyrna, TN | 150 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower | reported, no category | calm | none | 543 ft | 05:16 UTC | |
| SYI Shelbyville, TN | 170 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 500 feet Weather: mist | calm | 0.75 mi | 500 ft | 799 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 229 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (090°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 319 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 5 mi | none | 169 ft | 05:03 UTC |
| AIV Aliceville, AL | 339 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 150 ft | ||||
| MEI Meridian, MS | 399 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 297 ft | 04:58 UTC |
| PIB Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS | 459 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 297 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| HDC Hammond, LA | 539 nm out, 23 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 46 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| MSY New Orleans, LA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 3 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,036 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:42 am CDT (09:42 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MSY
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LEX, the departure
- 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
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 LEX 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC), at MSY 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm CDT (23:57 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSY is before sunrise there (7:00 am CDT (12:00 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: Blue Grass Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International.