Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Blue Grass Airport MSP → LEX
564 nautical miles (649 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 134°, about 134° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 60-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:13 am EDT (04:13 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: 23 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the destination end.
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
- B39M at 34,000 ft, 40 nm southwest, 6:25 pm CDT (23:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 40 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
MSP UA /OV MSP240040/TM 2325/FL340/TP B39M/TB LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through MSP
- Where
- 40 nm southwest (240°) of MSP
- Time
- 23:25 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- light chop
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 36 nm northeast, 7:29 pm CDT (00:29 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth. 317 nm along the route, 36 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IKK UA /OV CGT/TM 0029/FL350/TP B39M/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through IKK
- Where
- over CGT
- Time
- 00:29 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- smooth
- E170 at 23,000 ft, 8 nm east, 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC): light turbulence. 406 nm along the route, 8 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV VHP315020/TM 2314/FL230/TP E170/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- 20 nm northwest (315°) of VHP
- Time
- 23:14 UTC
- Height
- at 23,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- light
- B744 climbing, 41 nm northeast, 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC): light turbulence, overcast. 505 nm along the route, 41 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV 10 N CVG/TM 0002/FLDURC/TP B744/SK B022 OVC T036/TB LT TB SFC-036
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 10 north cvg
- Time
- 00:02 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- B744
- Sky
- B022 overcast T036
- Turbulence
- lt turbulence from the surface to 3,600 ft
- B737 at 23,000 ft, 35 nm northeast, 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC): light turbulence. 515 nm along the route, 35 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV CVG/TM 2351/FL230/TP B737/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- over CVG
- Time
- 23:51 UTC
- Height
- at 23,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light
- B739 climbing, 31 nm northeast, 6:31 pm CDT (23:31 UTC): overcast. 515 nm along the route, 31 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 2331/FLDURC/TP B739/SK B026 OVC T036
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 5 west cvg
- Time
- 23:31 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- B739
- Sky
- B026 overcast T036
- A333 at 4,000 ft, 27 nm northeast, 5:44 pm CDT (22:44 UTC): overcast. 515 nm along the route, 27 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV CVG270010/TM 2244/FL040/TP A333/SK B025 OVC T035
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 10 nm west (270°) of CVG
- Time
- 22:44 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A333
- Sky
- B025 overcast T035
- B753 at 32,000 ft, 35 nm northeast, 5:11 pm CDT (22:11 UTC): no turbulence. 515 nm along the route, 35 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV CVG/TM 2211/FL320/TP B753/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- over CVG
- Time
- 22:11 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B753
- Turbulence
- none
- E170 climbing, 35 nm southwest, 5:26 pm CDT (22:26 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 525 nm along the route, 35 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
SDF UA /OV SDF/TM 2226/FLDURC/TP E170/SK B022 T036
- Report
- a routine report filed through SDF
- Where
- over SDF
- Time
- 22:26 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- E170
- Sky
- B022 T036
- M600 at 1,800 ft, 30 nm southwest, 5:12 pm CDT (22:12 UTC): overcast above 1,800 ft. 525 nm along the route, 30 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LOU UA /OV DURD/TM 2212/FL018/TP M600/SK OVC018-TOPO37
- Report
- a routine report filed through LOU
- Where
- over DURD
- Time
- 22:12 UTC
- Height
- at 1,800 ft
- Aircraft
- M600
- Sky
- OVC018-TOPO37
- CRJ9 descending, 0 nm south, 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC): overcast up to 6,200 ft; overcast above 1,800 ft. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LEX UA /OV LEX/TM 2343/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/SK TOPS OVC062 BASES OVC018
- Report
- a routine report filed through LEX
- Where
- over LEX
- Time
- 23:43 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Sky
- tops OVC062 bases OVC018
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (MSP, LSE, DBQ, JOT, IND, LOU). 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 | 250° at 13 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 4 h 31 min | 1:36 am EDT (05:36 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 4 h 14 min | 1:19 am EDT (05:19 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 13 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 09 min | 1:14 am EDT (05:14 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 9 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 07 min | 1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 5 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 07 min | 1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 1 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 05 min | 1:10 am EDT (05:10 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | −20 kt | -4 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 02 min | 1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | −21 kt | -8 °C | 141 kt | 4 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 21 kt | −21 kt | -9 °C | 141 kt | 4 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 31 kt | −31 kt | -20 °C | 151 kt | 3 h 44 min | 12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 43 kt | −43 kt | -36 °C | 163 kt | 3 h 28 min | 12:33 am EDT (04:33 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 51 kt | −51 kt | -43 °C | 171 kt | 3 h 18 min | 12:23 am EDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 61 kt | −60 kt | -50 °C | 180 kt | 3 h 08 min | 12:13 am EDT (04:13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/28 | 240/30 19° | 240/24 12° | 240/17 5° | 270/24 -10° | 270/33 -20° | 280/48 -35° | 290/55 -45° | 280/84 -54° |
| LSE | used from 49 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 220/33 | 250/29 17° | 250/15 9° | 260/12 6° | 280/21 -9° | 280/33 -20° | 300/43 -36° | 310/56 -45° | 300/79 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 148 nm out; 31 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° |
| JOT | used from 247 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| IND | used from 346 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| LOU | used from 495 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 320/15 | 340/24 14° | 330/28 9° | 340/34 4° | 340/37 -9° | 340/42 -20° | 320/39 -35° | 320/45 -39° | 330/40 -47° |
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 | ||||
| RGK Red Wing, MN | 40 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 778 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 99 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 655 ft | ||||
| OVS Boscobel, WI | 148 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 672 ft | ||||
| MRJ Mineral Point, WI | 178 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,170 ft | ||||
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 238 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 297 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 679 ft | ||||
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 386 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 605 ft | ||||
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 436 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 796 ft | ||||
| BAK Columbus, IN | 465 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 656 ft | ||||
| FFT Frankfort, KY | 544 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 812 ft | ||||
| LEX Lexington, KY | destination | no report just now | 979 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,170 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LEX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:13 am EDT (04:13 UTC)
LEX 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 LEX 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LEX is before sunrise there (7:43 am EDT (11:43 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, Blue Grass Airport.