MC Allen International to Rickenbacker International MFE → LCK
1,121 nautical miles (1,290 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 039°, about 035° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 8-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:59 am EDT (13:59 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 last 288 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 MFE.
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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (BRO, CRP, PSX, HOU, LCH, SHV, JAN, MEM, BNA, LOU, CVG, CMH). 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 | 220° at 7 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 8 h 45 min | 9:59 am EDT (13:59 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 5 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 8 h 58 min | 10:12 am EDT (14:12 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 7 kt | −4 kt | 15 °C | 124 kt | 9 h 02 min | 10:16 am EDT (14:16 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 290° at 9 kt | −4 kt | 11 °C | 124 kt | 9 h 02 min | 10:16 am EDT (14:16 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 9 kt | −1 kt | 7 °C | 121 kt | 9 h 16 min | 10:30 am EDT (14:30 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 11 kt | 0 | 4 °C | 120 kt | 9 h 20 min | 10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | 0 | 0 °C | 120 kt | 9 h 20 min | 10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −1 kt | -4 °C | 121 kt | 9 h 16 min | 10:30 am EDT (14:30 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 14 kt | −1 kt | -5 °C | 121 kt | 9 h 16 min | 10:30 am EDT (14:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 18 kt | 0 | -16 °C | 120 kt | 9 h 20 min | 10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 33 kt | +5 kt | -31 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 45 min | 10:59 am EDT (14:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 38 kt | +3 kt | -40 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 35 min | 10:49 am EDT (14:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 33 kt | +7 kt | -51 °C | 113 kt | 9 h 55 min | 11:09 am EDT (15:09 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRO | used from 0 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 150/22 | 160/18 18° | 160/13 14° | 150/9 10° | 050/5 -3° | L/V -15° | 100/13 -29° | 120/15 -40° | 080/9 -52° |
| CRP | used from 50 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 150/24 | 180/19 19° | 190/13 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/5 -4° | 170/6 -14° | 360/6 -29° | L/V -40° | 350/18 -52° |
| PSX | used from 149 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 160/24 | 160/23 19° | 180/14 15° | 210/11 9° | 240/8 -4° | 250/8 -13° | 320/14 -29° | 300/16 -40° | 340/17 -51° |
| HOU | used from 198 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 160/22 | 150/27 19° | 180/16 14° | 250/7 9° | 270/10 -5° | 270/16 -13° | 310/23 -29° | 310/26 -40° | 330/20 -52° |
| LCH | used from 298 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 160/21 | 160/18 18° | 180/13 12° | 230/6 8° | 280/10 -4° | 260/13 -14° | 310/29 -30° | 320/32 -40° | 330/33 -53° |
| SHV | used from 397 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| JAN | used from 496 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| MEM | used from 595 nm out; 68 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 744 nm out; 81 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° |
| LOU | used from 893 nm out; 49 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 992 nm out; 25 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 1092 nm out; 25 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFE Mc Allen, TX | departure | no report just now | 107 ft | ||||
| HRL Harlingen, TX | 20 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 36 ft | ||||
| BYY Bay City, TX | 208 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 44 ft | ||||
| EFD Houston, TX | 258 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 32 ft | ||||
| IER Natchitoches, LA | 427 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 121 ft | ||||
| MLU Monroe, LA | 496 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 78 ft | ||||
| GLH Greenville, MS | 576 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 130 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | 744 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 434 ft | ||||
| CKV Clarksville, TN | 834 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 549 ft | ||||
| SDF Louisville, KY | 963 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 500 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 1072 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| LCK Columbus, OH | destination | no report just now | 743 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,076 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LCK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:59 am EDT (13:59 UTC)
LCK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 16 nm from the route, 1032 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at MFE 7:07 pm CDT (00:07 UTC), at LCK 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 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: MC Allen International, Rickenbacker International.