Plan a flight · Sun 9:13 pm CDT (02:13 UTC)

Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International MKC → CVG

462 nautical miles (532 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 087°, about 086° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 41-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MKC is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 10 knots; CVG is VFR, wind calm. 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: 4 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 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). Over the first 10 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 MKC.

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

B38M at 23,700 ft, 9 nm south, 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC): light turbulence. 334 nm along the route, 9 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV TTH190030/TM 2351/FL237/TP B38M/TB LGT
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
30 nm south (190°) of TTH
Time
23:51 UTC
Height
at 23,700 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
light
A21N at 17,000 ft, 10 nm southeast, 8:28 pm CDT (01:28 UTC): no icing, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: clear since departing KIND southbound. 384 nm along the route, 10 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV IND183045/TM 0128/FL170/TP A21N/SK SKC/IC NEG/RM CLR SINCE DEPARTING KIND SOUTHBOUND
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
45 nm south (183°) of IND
Time
01:28 UTC
Height
at 17,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Sky
clear
Icing
none
Remarks
clear since departing KIND southbound
B739 climbing, 4 nm southeast, 6:31 pm CDT (23:31 UTC): overcast. At the destination end, 4 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 2331/FLDURC/TP B739/SK B026 OVC T036
```
Report
a routine report filed through CVG
Where
5 west cvg
Time
23:31 UTC
Height
during the climb
Aircraft
B739
Sky
B026 overcast T036
B744 climbing, 8 nm north, 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC): light turbulence, overcast. At the destination end, 8 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CVG UA /OV 10 N CVG/TM 0002/FLDURC/TP B744/SK B022 OVC T036/TB LT TB SFC-036
```
Report
a routine report filed through CVG
Where
10 north cvg
Time
00:02 UTC
Height
during the climb
Aircraft
B744
Sky
B022 overcast T036
Turbulence
lt turbulence from the surface to 3,600 ft
B737 at 23,000 ft, 3 nm southwest, 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC): light turbulence. At the destination end, 3 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV CVG/TM 2351/FL230/TP B737/TB LGT
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
over CVG
Time
23:51 UTC
Height
at 23,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
light

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 (MKC, COU, STL, SPI, EVV, IND, 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	240° at 9 kt	−8 kt		128 kt	3 h 37 min	1:50 am EDT (05:50 UTC)
5,500 ft	270° at 11 kt	−11 kt		131 kt	3 h 32 min	1:45 am EDT (05:45 UTC)
7,500 ft	280° at 15 kt	−15 kt	13 °C	135 kt	3 h 25 min	1:38 am EDT (05:38 UTC)
9,500 ft	290° at 19 kt	−18 kt	9 °C	138 kt	3 h 21 min	1:34 am EDT (05:34 UTC)
11,500 ft	300° at 21 kt	−19 kt	6 °C	139 kt	3 h 19 min	1:32 am EDT (05:32 UTC)
13,500 ft	300° at 21 kt	−18 kt	2 °C	138 kt	3 h 21 min	1:34 am EDT (05:34 UTC)
15,500 ft	310° at 21 kt	−18 kt	-3 °C	138 kt	3 h 21 min	1:34 am EDT (05:34 UTC)
17,500 ft	310° at 22 kt	−17 kt	-7 °C	137 kt	3 h 22 min	1:35 am EDT (05:35 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	310° at 22 kt	−17 kt	-8 °C	137 kt	3 h 22 min	1:35 am EDT (05:35 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	320° at 26 kt	−17 kt	-19 °C	137 kt	3 h 22 min	1:35 am EDT (05:35 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	320° at 41 kt	−28 kt	-34 °C	148 kt	3 h 07 min	1:20 am EDT (05:20 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	310° at 47 kt	−35 kt	-42 °C	155 kt	2 h 59 min	1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 52 kt	−41 kt	-50 °C	161 kt	2 h 52 min	1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
MKC	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	200/28	220/30 16°	270/20 11°	280/22 7°	260/27 -6°	270/27 -18°	280/38 -32°	270/38 -40°	280/50 -52°
COU	used from 49 nm out; 42 nm from the line	210/16	220/19 15°	240/33 10°	250/29 7°	280/21 -6°	280/19 -18°	300/34 -31°	300/40 -42°	300/60 -52°
STL	used from 148 nm out; 36 nm from the line	210/13	260/16 17°	270/21 10°	280/24 5°	310/20 -7°	320/22 -18°	320/44 -33°	320/59 -43°	310/69 -51°
SPI	used from 246 nm out; 58 nm from the line	210/13	260/11 17°	270/18 10°	290/21 4°	310/20 -8°	330/25 -19°	320/49 -34°	320/60 -44°	320/59 -50°
EVV	used from 295 nm out; 68 nm from the line	310/13	340/26 16°	330/29 10°	330/32 4°	330/30 -9°	340/38 -20°	330/60 -35°	320/57 -41°	330/39 -48°
IND	used from 344 nm out; 39 nm from the line	320/10	350/30 16°	350/32 10°	350/30 4°	340/31 -10°	340/42 -21°	340/49 -37°	320/46 -41°	320/47 -47°
CVG	used from 393 nm out; 44 nm from the line	350/13	340/20 13°	340/22 8°	350/30 3°	340/30 -9°	340/38 -21°	330/37 -35°	320/38 -40°	310/35 -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
MKC Kansas City, MO	departure	VFR	from the south (170°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	none	756 ft	8:54 pm CDT (01:54 UTC)
HIG Higginsville, MO	39 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				840 ft
MHL Marshall, MO	69 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	778 ft	23:35 UTC
COU Columbia, MO	108 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	889 ft	01:54 UTC
ALN Alton/St Louis, IL	216 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	543 ft	01:50 UTC
VLA Vandalia, IL	256 nm out, 12 nm south of the line	no report just now				537 ft
MTO Mattoon/Charleston, IL	295 nm out, 18 nm north of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	722 ft	01:53 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN	334 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	589 ft	01:53 UTC
BMG Bloomington, IN	374 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower	marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 200 feet Weather: mist	calm	3 mi	none	845 ft	02:09 UTC
OVO North Vernon, IN	423 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line	no report just now				757 ft
CVG Covington, KY	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,800 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	896 ft	9:52 pm EDT (01:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 896 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CVG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC)

Wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet VFR

The whole forecast for CVG

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
From Sun 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet
From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 1 mile, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for MKC, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

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

6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 4 nm from the route, 118 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID

Daylight

Sunset at MKC 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC), at CVG 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CVG is before sunrise there (7:45 am EDT (11:45 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 upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International.