Plan a flight · Mon 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC)

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International to Kansas City International MSY → MCI

600 nautical miles (691 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 340°, about 341° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:04 pm CDT (17:04 UTC). Right now MSY is VFR, wind calm; MCI is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 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: 732 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 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the first 157 nm of the route.
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 last 197 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 MSY.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

urgent B763 at 2,000 ft, 49 nm southwest, 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 49 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
FOE UUA /OV 130003/TM 1157/FL020/TP B763/WV LLWS
```
Report
an urgent report filed through FOE
Where
wind from 130° at 3 knots
Time
11:57 UTC
Height
at 2,000 ft
Aircraft
B763
Wind
low-level wind shear
B738 at 40,000 ft, 0 nm northeast, 6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 0 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MSY UA /OV KHRV067024/TM 1103/FL400/TP B738/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through MSY
Where
24 nm northeast (067°) of KHRV
Time
11:03 UTC
Height
at 40,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
continuous light chop
Remarks
zhu
B738 at 36,000 ft, 0 nm northeast, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 0 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MSY UA /OV KHRV339030/TM 1058/FL360/TP B738/TB NEG/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through MSY
Where
30 nm north (339°) of KHRV
Time
10:58 UTC
Height
at 36,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
none
Remarks
zhu
C25A at 41,000 ft, 47 nm east, 6:05 am CDT (11:05 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 47 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
HSA UA /OV KPCU314014/TM 1105/FL410/TP C25A/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through HSA
Where
14 nm northwest (314°) of KPCU
Time
11:05 UTC
Height
at 41,000 ft
Aircraft
C25A
Turbulence
occasional light chop
Remarks
zhu
A21N at 34,000 ft, 32 nm southwest, 6:37 am CDT (11:37 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. 49 nm along the route, 32 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
BTR UA /OV KBTR/TM 1137/FL340/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through BTR
Where
over KBTR
Time
11:37 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Turbulence
none
Remarks
zhu
BE36 at 8,000 ft, 22 nm east, 6:18 am CDT (11:18 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 118 nm along the route, 22 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
JAN UA /OV MHZ225040/TM 1118/FL080/TP BE36/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
```
Report
a routine report filed through JAN
Where
40 nm southwest (225°) of MHZ
Time
11:18 UTC
Height
at 8,000 ft
Aircraft
BE36
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
Remarks
ZME65
E170 at 14,000 ft, 37 nm northeast, 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 305 nm along the route, 37 nm northeast 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

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 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 (MSY, JAN, LIT, SGF, MKC). 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	240° at 20 kt	−2 kt		122 kt	4 h 55 min	12:04 pm CDT (17:04 UTC)
6,500 ft	250° at 17 kt	0	17 °C	120 kt	5 h	12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC)
8,500 ft	250° at 15 kt	−1 kt	13 °C	121 kt	4 h 58 min	12:07 pm CDT (17:07 UTC)
10,500 ft	240° at 14 kt	−1 kt	10 °C	121 kt	4 h 58 min	12:07 pm CDT (17:07 UTC)
12,500 ft	250° at 13 kt	0	6 °C	120 kt	5 h	12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC)
14,500 ft	260° at 15 kt	+2 kt	2 °C	118 kt	5 h 05 min	12:14 pm CDT (17:14 UTC)
16,500 ft	260° at 17 kt	+4 kt	-3 °C	116 kt	5 h 10 min	12:19 pm CDT (17:19 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 18 kt	+6 kt	-6 °C	114 kt	5 h 16 min	12:25 pm CDT (17:25 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	260° at 23 kt	+6 kt	-17 °C	114 kt	5 h 16 min	12:25 pm CDT (17:25 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 45 kt	+32 kt	-30 °C	88 kt	6 h 49 min	1:58 pm CDT (18:58 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 45 kt	+35 kt	-40 °C	85 kt	7 h 04 min	2:13 pm CDT (19:13 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 42 kt	+36 kt	-51 °C	84 kt	7 h 09 min	2:18 pm CDT (19:18 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
MSY	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	150/9	140/8 18°	L/V 13°	L/V 6°	320/15 -5°	310/16 -16°	320/32 -31°	340/35 -40°	350/34 -52°
JAN	used from 98 nm out; 57 nm from the line	240/10	260/15 18°	280/10 11°	290/6 6°	290/15 -5°	300/15 -17°	320/35 -30°	330/38 -40°	330/39 -51°
LIT	used from 197 nm out; 80 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°
SGF	used from 394 nm out; 46 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°
MKC	used from 541 nm out; 23 nm from the line	240/49	240/21 20°	220/19 13°	230/21 6°	260/26 -7°	250/37 -19°	270/66 -31°	270/65 -38°	280/60 -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
MSY New Orleans, LA	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	3 ft	6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)
HDC Hammond, LA	30 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	46 ft	11:55 UTC
MCB Mc Comb, MS	69 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	413 ft	11:53 UTC
TVR Tallulah, LA	148 nm out, 13 nm east of the line	VFR	calm	8 mi	none	85 ft	11:53 UTC
LLQ Monticello, AR	236 nm out, 7 nm east of the line	VFR	from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	267 ft	11:53 UTC
SUZ Benton, AR	295 nm out, 8 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	389 ft	11:55 UTC
LIT Little Rock, AR	305 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	266 ft	11:53 UTC
HRO Harrison, AR	403 nm out, 1 nm west of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,364 ft	11:53 UTC
BBG Branson, MO	423 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	1,302 ft	11:45 UTC
NVD Nevada, MO	512 nm out, 16 nm west of the line	no report just now				892 ft
OJC Olathe, KS	581 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 8 knots, gusting to 18	10+ mi	none	1,096 ft	11:53 UTC
MCI Kansas City, MO	destination	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots	10+ mi	none	1,027 ft	6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,364 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MCI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:04 pm CDT (17:04 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 17 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MCI

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 17 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

The forecast for MSY, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 MSY 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at MCI 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 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

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Kansas City International.