Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field to Bemidji Regional MSN → BJI
353 nautical miles (406 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 320°, about 323° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, no wind along the track), arriving about 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MSN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots; BJI is IFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 8 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: 2 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 route from 10 to 137 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 49 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 MSN.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (LSE, MSP, DLH, AXN, INL). 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 | 230° at 17 kt | 0 | 120 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +5 kt | 15 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 04 min | 3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | +5 kt | 11 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 04 min | 3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +7 kt | 7 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 07 min | 3:54 am CDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | +9 kt | 4 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 11 min | 3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | +12 kt | -1 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 16 min | 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 29 kt | +16 kt | -6 °C | 104 kt | 3 h 24 min | 4:11 am CDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 31 kt | +19 kt | -10 °C | 101 kt | 3 h 30 min | 4:17 am CDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 34 kt | +18 kt | -21 °C | 102 kt | 3 h 28 min | 4:15 am CDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 42 kt | +18 kt | -35 °C | 102 kt | 3 h 28 min | 4:15 am CDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 45 kt | +23 kt | -45 °C | 97 kt | 3 h 38 min | 4:25 am CDT (09:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 61 kt | +36 kt | -53 °C | 84 kt | 4 h 12 min | 4:59 am CDT (09:59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSE | used from 0 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 147 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| DLH | used from 196 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 080/28 | 240/21 15° | 250/26 9° | 250/32 3° | 260/42 -11° | 270/40 -21° | 260/43 -36° | 260/46 -46° | 260/65 -54° |
| AXN | used from 294 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| INL | used from 343 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 080/23 | L/V 9° | 260/22 5° | 260/27 0° | 260/43 -11° | 270/47 -21° | 270/57 -36° | 270/54 -47° | 270/69 -56° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN Madison, WI | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 886 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
| DLL Baraboo, WI | 29 nm out, 0 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 980 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| CMY Sparta, WI | 78 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 839 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| BCK Black River Falls, WI | 98 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 836 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| EAU Eau Claire, WI | 137 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 913 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| GTG Grantsburg, WI | 216 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 927 ft | ||||
| JMR Mora, MN | 235 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,032 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| AIT Aitkin, MN | 275 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,206 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| XVG Longville, MN | 314 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the east-northeast (060°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 1,336 ft | 05:14 UTC |
| BJI Bemidji, MN | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 500 ft | 1,391 ft | 12:35 am CDT (05:35 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,391 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BJI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC)
Wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet IFR
The whole forecast for BJI
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light rain showers
The forecast for MSN, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
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 MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at BJI 6:37 pm CDT (23:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:08 pm CDT (00:08 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BJI is before sunrise there (7:33 am CDT (12:33 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: Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field, Bemidji Regional.