Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field to Laughlin/Bullhead International MSN → IFP
1,262 nautical miles (1,453 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 256°, about 259° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 13 h 09 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 24-knot headwind), arriving about 12:24 pm MST (19:24 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: 31 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 636 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 636 to 1034 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 656 to 1232 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 745 to 895 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 914 to 1252 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 229 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1113 to 1193 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 1163 nm along 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
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 14 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, MCW, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, DEN, PUB, ALS, GJT, FMN, BCE, PRC, LAS). 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 36 kt | +34 kt | 17 °C | 86 kt | 14 h 40 min | 1:55 pm MST (20:55 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 32 kt | +31 kt | 16 °C | 89 kt | 14 h 11 min | 1:26 pm MST (20:26 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 11 °C | 96 kt | 13 h 09 min | 12:24 pm MST (19:24 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 7 °C | 96 kt | 13 h 09 min | 12:24 pm MST (19:24 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +26 kt | 3 °C | 94 kt | 13 h 26 min | 12:41 pm MST (19:41 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | +28 kt | -1 °C | 92 kt | 13 h 43 min | 12:58 pm MST (19:58 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | +31 kt | -6 °C | 89 kt | 14 h 11 min | 1:26 pm MST (20:26 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -9 °C | 87 kt | 14 h 30 min | 1:45 pm MST (20:45 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 42 kt | +41 kt | -21 °C | 79 kt | 15 h 58 min | 3:13 pm MST (22:13 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 56 kt | +56 kt | -31 °C | 64 kt | 19 h 43 min | 6:58 pm MST (01:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 61 kt | +62 kt | -37 °C | 58 kt | 21 h 46 min | 9:01 pm MST (04:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 56 kt | +57 kt | -47 °C | 63 kt | 20 h 02 min | 7:17 pm MST (02:17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| MCW | used from 149 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| DSM | used from 199 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| OMA | used from 248 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| GRI | used from 348 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| GLD | used from 497 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| DEN | used from 646 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| PUB | used from 745 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| ALS | used from 795 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| GJT | used from 845 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 895 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 1044 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| PRC | used from 1143 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| LAS | used from 1193 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° |
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 | no report just now | 886 ft | ||||
| OLZ Oelwein, IA | 119 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| ALO Waterloo, IA | 139 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 873 ft | ||||
| SCB Scribner, NE | 338 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,324 ft | ||||
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 417 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,847 ft | ||||
| RYA Wray, CO | 606 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,677 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 745 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| ANK Salida, CO | 805 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 7,523 ft | ||||
| TEX Telluride, CO | 904 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 9,069 ft | ||||
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 1133 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,608 ft | ||||
| IGM Kingman, AZ | 1232 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,448 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | destination | no report just now | 707 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 9,069 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At IFP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:24 pm MST (19:24 UTC)
IFP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 1 nm from the route, 765 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at IFP 6:07 pm MST (01:07 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:32 pm MST (01:32 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, Laughlin/Bullhead International.