MC Grath Airport to Fairbanks International MCG → FAI
233 nautical miles (268 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 058°, about 046° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 28-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:27 pm AKDT (07:27 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MCG is marginal VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots; FAI is IFR, wind from the south (190°) at 3 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: 130 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 MCG.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- BE20 at 1,200 ft, 2 nm southwest, 7:42 pm AKDT (03:42 UTC): remarks: on final runway 20R ais 2SM fai atct akfss. At the destination end, 2 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAI UA /OV PAFA200002 /TM 0342 /FL012 /TP BE20 /RM ON FINAL RWY 20R AIS 2SM FAI ATCT AKFSS
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAI
- Where
- 2 nm south (200°) of PAFA
- Time
- 03:42 UTC
- Height
- at 1,200 ft
- Aircraft
- BE20
- Remarks
- on final runway 20R ais 2SM fai atct akfss
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 3 forecast points nearest it (MCG, TKA, FAI). 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 | 220° at 9 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 10 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | −10 kt | -9 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | −10 kt | -12 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 10 kt | −10 kt | -17 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 10 kt | −9 kt | -21 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:41 pm AKDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 9 kt | −8 kt | -25 °C | 128 kt | 1 h 49 min | 11:42 pm AKDT (07:42 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 200° at 9 kt | −7 kt | -29 °C | 127 kt | 1 h 50 min | 11:43 pm AKDT (07:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 200° at 9 kt | −7 kt | -30 °C | 127 kt | 1 h 50 min | 11:43 pm AKDT (07:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 180° at 10 kt | −6 kt | -42 °C | 126 kt | 1 h 51 min | 11:44 pm AKDT (07:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 12 kt | −12 kt | -54 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 46 min | 11:39 pm AKDT (07:39 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 18 kt | −18 kt | -53 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 41 min | 11:34 pm AKDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 28 kt | −28 kt | -48 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 34 min | 11:27 pm AKDT (07:27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCG | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 200/13 | 180/18 -6° | 180/20 -12° | 190/20 -19° | 190/18 -30° | 170/22 -41° | 190/22 -55° | 220/20 -53° | 230/27 -48° |
| TKA | used from 97 nm out; 108 nm from the line | 190/6 | 200/10 -7° | 240/6 -11° | 240/7 -18° | 220/10 -31° | L/V -41° | 240/13 -54° | 230/22 -52° | 240/33 -47° |
| FAI | used from 146 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 270/11 | 280/15 -5° | 270/15 -11° | 290/10 -18° | L/V -30° | 230/6 -43° | 300/15 -54° | 280/18 -53° | 240/26 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCG Mc Grath, AK | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 1,300 ft | 342 ft | 9:32 pm AKDT (05:32 UTC) |
| FSP Nikolai, AK | 29 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,100 feet, a broken layer at 3,200 feet, overcast at 4,200 feet Weather: light rain | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 3,200 ft | 447 ft | 05:45 UTC |
| MHM Minchumina, AK | 107 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,100 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 8,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 681 ft | 05:45 UTC |
| ENN Nenana, AK | 194 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet, overcast at 7,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 367 ft | 05:24 UTC |
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | destination | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,800 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet Weather: mist | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | 800 ft | 439 ft | 9:29 pm AKDT (05:29 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 681 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:27 pm AKDT (07:27 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet IFR
The whole forecast for FAI
- From Sun 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am AKDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am AKDT (14:00 UTC) and 10:00 am AKDT (18:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
The forecast for MCG, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am AKDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 900 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm AKDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, overcast at 2,500 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3002 Clear, AK 6 nm from the route, 185 nm along the route · security · ZAN
Daylight
Sunset at MCG 7:15 pm AKDT (03:15 UTC), at FAI 6:39 pm AKDT (02:39 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm AKDT (03:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAI is after sunset there (6:43 pm AKDT (02:43 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: MC Grath Airport, Fairbanks International.