Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to James M Cox Dayton International MEM → DAY
400 nautical miles (461 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 042°, about 043° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 09 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 7-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 6 knots; DAY is marginal VFR, wind from the west-northwest (290°) at 7 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: 503 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 225 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 MEM.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (MEM, CGI, EVV, LOU, CVG). 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 | 280° at 14 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 3 h 09 min | 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 15 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 3 h 18 min | 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +2 kt | 13 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 23 min | 5:56 am EDT (09:56 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | +4 kt | 10 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 27 min | 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | +6 kt | 6 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 31 min | 6:04 am EDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | +5 kt | 2 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 29 min | 6:02 am EDT (10:02 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +3 kt | -2 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 25 min | 5:58 am EDT (09:58 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | +2 kt | -5 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 23 min | 5:56 am EDT (09:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 22 kt | +1 kt | -6 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 22 min | 5:55 am EDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 30 kt | +5 kt | -19 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 29 min | 6:02 am EDT (10:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 43 kt | +7 kt | -33 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 32 min | 6:05 am EDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 55 kt | +4 kt | -41 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 27 min | 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 45 kt | +3 kt | -50 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 25 min | 5:58 am EDT (09:58 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; 24 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° |
| CGI | used from 98 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| EVV | used from 146 nm out; 54 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 244 nm out; 26 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 293 nm out; 38 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° |
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, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 322 ft | 23:50 UTC |
| MKL Jackson, TN | 59 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 434 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| PHT Paris, TN | 107 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 580 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| CEY Murray, KY | 127 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 577 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| HVC Hopkinsville, KY | 166 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | IFR Weather: mist | calm | 2 mi | none | 563 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 215 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 407 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 273 nm out, 23 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 |
| LOU Louisville, KY | 283 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line, tower | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 545 ft | 06:08 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 351 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (260°) at 4 knots | 7 mi | none | 896 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| OXD Oxford, OH | 361 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the west-southwest (240°) at 3 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 1,040 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| DAY Dayton, OH | destination | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 1,009 ft | 1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,040 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DAY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC)
Wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet IFR
The whole forecast for DAY
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 3 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 17 nm from the route, 351 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at DAY 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm EDT (23:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DAY is before sunrise there (7:43 am EDT (11:43 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, James M Cox Dayton International.