Manistee County/Blacker to Smyrna Airport MBL → MQY
496 nautical miles (571 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 182°, about 188° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 57 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:32 am CDT (06:32 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MBL is VFR, wind from the east (090°) 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: 13 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 last 387 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 MBL.
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 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 (MKG, FWA, IND, LOU, BNA). 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 | 300° at 17 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 3 h 51 min | 2:26 am CDT (07:26 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −13 kt | 15 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 44 min | 2:19 am CDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −15 kt | 11 °C | 135 kt | 3 h 40 min | 2:15 am CDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 16 kt | −13 kt | 6 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 44 min | 2:19 am CDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 14 kt | −12 kt | 2 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 45 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −14 kt | -1 °C | 134 kt | 3 h 42 min | 2:17 am CDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −15 kt | -4 °C | 135 kt | 3 h 40 min | 2:15 am CDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 25 kt | −16 kt | -8 °C | 136 kt | 3 h 39 min | 2:14 am CDT (07:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 31 kt | −24 kt | -19 °C | 144 kt | 3 h 27 min | 2:02 am CDT (07:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 49 kt | −41 kt | -34 °C | 161 kt | 3 h 05 min | 1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 62 kt | −48 kt | -43 °C | 168 kt | 2 h 57 min | 1:32 am CDT (06:32 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 59 kt | −45 kt | -51 °C | 165 kt | 3 h | 1:35 am CDT (06:35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKG | used from 0 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
| FWA | used from 149 nm out; 58 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° |
| IND | used from 199 nm out; 50 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° |
| LOU | used from 347 nm out; 39 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 397 nm out; 68 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBL Manistee, MI | departure | VFR | from the east (090°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 621 ft | 10:56 pm EDT (02:56 UTC) |
| LDM Ludington, MI | 20 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 646 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| MKG Muskegon, MI | 69 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| BEH Benton Harbor, MI | 129 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | VFR Weather: mist | calm | 6 mi | none | 649 ft | 03:29 UTC |
| SBN South Bend, IN | 159 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 798 ft | 03:27 UTC |
| GUS Peru, IN | 218 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 810 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 278 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 796 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 308 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: mist | calm | 0.75 mi | 200 ft | 845 ft | 03:23 UTC |
| TEL Tell City, IN | 377 nm out, 11 nm west of the line | no report just now | 659 ft | ||||
| BWG Bowling Green, KY | 437 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 547 ft | 03:01 UTC |
| XNX Gallatin, TN | 476 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | IFR Sky: scattered clouds at 100 feet Weather: mist | calm | 1 mi | none | 583 ft | 03:10 UTC |
| MQY Smyrna, TN | destination | reported, no category | calm | none | 543 ft | 10:26 pm CDT (03:26 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 845 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MQY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:32 am CDT (06:32 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MQY
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, patches of fog, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for MBL, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at MBL 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC), at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MQY is before sunrise there (6:50 am CDT (11:50 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: Manistee County/Blacker, Smyrna Airport.