Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Wilmington International MEM → ILM
598 nautical miles (688 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 091°, about 092° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 29-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:24 am EDT (15:24 UTC). 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 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 229 to 289 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 269 to 289 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 279 to 369 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 279 to 369 nm out.
- 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, 428 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the last 20 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
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 7 forecast points nearest it (MEM, HSV, TYS, GSP, CAE, FLO, ILM). 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 17 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:53 am EDT (15:53 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 16 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 4 h 34 min | 11:57 am EDT (15:57 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −13 kt | 12 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:53 am EDT (15:53 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −15 kt | 9 °C | 135 kt | 4 h 26 min | 11:49 am EDT (15:49 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | −17 kt | 6 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 22 min | 11:45 am EDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 24 kt | −18 kt | 2 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 20 min | 11:43 am EDT (15:43 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | −19 kt | -2 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 18 min | 11:41 am EDT (15:41 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 27 kt | −20 kt | -5 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 16 min | 11:39 am EDT (15:39 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 27 kt | −21 kt | -6 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 14 min | 11:37 am EDT (15:37 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 27 kt | −22 kt | -18 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 13 min | 11:36 am EDT (15:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 37 kt | −28 kt | -32 °C | 148 kt | 4 h 02 min | 11:25 am EDT (15:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 41 kt | −29 kt | -40 °C | 149 kt | 4 h 01 min | 11:24 am EDT (15:24 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 35 kt | −26 kt | -50 °C | 146 kt | 4 h 06 min | 11:29 am EDT (15:29 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| HSV | used from 100 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| TYS | used from 249 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 330/16 | 350/32 14° | 350/37 9° | 340/30 5° | 330/28 -6° | 340/36 -19° | 330/40 -33° | 330/51 -41° | 330/36 -51° |
| GSP | used from 299 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 340/30 | 360/24 13° | 350/29 10° | 340/33 6° | 340/40 -7° | 350/44 -19° | 340/59 -31° | 350/55 -41° | 300/29 -50° |
| CAE | used from 398 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 340/17 | 330/15 12° | 320/22 9° | 320/31 5° | 330/35 -7° | 320/33 -19° | 340/40 -32° | 350/43 -39° | 320/35 -49° |
| FLO | used from 448 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 330/17 | 330/17 12° | 320/21 9° | 310/29 4° | 310/36 -8° | 300/36 -19° | 290/34 -32° | 300/29 -40° | 310/34 -48° |
| ILM | used from 548 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/18 | 300/22 13° | 300/21 8° | 290/28 4° | 280/38 -7° | 270/40 -18° | 250/49 -32° | 250/50 -40° | 270/33 -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 | no report just now | 340 ft | ||||
| FYE Somerville, TN | 30 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | no report just now | 435 ft | ||||
| CRX Corinth, MS | 70 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 425 ft | ||||
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 159 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 628 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 239 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 682 ft | ||||
| DNN Dalton, GA | 249 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | no report just now | 709 ft | ||||
| CEU Clemson, SC | 349 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 890 ft | ||||
| GYH Greenville, SC | 379 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 955 ft | ||||
| LKR Lancaster, SC | 448 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 485 ft | ||||
| FLO Florence, SC | 508 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 146 ft | ||||
| CPC Whiteville, NC | 558 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 99 ft | ||||
| ILM Wilmington, NC | destination | no report just now | 31 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 955 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ILM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:24 am EDT (15:24 UTC)
ILM has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8713 Maxton, NC, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 518 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 20 nm from the route, 558 nm along the route · security · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at ILM 6:41 pm EDT (22:41 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, Wilmington International.