Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Alexandria International MSP → AEX
814 nautical miles (937 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 178°, about 178° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 19-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 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: 77 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 2W: 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 89 to 507 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the last 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 MSP.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 32,000 ft, 18 nm west, 6:35 am CDT (11:35 UTC): light chop turbulence above 32,000 ft. 129 nm along the route, 18 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
FOD UA /OV FOD075035/TM 1135/FL320/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT CHOP 320/INTMT LGT CHOP 340
- Report
- a routine report filed through FOD
- Where
- 35 nm east (075°) of FOD
- Time
- 11:35 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop 320/INTMT light chop at 34,000 ft
- E170 at 14,000 ft, 49 nm east, 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 596 nm along the route, 49 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
LIT UA /OV LIT045030/TM 1119/FL140/TP E170/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through LIT
- Where
- 30 nm northeast (045°) of LIT
- Time
- 11:19 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- ZME65
- SR22 at 6,000 ft, 33 nm west, 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZFW83. 646 nm along the route, 33 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TXK UA /OV TXK040050/TM 1250/FL060/TP SR22/TB NEG/RM ZFW83
- Report
- a routine report filed through TXK
- Where
- 50 nm northeast (040°) of TXK
- Time
- 12:50 UTC
- Height
- at 6,000 ft
- Aircraft
- SR22
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- ZFW83
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 (MSP, MCW, DSM, COU, SGF, LIT, SHV). 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 29 kt | +12 kt | 108 kt | 7 h 32 min | 3:41 pm CDT (20:41 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 7 h 16 min | 3:25 pm CDT (20:25 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +8 kt | 15 °C | 112 kt | 7 h 16 min | 3:25 pm CDT (20:25 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +9 kt | 11 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 20 min | 3:29 pm CDT (20:29 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +8 kt | 7 °C | 112 kt | 7 h 16 min | 3:25 pm CDT (20:25 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +7 kt | 3 °C | 113 kt | 7 h 12 min | 3:21 pm CDT (20:21 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | +5 kt | -2 °C | 115 kt | 7 h 05 min | 3:14 pm CDT (20:14 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | +3 kt | -7 °C | 117 kt | 6 h 57 min | 3:06 pm CDT (20:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 22 kt | +3 kt | -8 °C | 117 kt | 6 h 57 min | 3:06 pm CDT (20:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 28 kt | +4 kt | -18 °C | 116 kt | 7 h 01 min | 3:10 pm CDT (20:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 44 kt | −9 kt | -32 °C | 129 kt | 6 h 19 min | 2:28 pm CDT (19:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 51 kt | −14 kt | -39 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 04 min | 2:13 pm CDT (19:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 51 kt | −19 kt | -49 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 51 min | 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| MCW | used from 50 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 250/36 | 250/24 19° | 240/26 11° | 250/30 5° | 270/22 -9° | 260/30 -21° | 260/31 -36° | 280/53 -38° | 280/66 -48° |
| DSM | used from 149 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| COU | used from 298 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| SGF | used from 397 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/37 | 260/20 15° | 250/16 13° | 250/15 8° | 260/28 -7° | 250/31 -17° | 280/59 -31° | 280/59 -39° | 290/55 -50° |
| LIT | used from 546 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| SHV | used from 695 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 210/20 | 210/20 18° | 230/20 11° | 240/16 7° | 270/17 -7° | 250/11 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 310/34 -40° | 320/36 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | departure | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| OWA Owatonna, MN | 50 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,145 ft | ||||
| HPT Hampton, IA | 129 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,176 ft | ||||
| PEA Pella, IA | 209 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 885 ft | ||||
| TVK Centerville, IA | 248 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| VER Boonville, MO | 358 nm out, 10 nm east of the line | no report just now | 715 ft | ||||
| AOV Ava, MO | 477 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,311 ft | ||||
| BBG Branson, MO | 497 nm out, 21 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,302 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 616 nm out, 24 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 266 ft | ||||
| CDH Camden, AR | 675 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | no report just now | 129 ft | ||||
| RSN Ruston, LA | 745 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 316 ft | ||||
| AEX Alexandria, LA | destination | no report just now | 88 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,311 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At AEX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC)
AEX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at AEX 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm CDT (00:06 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: Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Alexandria International.