Lancaster Airport to Houghton County Memorial LNS → CMX
677 nautical miles (779 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 313°, about 322° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 10:21 am EDT (14:21 UTC). Right now LNS is marginal VFR, wind from the north (010°) at 9 knots; CMX is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 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: 1 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, fog). Over the first 408 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 0 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 30 to 169 nm out.
- 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 route from 438 to 557 nm out.
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 LNS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- C560 at 13,000 ft, 32 nm east, 2:38 am EDT (06:38 UTC): moderate turbulence, overcast above 19,000 ft, heavy rain, remarks: during the descent. At the departure end, 32 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
PHL UA /OV 20 NW PHL/TM 0638/FL130 /TP C560/SK OVC190/WX +RA/TB MOD/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through PHL
- Where
- 20 northwest phl
- Time
- 06:38 UTC
- Height
- at 13,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C560
- Sky
- overcast from 19,000 ft
- Weather
- heavy rain
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- during the descent
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 5 forecast points nearest it (PSB, BUF, CLE, TVC, GRB). 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 | 290° at 14 kt | +14 kt | 13 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 23 min | 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | +14 kt | 12 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 23 min | 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 9 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 20 min | 10:28 am EDT (14:28 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | +12 kt | 5 °C | 108 kt | 6 h 16 min | 10:24 am EDT (14:24 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 290° at 12 kt | +11 kt | 2 °C | 109 kt | 6 h 13 min | 10:21 am EDT (14:21 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | +15 kt | -3 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 27 min | 10:35 am EDT (14:35 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | +18 kt | -7 °C | 102 kt | 6 h 38 min | 10:46 am EDT (14:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 20 kt | +21 kt | -10 °C | 99 kt | 6 h 50 min | 10:58 am EDT (14:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -22 °C | 94 kt | 7 h 12 min | 11:20 am EDT (15:20 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | +38 kt | -37 °C | 82 kt | 8 h 15 min | 12:23 pm EDT (16:23 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 42 kt | +41 kt | -44 °C | 79 kt | 8 h 34 min | 12:42 pm EDT (16:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 57 kt | +54 kt | -52 °C | 66 kt | 10 h 15 min | 2:23 pm EDT (18:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSB | used from 0 nm out; 70 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° | |
| BUF | used from 149 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
| CLE | used from 299 nm out; 135 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -49° |
| TVC | used from 348 nm out; 130 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| GRB | used from 597 nm out; 134 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LNS Lancaster, PA | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the north (010°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 402 ft | 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC) |
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | 20 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 310 ft | 07:56 UTC |
| UNV State College, PA | 80 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet Weather: mist | from the south (170°) at 1 knots | 0.75 mi | 1,100 ft | 1,231 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| JHW Jamestown, NY | 179 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,700 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,723 ft | 07:56 UTC |
| CYQS St Thomas, | 269 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 776 ft | ||||
| APN Alpena, MI | 438 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | none | 689 ft | 08:00 UTC |
| SJX Beaver Island, MI | 527 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 669 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| SAW Marquette, MI | 607 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,204 ft | 07:58 UTC |
| CMX Hancock, MI | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,095 ft | 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,723 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CMX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:21 am EDT (14:21 UTC)
Wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 800 feet IFR
The whole forecast for CMX
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm EDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 500 feet
The forecast for LNS, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,900 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8771 NW NEGAUNEE, MI, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 627 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZMP
- 6/8665 9NM E HERMAN, MI, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 14 nm from the route, 647 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at LNS 6:30 pm EDT (22:30 UTC), at CMX 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:43 pm EDT (23:43 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: Lancaster Airport, Houghton County Memorial.