The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:35 pm CDT (02:35 UTC)

Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Duluth International MEM → DLH

715 nautical miles (823 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 353°, about 354° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:10 am CDT (08:10 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 4 knots; DLH is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 6 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 return flight

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 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). Near the route, 497 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

  • BCS3 at 35,000 ft, 40 nm east, 7:13 pm CDT (00:13 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME33. 50 nm along the route, 40 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DYR UA /OV DYR/TM 0013/FL350/TP BCS3/TB NEG/RM ZME33
    Report
    a routine report filed through DYR
    Where
    over DYR
    Time
    00:13 UTC
    Height
    at 35,000 ft
    Aircraft
    BCS3
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    ZME33
  • UAL2499 at 28,000 ft, 23 nm west, 9:15 pm CDT (02:15 UTC): light chop turbulence. 407 nm along the route, 23 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    ARP UAL2499 4138N 09137W 0215 F280 TB INTMT LGT CHOP IC
    Report
    a routine report filed through ARP
  • PC12 at 20,000 ft, 48 nm west, 6:55 pm CDT (23:55 UTC): light rime icing, -13 °C. At the destination end, 48 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    GPZ UA /OV GPZ160020/TM 2355/FL200/TP PC12/SK TOP200/TA M13/IC LGT RIME
    Report
    a routine report filed through GPZ
    Where
    20 nm south (160°) of GPZ
    Time
    23:55 UTC
    Height
    at 20,000 ft
    Aircraft
    PC12
    Sky
    TOP200
    Temperature
    −13 °C
    Icing
    light rime

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 8 forecast points nearest it (MEM, CGI, STL, BRL, DBQ, LSE, MSP, DLH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft240° at 22 kt−8 kt128 kt5 h 35 min3:10 am CDT (08:10 UTC)
6,500 ft250° at 22 kt−5 kt15 °C125 kt5 h 43 min3:18 am CDT (08:18 UTC)
8,500 ft260° at 18 kt−1 kt11 °C121 kt5 h 55 min3:30 am CDT (08:30 UTC)
10,500 ft270° at 17 kt+1 kt8 °C119 kt6 h 01 min3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC)
12,500 ft270° at 17 kt+1 kt4 °C119 kt6 h 01 min3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC)
14,500 ft270° at 19 kt+2 kt0 °C118 kt6 h 04 min3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)
16,500 ft270° at 22 kt+2 kt-4 °C118 kt6 h 04 min3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180270° at 24 kt+2 kt-7 °C118 kt6 h 04 min3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240270° at 29 kt+2 kt-20 °C118 kt6 h 04 min3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300270° at 35 kt+5 kt-33 °C115 kt6 h 13 min3:48 am CDT (08:48 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340280° at 44 kt+12 kt-42 °C108 kt6 h 37 min4:12 am CDT (09:12 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390280° at 55 kt+19 kt-52 °C101 kt7 h 05 min4:40 am CDT (09:40 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MEMused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line230/19260/16 15°270/17 12°300/13 6°300/15 -5°300/26 -18°300/34 -32°300/41 -40°310/46 -52°
CGIused from 50 nm out; 64 nm from the line240/20270/15 15°280/15 11°300/13 6°290/20 -6°280/24 -18°300/34 -32°300/47 -41°310/49 -51°
STLused from 149 nm out; 50 nm from the line250/24250/24 16°260/23 9°270/16 6°260/25 -6°270/29 -19°290/34 -33°290/48 -41°290/54 -51°
BRLused from 298 nm out; 27 nm from the line230/24240/29 15°290/16 10°280/15 4°260/23 -7°260/32 -19°260/36 -33°280/48 -41°280/59 -52°
DBQused from 397 nm out; 32 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°
LSEused from 497 nm out; 18 nm from the line230/40240/24 17°240/13 10°250/13 6°280/22 -9°250/28 -21°250/41 -34°260/42 -44°270/62 -53°
MSPused from 596 nm out; 63 nm from the line230/26240/30 17°240/24 12°250/22 5°250/35 -10°260/36 -21°250/41 -36°250/49 -45°260/58 -52°
DLHused from 646 nm out; 45 nm from the line080/28240/21 15°250/26 9°250/32 3°260/42 -11°270/40 -21°260/43 -36°260/46 -46°260/65 -54°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
MEM Memphis, TN departure VFR from the south (180°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 340 ft 8:54 pm CDT (01:54 UTC)
NQA Millington, TN 20 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 322 ft 23:50 UTC
POF Poplar Bluff, MO 109 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 330 ft 01:53 UTC
CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL 209 nm out, 19 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 412 ft 01:53 UTC
SUS St Louis, MO 219 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 463 ft 01:54 UTC
BRL Burlington, IA 348 nm out, 8 nm west of the line VFR from the south (170°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 698 ft 01:53 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 417 nm out, 24 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 869 ft 00:52 UTC
DBQ Dubuque, IA 447 nm out, 25 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 1,076 ft 01:53 UTC
LSE La Crosse, WI 537 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 655 ft 01:53 UTC
EAU Eau Claire, WI 596 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 913 ft 01:56 UTC
SSQ Shell Lake, WI 646 nm out, 2 nm north of the line no report just now 1,233 ft
DLH Duluth, MN destination VFR Sky: a broken layer at 12,000 feet from the north (350°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 12,000 ft 1,427 ft 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,427 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DLH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:10 am CDT (08:10 UTC)

Wind from the east at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for DLH
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the east at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the east at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 400 feet
The forecast for MEM, the departure
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest 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 9 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, a few clouds at 10,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at DLH 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DLH is before sunrise there (7:22 am CDT (12:22 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

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, Duluth International.