Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Buffalo Niagara International MEM → BUF
706 nautical miles (813 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 044°, about 045° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:23 am EDT (12:23 UTC). Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 6 knots; BUF is VFR, wind from the south (170°) 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: 462 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 route from 169 to 567 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 666 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 MEM.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- MD83 climbing, 23 nm southeast, 12:04 am CDT (05:04 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 438 nm along the route, 23 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CMH UA /OV LCK/TM 0504/FLDURC/TP MD83/SK B010 T037
- Report
- a routine report filed through CMH
- Where
- over LCK
- Time
- 05:04 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- MD83
- Sky
- B010 T037
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 8 forecast points nearest it (MEM, BNA, EVV, LOU, CVG, CMH, CLE, BUF). 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 | 310° at 12 kt | −2 kt | 122 kt | 5 h 47 min | 8:23 am EDT (12:23 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 330° at 15 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 6 h 05 min | 8:41 am EDT (12:41 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 340° at 18 kt | +6 kt | 12 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 340° at 19 kt | +6 kt | 8 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 340° at 19 kt | +7 kt | 5 °C | 113 kt | 6 h 15 min | 8:51 am EDT (12:51 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 340° at 21 kt | +7 kt | 1 °C | 113 kt | 6 h 15 min | 8:51 am EDT (12:51 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 23 kt | +6 kt | -3 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | +6 kt | -7 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 12 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 26 kt | +5 kt | -8 °C | 115 kt | 6 h 08 min | 8:44 am EDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 36 kt | +9 kt | -20 °C | 111 kt | 6 h 22 min | 8:58 am EDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 47 kt | +11 kt | -35 °C | 109 kt | 6 h 29 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 57 kt | +5 kt | -42 °C | 115 kt | 6 h 08 min | 8:44 am EDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 48 kt | +8 kt | -50 °C | 112 kt | 6 h 18 min | 8:54 am EDT (12:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| BNA | used from 99 nm out; 76 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° |
| EVV | used from 149 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| LOU | used from 249 nm out; 12 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° |
| CVG | used from 298 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| CMH | used from 398 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| CLE | used from 497 nm out; 25 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° |
| BUF | used from 646 nm out; 35 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis, TN | departure | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
| NQA Millington, TN | 20 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 322 ft | 23:50 UTC |
| PHT Paris, TN | 109 nm out, 0 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 580 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 209 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 407 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 278 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Weather: mist | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | none | 500 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 348 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 200 feet Weather: mist | calm | 6 mi | none | 896 ft | 06:30 UTC |
| LUK Cincinnati, OH | 358 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 481 ft | 06:28 UTC |
| OSU Columbus, OH | 448 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: mist | from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | 1,000 ft | 905 ft | 06:13 UTC |
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 497 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 300 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: mist | from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots | 5 mi | 300 ft | 1,297 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| ERI Erie, PA | 627 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 3,000 feet | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,000 ft | 732 ft | 00:51 UTC |
| DKK Dunkirk, NY | 666 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 9,500 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 9,500 ft | 692 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| BUF Buffalo, NY | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 12,000 feet, a broken layer at 14,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 14,000 ft | 726 ft | 1:54 am EDT (05:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,297 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BUF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:23 am EDT (12:23 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for BUF
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for MEM, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (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
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 348 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 557 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, 567 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8888 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 577 nm along the route · security · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, Buffalo Niagara International.