Plan a flight · Mon 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC)

Lincoln Airport to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field LNK → MSN

358 nautical miles (412 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 065°, about 062° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 52-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:43 am CDT (13:43 UTC). Right now LNK is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 14 knots, gusting to 20; MSN is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 7 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: 7 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 2W: 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 269 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

B739 at 34,000 ft, 46 nm east, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through UES
Where
over BAE
Time
10:58 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (OMA, DSM, DBQ). 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	240° at 36 kt	−36 kt		156 kt	2 h 18 min	8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC)
5,500 ft	250° at 28 kt	−28 kt		148 kt	2 h 25 min	9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC)
7,500 ft	250° at 24 kt	−24 kt	15 °C	144 kt	2 h 29 min	9:07 am CDT (14:07 UTC)
9,500 ft	240° at 24 kt	−24 kt	10 °C	144 kt	2 h 29 min	9:07 am CDT (14:07 UTC)
11,500 ft	240° at 27 kt	−27 kt	6 °C	147 kt	2 h 26 min	9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC)
13,500 ft	250° at 28 kt	−28 kt	2 °C	148 kt	2 h 25 min	9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC)
15,500 ft	250° at 27 kt	−27 kt	-3 °C	147 kt	2 h 26 min	9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC)
17,500 ft	260° at 27 kt	−27 kt	-8 °C	147 kt	2 h 26 min	9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	260° at 27 kt	−27 kt	-9 °C	147 kt	2 h 26 min	9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 38 kt	−36 kt	-21 °C	156 kt	2 h 18 min	8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	260° at 44 kt	−42 kt	-35 °C	162 kt	2 h 13 min	8:51 am CDT (13:51 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	270° at 55 kt	−50 kt	-38 °C	170 kt	2 h 06 min	8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	280° at 62 kt	−52 kt	-47 °C	172 kt	2 h 05 min	8:43 am CDT (13:43 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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; 24 nm from the line	230/47	240/33 21°	230/22 13°	220/27 5°	240/35 -8°	250/43 -21°	260/47 -33°	260/59 -36°	270/58 -46°
DSM	used from 100 nm out; 28 nm from the line	250/47	260/25 20°	240/19 11°	240/31 5°	250/26 -9°	260/38 -20°	260/47 -34°	270/58 -37°	270/61 -47°
DBQ	used from 199 nm out; 65 nm from the line	250/27	260/23 17°	240/26 10°	260/30 4°	280/26 -9°	280/36 -21°	270/41 -36°	280/52 -41°	290/67 -48°

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	VFR	from the south (190°) at 14 knots, gusting to 20	10+ mi	none	1,218 ft	5:54 am CDT (10:54 UTC)
MLE Omaha, NE	40 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	1,050 ft	11:15 UTC
OMA Omaha, NE	50 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 11 knots	10+ mi	none	984 ft	10:52 UTC
GCT Guthrie Center, IA	119 nm out, 4 nm west of the line	no report just now				1,220 ft
DSM Des Moines, IA	149 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet, a broken layer at 19,000 feet	from the south (190°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	11,000 ft	957 ft	10:54 UTC
ALO Waterloo, IA	219 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (170°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	873 ft	10:54 UTC
IIB Independence, IA	239 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south (190°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	979 ft	11:15 UTC
DBQ Dubuque, IA	289 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	1,076 ft	10:53 UTC
MRJ Mineral Point, WI	319 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line	no report just now				1,170 ft
MSN Madison, WI	destination	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 22,000 feet	from the south (190°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	22,000 ft	886 ft	5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,220 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MSN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:43 am CDT (13:43 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MSN

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for LNK, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 28, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 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 LNK 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 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

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Lincoln Airport, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.