Lincoln Airport to Tucson International LNK → TUS
860 nautical miles (990 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 237°, about 234° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 29-knot headwind), arriving about 11:07 am MST (18:07 UTC). Right now LNK is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 12 knots; TUS is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 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: 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
- 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 297 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 376 to 722 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 396 to 712 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 821 nm along 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
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 08:00–15:00 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 (GRI, GLD, GCK, PUB, ALS, ABQ, TUS). 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 | 230° at 31 kt | +31 kt | 20 °C | 89 kt | 9 h 40 min | 11:20 am MST (18:20 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | +32 kt | 19 °C | 88 kt | 9 h 46 min | 11:26 am MST (18:26 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +29 kt | 12 °C | 91 kt | 9 h 27 min | 11:07 am MST (18:07 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | +32 kt | 8 °C | 88 kt | 9 h 46 min | 11:26 am MST (18:26 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 35 kt | +35 kt | 4 °C | 85 kt | 10 h 07 min | 11:47 am MST (18:47 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 38 kt | +38 kt | 0 °C | 82 kt | 10 h 29 min | 12:09 pm MST (19:09 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 42 kt | +42 kt | -4 °C | 78 kt | 11 h 02 min | 12:42 pm MST (19:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 44 kt | +44 kt | -8 °C | 76 kt | 11 h 19 min | 12:59 pm MST (19:59 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 55 kt | +55 kt | -20 °C | 65 kt | 13 h 14 min | 2:54 pm MST (21:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 73 kt | +73 kt | -28 °C | 47 kt | 18 h 18 min | 7:58 pm MST (02:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 76 kt | +76 kt | -36 °C | 44 kt | 19 h 33 min | 9:13 pm MST (04:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 70 kt | +69 kt | -48 °C | 51 kt | 16 h 52 min | 6:32 pm MST (01:32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRI | used from 0 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| GLD | used from 148 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| GCK | used from 198 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 240/40 22° | 240/40 14° | 240/38 7° | 230/39 -7° | 230/45 -20° | 250/73 -28° | 260/74 -36° | 260/64 -49° | |
| PUB | used from 346 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| ALS | used from 445 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 240/35 3° | 230/54 -9° | 240/66 -19° | 230/85 -26° | 240/87 -34° | 240/70 -47° | |||
| ABQ | used from 495 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 220/19 9° | 220/35 3° | 230/50 -8° | 240/64 -19° | 230/83 -26° | 230/85 -36° | 230/80 -48° | ||
| TUS | used from 742 nm out; 94 nm from the line | 200/12 13° | 200/34 7° | 210/41 4° | 230/53 -7° | 220/69 -19° | 220/84 -27° | 220/88 -36° | 220/83 -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 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,218 ft | 2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC) |
| FMZ Fairmont, NE | 40 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,636 ft | ||||
| HLC Hill City, KS | 168 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 19 knots, gusting to 30 | 10+ mi | none | 2,238 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| TQK Scott City, KS | 237 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 17 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,968 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| LAA Lamar, CO | 317 nm out, 21 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,705 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| RTN Raton, NM | 435 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,352 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| AEG Albuquerque, NM | 584 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 10,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 10,000 ft | 5,837 ft | 08:10 UTC |
| BRG Belen, NM | 603 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 5,199 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ | 762 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,797 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 781 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 feet, overcast at 9,000 feet | from the east (080°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 9,000 ft | 3,178 ft | 07:51 UTC |
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,800 feet, overcast at 6,500 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 2,643 ft | 12:53 am MST (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,352 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:07 am MST (18:07 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for TUS
- From Sun 11:00 pm MST (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am MST (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MST (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm MST (03:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
The forecast for LNK, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 27, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 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 TUS 5:53 pm MST (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:18 pm MST (01:18 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, Tucson International.