Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field to Nogales International MSN → OLS
1,240 nautical miles (1,427 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 243°, about 246° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 24-knot headwind), arriving about 6:12 am MST (13:12 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 890 to 950 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W VALID UNTIL 0155Z CO NM AZ UT FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 960 to 1230 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W VALID UNTIL 0155Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 430 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 890 to 1220 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 230 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
Not fetched just now.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, DSM, OMA, SLN, GCK, TCC, ABQ, ELP, TUS). 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 | 210° at 27 kt | +24 kt | 18 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 55 min | 6:12 am MST (13:12 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | +26 kt | 17 °C | 94 kt | 13 h 11 min | 6:28 am MST (13:28 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 12 °C | 94 kt | 13 h 11 min | 6:28 am MST (13:28 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 9 °C | 95 kt | 13 h 03 min | 6:20 am MST (13:20 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +25 kt | 5 °C | 95 kt | 13 h 03 min | 6:20 am MST (13:20 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 1 °C | 94 kt | 13 h 11 min | 6:28 am MST (13:28 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +27 kt | -4 °C | 93 kt | 13 h 20 min | 6:37 am MST (13:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 28 kt | +29 kt | -7 °C | 91 kt | 13 h 38 min | 6:55 am MST (13:55 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 35 kt | +36 kt | -18 °C | 84 kt | 14 h 46 min | 8:03 am MST (15:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 50 kt | +51 kt | -30 °C | 69 kt | 17 h 58 min | 11:15 am MST (18:15 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 52 kt | +51 kt | -39 °C | 69 kt | 17 h 58 min | 11:15 am MST (18:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 54 kt | +50 kt | -50 °C | 70 kt | 17 h 43 min | 11:00 am MST (18:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/22 16° | 240/24 10° | 260/18 5° | 270/16 -8° | 290/27 -19° | 310/42 -35° | 320/55 -44° | 300/71 -52° |
| DSM | used from 150 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| OMA | used from 250 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| SLN | used from 400 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GCK | used from 550 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| TCC | used from 700 nm out; 103 nm from the line | 200/26 | 200/28 14° | 220/25 7° | 230/28 -7° | 240/41 -19° | 240/62 -28° | 250/61 -37° | 250/49 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 850 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| ELP | used from 1050 nm out; 130 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| TUS | used from 1100 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° |
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 | ||||
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 70 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 210 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| ICL Clarinda, IA | 290 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 995 ft | ||||
| CNK Concordia, KS | 430 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,488 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 610 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| ULS Ulysses, KS | 640 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,071 ft | ||||
| CAO Clayton, NM | 750 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,969 ft | ||||
| ONM Socorro, NM | 990 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,875 ft | ||||
| FHU Fort Huachuca Sierra Vista, AZ | 1210 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,718 ft | ||||
| OLS Nogales, AZ | destination | no report just now | 3,955 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,969 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At OLS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:12 am MST (13:12 UTC)
OLS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 24 nm from the route, 950 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at MSN 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC), at OLS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:19 pm MST (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at OLS is before sunrise there (6:24 am MST (13:24 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: Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field, Nogales International.