Lincoln Airport to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall LNK → BWI
927 nautical miles (1,067 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 090°, about 087° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 46-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:03 am EDT (13:03 UTC). 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: 6 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 TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 249 nm of the route.
- 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 last 479 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 728 to 867 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 110 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 LNK.
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 02:00–09:00 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 12 forecast points nearest it (OMA, DSM, BRL, SPI, JOT, IND, FWA, CMH, AGC, EKN, PSB, RIC). 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 | 250° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:11 am EDT (14:11 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 17 kt | −18 kt | 12 °C | 138 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:11 am EDT (14:11 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −17 kt | 12 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 46 min | 10:14 am EDT (14:14 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | −14 kt | 9 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 55 min | 10:23 am EDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 5 °C | 132 kt | 7 h 01 min | 10:29 am EDT (14:29 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 1 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 55 min | 10:23 am EDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | −17 kt | -3 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 46 min | 10:14 am EDT (14:14 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 20 kt | −20 kt | -7 °C | 140 kt | 6 h 37 min | 10:05 am EDT (14:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 21 kt | −21 kt | -8 °C | 141 kt | 6 h 34 min | 10:02 am EDT (14:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 27 kt | −26 kt | -20 °C | 146 kt | 6 h 21 min | 9:49 am EDT (13:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -34 °C | 151 kt | 6 h 08 min | 9:36 am EDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 46 kt | −45 kt | -41 °C | 165 kt | 5 h 37 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 48 kt | −46 kt | -49 °C | 166 kt | 5 h 35 min | 9:03 am EDT (13:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMA | used from 0 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 100 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 199 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 299 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| JOT | used from 349 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| IND | used from 449 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| FWA | used from 499 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| CMH | used from 548 nm out; 62 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° |
| AGC | used from 698 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 350/14 | 330/20 11° | 340/18 8° | 330/17 3° | 340/22 -11° | 340/31 -22° | 330/33 -36° | 300/34 -41° | 300/35 -47° |
| EKN | used from 798 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 330/21 12° | 330/25 7° | 350/22 2° | 330/24 -10° | 310/27 -21° | 320/33 -35° | 290/31 -39° | 290/34 -47° | |
| PSB | used from 847 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 360/13 13° | 330/14 7° | 300/11 3° | 290/12 -11° | 240/23 -23° | 270/25 -36° | 250/34 -40° | 250/45 -48° | |
| RIC | used from 897 nm out; 105 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LNK Lincoln, NE | departure | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| SDA Shenandoah, IA | 60 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 971 ft | ||||
| TVK Centerville, IA | 179 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| BRL Burlington, IA | 259 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 698 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 319 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 660 ft | ||||
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 449 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 605 ft | ||||
| MIE Muncie, IN | 518 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 937 ft | ||||
| OSU Columbus, OH | 628 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 905 ft | ||||
| HLG Wheeling, WV | 738 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| MGW Morgantown, WV | 778 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,243 ft | ||||
| MRB Martinsburg, WV | 867 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 564 ft | ||||
| BWI Baltimore, MD | destination | no report just now | 143 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,243 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BWI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:03 am EDT (13:03 UTC)
BWI has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at LNK 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC), at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 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: Lincoln Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall.