The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 6:10 am CDT (11:10 UTC)

Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to South Bend International MEM → SBN

436 nautical miles (501 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 022°, about 023° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC). Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots; SBN is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (110°) 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: 247 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

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 MEM.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • E550 at 8,700 ft, 39 nm east, 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC): clear from 8,700 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: visual conditions clear during the climb. 208 nm along the route, 39 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    EVV UA /OV EVV/TM 1030/FL087/TP E550/SK SKC/RM VMC CLR DURC
    Report
    a routine report filed through EVV
    Where
    over EVV
    Time
    10:30 UTC
    Height
    at 8,700 ft
    Aircraft
    E550
    Sky
    clear
    Remarks
    visual conditions clear during the climb
  • A21N at 31,000 ft, 3 nm northwest, 5:33 am CDT (10:33 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: during the climb. 356 nm along the route, 3 nm northwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    LAF UA /OV BVT/TM 1033/FL310/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM DURC
    Report
    a routine report filed through LAF
    Where
    over BVT
    Time
    10:33 UTC
    Height
    at 31,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A21N
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    during the climb
  • B38M at 32,000 ft, 49 nm east, 6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC): light turbulence. 366 nm along the route, 49 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    MZZ UA /OV MZZ240015/TM 1103/FL320/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT
    Report
    a routine report filed through MZZ
    Where
    15 nm southwest (240°) of MZZ
    Time
    11:03 UTC
    Height
    at 32,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B38M
    Turbulence
    continuous light

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 5 forecast points nearest it (MEM, CGI, EVV, IND, FWA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft270° at 21 kt−10 kt130 kt3 h 21 min10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC)
5,500 ft270° at 17 kt−6 kt126 kt3 h 28 min10:38 am EDT (14:38 UTC)
7,500 ft270° at 15 kt−6 kt13 °C126 kt3 h 28 min10:38 am EDT (14:38 UTC)
9,500 ft260° at 15 kt−7 kt9 °C127 kt3 h 26 min10:36 am EDT (14:36 UTC)
11,500 ft260° at 16 kt−8 kt6 °C128 kt3 h 24 min10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 19 kt−8 kt2 °C128 kt3 h 24 min10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC)
15,500 ft270° at 22 kt−7 kt-2 °C127 kt3 h 26 min10:36 am EDT (14:36 UTC)
17,500 ft280° at 26 kt−7 kt-6 °C127 kt3 h 26 min10:36 am EDT (14:36 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180280° at 27 kt−7 kt-7 °C127 kt3 h 26 min10:36 am EDT (14:36 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240280° at 31 kt−7 kt-19 °C127 kt3 h 26 min10:36 am EDT (14:36 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300290° at 37 kt−5 kt-32 °C125 kt3 h 29 min10:39 am EDT (14:39 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340300° at 52 kt+2 kt-41 °C118 kt3 h 42 min10:52 am EDT (14:52 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390300° at 54 kt+9 kt-51 °C111 kt3 h 56 min11:06 am EDT (15:06 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MEMused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line250/19260/19 17°270/20 12°270/16 6°270/21 -6°290/27 -17°300/37 -30°300/49 -40°310/40 -51°
CGIused from 49 nm out; 63 nm from the line260/22250/15 15°250/13 11°250/16 6°270/29 -7°280/30 -18°290/40 -31°290/55 -40°300/51 -51°
EVVused from 198 nm out; 40 nm from the line270/25290/17 15°260/10 8°270/16 5°280/29 -6°280/33 -19°290/38 -33°300/53 -41°310/54 -51°
INDused from 297 nm out; 51 nm from the line270/22290/19 15°270/19 8°270/18 4°290/28 -7°280/35 -20°270/37 -34°300/51 -42°300/61 -51°
FWAused from 396 nm out; 64 nm from the line270/20300/16 15°290/14 10°280/17 3°290/25 -7°280/30 -19°280/34 -35°290/48 -44°300/64 -52°

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-southwest (200°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 340 ft 5:54 am CDT (10:54 UTC)
NQA Millington, TN 20 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 322 ft 10:55 UTC
DYR Dyersburg, TN 59 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet from the south (190°) at 10 knots, gusting to 16 10+ mi none 337 ft 18:56 UTC
CIR Cairo, IL 129 nm out, 12 nm west of the line IFR calm 2 mi none 322 ft 10:55 UTC
PAH Paducah, KY 139 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR calm 8 mi none 410 ft 10:53 UTC
HSB Harrisburg, IL 178 nm out, 2 nm north of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 398 ft 10:55 UTC
OLY Olney-Noble, IL 238 nm out, 6 nm west of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 482 ft 10:50 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN 297 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 589 ft 10:53 UTC
DNV Danville, IL 327 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line no report just now 696 ft
LAF Lafayette, IN 356 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 605 ft 10:54 UTC
RWN Winamac, IN 396 nm out, 3 nm east of the line no report just now 708 ft
SBN South Bend, IN destination VFR from the east-southeast (110°) at 3 knots 9 mi none 798 ft 6:54 am EDT (10:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 798 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SBN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC)

Wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for SBN
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
  • From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
The forecast for MEM, the departure
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 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

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

Daylight

Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at SBN 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 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 now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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, South Bend International.