Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field to Laredo International MKC → LRD
737 nautical miles (848 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 201°, about 200° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:13 am CDT (12:13 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MKC is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23; LRD is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 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 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 259 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
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (MKC, TUL, OKC, DAL, SAT, LRD). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 200° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 95 kt | 7 h 45 min | 8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 17 °C | 100 kt | 7 h 22 min | 8:33 am CDT (13:33 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 15 kt | +15 kt | 14 °C | 105 kt | 7 h 01 min | 8:12 am CDT (13:12 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 11 °C | 108 kt | 6 h 49 min | 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | +10 kt | 7 °C | 110 kt | 6 h 42 min | 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +12 kt | 3 °C | 108 kt | 6 h 49 min | 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | +13 kt | -2 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 53 min | 8:04 am CDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 19 kt | +14 kt | -5 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 57 min | 8:08 am CDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 19 kt | +15 kt | -15 °C | 105 kt | 7 h 01 min | 8:12 am CDT (13:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 28 kt | +12 kt | -29 °C | 108 kt | 6 h 49 min | 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 29 kt | +10 kt | -39 °C | 110 kt | 6 h 42 min | 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 32 kt | −2 kt | -51 °C | 122 kt | 6 h 02 min | 7:13 am CDT (12:13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKC | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| TUL | used from 100 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 210/37 | 240/29 17° | 260/15 14° | 260/11 7° | 240/22 -6° | 250/29 -16° | 270/45 -29° | 270/47 -40° | 280/44 -50° |
| OKC | used from 249 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| DAL | used from 299 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| SAT | used from 498 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 150/26 | 180/18 19° | 180/18 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/16 -6° | 210/9 -13° | 270/8 -29° | 280/6 -39° | 340/19 -51° |
| LRD | used from 647 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 150/27 | 170/24 17° | 170/20 14° | 180/12 10° | 230/19 -4° | 160/10 -14° | 130/10 -28° | 110/7 -39° | 010/22 -51° |
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-southwest (200°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 756 ft | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
| OJC Olathe, KS | 20 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 1,096 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| CFV Coffeyville, KS | 129 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 754 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| RVS Tulsa, OK | 199 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 638 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| ADH Ada, OK | 279 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,015 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| ADM Ardmore, OK | 309 nm out, 11 nm west of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | none | 776 ft | 05:55 UTC | |
| AFW Fort Worth, TX | 388 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 14 knots | 10+ mi | none | 723 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| GRK Fort Hood (Killeen), TX | 508 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 18,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 18,000 ft | 1,015 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| DZB Horseshoe Bay, TX | 547 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,093 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| SKF San Antonio, TX | 617 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 feet, overcast at 20,000 feet | from the east-southeast (110°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 20,000 ft | 690 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| COT Cotulla, TX | 677 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 5,500 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 474 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| LRD Laredo, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 508 ft | 12:56 am CDT (05:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,096 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LRD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:13 am CDT (12:13 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet VFR
At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for LRD
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet
- At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 16 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
The forecast for MKC, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few 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
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 16 nm from the route, 398 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 24 nm from the route, 488 nm along the route · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at MKC 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC), at LRD 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:34 pm CDT (00:34 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LRD is before sunrise there (7:36 am CDT (12:36 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
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, Laredo International.